- Almost 70,000 UK gardeners google advice on growing vegetables and herbs each year
- ‘How to grow vegetables’ and ‘how to grow herbs’ account for almost 900 searches each month
- Getting rid of weeds, mowing lawns and planting in shade also amongst most popular topics
- Analysis from Flymo highlights growing trend of lost gardeners turning to Google for advice
Analysis of more than 2,500 search terms has revealed some of the most popular gardening questions asked online, as a generation of lost gardeners increasingly turn to Google for advice.
The research, undertaken by the outdoor product manufacturer Flymo, revealed that there are almost 70,000 searches each year in the UK for advice on growing vegetables and herbs. The specific terms ‘how to grow vegetables’ and ‘how to grow herbs’ account for almost 11,000 searches every year.
Most gardeners turn to Google for help with vegetables. Almost 4,000 searches every month include the term ‘vegetables’, equivalent to almost 45,000 gardeners every year. This compares to just under 2,000 searches each month focused on growing herbs.
The term ‘how to grow vegetables’ is the most popular search in terms of monthly volume (480) alongside ‘how to get rid of weeds’. Searches including the term ‘weeds’ total more than 40,000 each year. The research is in line with a growing interest in sustainable living and growing food, but one where newcomers are turning to the internet for help with some age-old gardening questions.
David Bawden, Digital Marketing Manager at Flymo said: “Gardening is one of the few activities where people look to remove themselves from the digital world, but it seems Google has now become a trusted source for gardeners. It’s encouraging to see a new generation engaging with gardening and sustainable living, and embracing technology to fuel an interest that may have skipped right past them.”
Alongside growing their own food, users are turning to Google for advice on several of the more practical elements of garden maintenance. There are over 5,000 searches every year for advice on ‘how to mow a lawn’ or ‘how to cut a hedge’, despite being questions Google might find difficult to answer.
Few users are searching for advice on planting perennials and annuals – those terms accounting for fewer than 500 monthly searches. However, at a time of the year when gardens are filled with late-blooming perennials, hopefully Google has proved a fruitful source for those tech-savvy gardeners.
For more information and answers to some of the biggest questions facing gardeners visit: https://www.flymo.com/uk/hints-and-tips/5-most-searched-for-gardening-questions/