Plant spending grows to €175m

HOUSE-PROUD Irish people forked out a blooming great €175 million on plants and flowers at the country’s garden centres in the past season.

And there were signs the financial slowdown will not halt the phenomenal growth as some young couples put foreign holidays on hold to invest in home gardens instead.

Higher disposable incomes and increased home ownership were behind the green-fingered surge in demand as gardening continues to grow as a leisure activity.