Final Pitch — Garden University

Background

7 min readDec 7, 2019

I grew up working in the yard with both my grandmothers and my mother. They were a wealth of information on what grew best in our area of East Texas. They could tell me where to plant things and which plants needed to be protected against drought or frost. I got pretty good at growing things because of the knowledge that was passed down to me. Unfortunately, not everyone has a grandparent or parent to teach them the magic of gardening, but there are plenty of experienced plant lovers out there eager and willing to share their mistakes and their wisdom.

Gardening, in all its various shapes and forms, is one of those hobbies that has far-reaching impact across multiple generations, and it is a really big deal in America.

According to the National Gardening Survey, in 2018, American gardeners spent a record $52 billion on lawn and garden retail sales, that’s up from 47 billion in 2017 and 36 billion in 2016.

And where are all these gardeners getting their information about plants?

According to the same survey, rather than buying books, many of these gardeners get their information from gardening websites. (Globenewswire News Room, 2019)

The Problem

The problem is, despite all these billions of dollars spent at retail stores and unlimited access to knowledge via the internet, new gardeners still make costly mistakes and get really frustrated with their yards.

I interviewed several local homeowners who spend an average of 2–5 hours per week on their yards, and each and every one of them expressed very similar frustrations:

· They cannot identify the plants they already have in their yards and how to care for those plants.

· They feel like they have to water and fertilize too much to keep things alive.

· They do not know what will grow well in their soil type.

· They know nothing or very little about plants native to their own area.

I also talked to members of the Native Plant Society of Texas and asked them, “What are some of the biggest mistakes new gardeners make?” What they had to say all came down to a lack of gardening education:

· People pick the wrong plants for this area.

· They do not know where to plant them or how much to water them.

· They plant the wrong types of plants for their soil.

· They do not understand how their yard plays its part in the region’s larger ecosystem: the plants, the insects, the wildlife, the people.

All this boils down to one central need: DIY gardeners need education about native plant gardening so they can achieve their yard goals with less watering and fertilizing.

Competition

So, how are existing solutions meeting this need?

Native and wildflower societies exist in every state. For example, the Native Plant Society of Texas has multiple chapters. They host monthly meetings and two successful plant sales a year. However, each chapter is limited on how many educational opportunities it offers based on each chapter’s fluctuating membership involvement.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center right here in Austin, TX, is 9 acres of native plant gardens, and the Center offers a variety of workshops and classes. The challenge is that the Center’s primary goal is hosting workshops on site to bring people to the Center itself.

And then, of course, there are online resources such as YouTube, blogs, and even online college courses. However, like anything online, it takes a lot of time to do the research to find trustworthy sources for your specific gardening questions.

With these things in mind, I finally asked homeowners how they learn about native plants, and they said they research a little online then go to nurseries where they can get answers from nursery employees. This told me that a combination of online and face-to-face interactions are key factors in how people learn about gardening.

Solution

I took all this information and created a solution that I call Garden University.

Garden University is primarily an online “university” that you can visit on your computer or your phone. When you visit Garden University you can sign up for a free account where you input your address.

A free account grants you a list of native plants that are a good fit for your area.

You can also access How-To tutorials like this one about transferring your potted plants. And since you provided your address at enrollment, Garden university can tailor content for you based on your ecoregion, hardiness zone, and soil type.

A paid subscription earns you access to courses and certifications as well as other perks. You can see exactly who created the course, so it’s a little like getting gardening advice in person.

Garden University partners with local native plant societies, Master Gardeners, and other plant experts to develop quality, online curriculum and part of the proceeds go to these groups.

From the website, you can also schedule and pay for Garden University to host a workshop right in your own neighborhood. We have a mobile learning garden, that we can bring to your neighborhood park or amenity center. For example, we held a prototype workshop last month. Three members of the Williamson County Native Plant Society led a 2-hour workshop that entailed the following:

- A short presentation on the soil particular to our neighborhood.

- And a show-and-tell presentation about several native plants that will grow well in our neighborhood’s soil.

- Attendees left with a starter-kit of handouts, a packet of seeds, and several native potted plants.

Finally, from the website, you can register and pay for community-building activities at Garden University’s brick-and-mortar “campus.” Garden University will host trendy, seasonal workshops like “How to make living wreaths” or “Creating your own succulent garden.” This is a fun, low-key way to introduce the larger community to Garden University and native plants.

Opportunity

The market of DIY gardeners in America is growing as millennials take on their parents’ and grandparents’ hobby.

According to the National Gardening Survey, the percentage of baby boomers who garden has remained fairly steady at 35%, even as they downsize to smaller yards. That’s about 20 million people. And the percentage of millennials who garden rose to 29% in 2018, or 21 million people, with 8 million more projected for 2019.

Both older and younger generations are looking for low maintenance plants. And millennials in particular respond to messages about the environment and conservation. In fact, according to the 2019 Garden Trends Report, one of the “Four Hottest Trends in Gardening” is sustainable gardening with native plants. And the 2020 Report says gardening for wildlife will be trending this coming year. These insights makes Garden University’s focus on gardening with locally appropriate, native plants particularly key.

Conclusion

DIY gardening is on the rise, and with that comes the need for native plant education through online and in-person formats. Existing solutions are not cutting it as people still experience steep learning curves and a lot of frustration in their yards. Garden University will provide the tools and resources needed to be successful. Garden University will be the grandma with a green thumb who can tell us what will grow best, when to plant it, and which plants to cover in a frost!

Next Steps

My next steps are to refine my pitch presentation and have it competition ready for things like 3DS at Texas State University, SXSW Innovation Lab, and other venture opportunities. I also plan to apply for a scholarship through the Native Plant Society of Texas for help with research as I move forward. I am not really sure where this will go, but I think it would be exciting to see where this goes!