Benefits of Gardening: Good for the Mind, Body & Soul Media Web Conference

1. Benefits of Gardening: Good for the Mind, Body & Soul Media Web Conference Thursday, April 27, 20061:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Eastern

2. Speakers • Bob LaGasse, Executive Director,Garden Writers Association • Vickie Abrahamson, Executive Vice President, Consumer Analysis/Co-Founder, Iconoculture • Bruce Butterfield, Research Director,National Gardening Association • Diane Relf, Ph.D., Horticulture/Consumer Extension Specialist, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University • Tim Key, Vice President Consumer and Trade Research, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company

3. Vickie Abrahamson Executive VP, Consumer Analysis Co-Founder, Iconoculture

4. What is a Macrotrend? A mindset of the American consumer which represents their needs, wants and aspirations. • Expressed through current and emerging trends and their underlying emotional values driving consumer behavior. • Has depth and breadth in the consumer culture, rooted firmly in emotional values.

5. Macrotrend: Gaia Belief and behavior that reflects the idea of Earth as a living, breathing, feeling organism.

6. “What befalls the Earth befalls the sons of Earth. The Earth does not belong to man. Man belongs to the Earth.” - Chief Seattle, 1855

7. Macrotrend: Wellville A holistic (mind, body, spirit) approach to living that seeks total well-being through balance within self,community, and world.

8. “Life is a journey. The contemplative garden becomes a metaphor for life. It has no set style. It can be English, Italian, the New American Garden—it’s beyond the moniker. A contemplative garden is to be in the moment. In each garden, something is revealed and something is hidden.” • Martin Mosko, Zen Monk & Landscape Architect, Marpa and • Associates

9. Consumer Values • Nature: Get close to great outdoors • Balance: Desire for all areas of life to be in tune • Wellness: Quest for perfect state of full health, well-being and balance • Relaxation: Kick back! • Vitality: State of being full with vigor, energy and love for life

10. Consumer Trends:Slow Down, I’m Movin’ Too Fast • Farmer’s Markets • Hobby Farmers/Garden Tractors

11. Consumer Trends:Personal Signatures Move Outdoors • Outdoor Living Spaces • temperature friendly • lighting makes inviting for night • easy to care for

12. Consumer Trends:Community Vitality Through Nature • Farmadelphia • Cosmo Doogood’s Urban Almanac: Celebrating Nature and Her Rhythms in the City - Eric Utne

13. Bruce Butterfield Research Director, National Gardening Association

14. 2005 a Banner Year for theGardening Industry • A record 91 million households participated in lawn and garden activities in 2005 • 83% of all US households • An increase of 9 million households or 11% from 2004 • The highest level of participation seen in the past 5 years

15. Who are America’s Gardeners? • Master Gardeners are highly skilled and knowledgeable gardeners with a great deal of experience and wisdom who share their garden knowledge with others. • Garden Enthusiasts are people passionate and serious about gardening and take great pride in their home landscape and gardens. • Casual Gardeners are people who enjoy the time they spend gardening and want their property to look good, well-maintained and attractive. • Reluctant Gardeners are people who don’t really think of themselves as gardeners, just someone who may plant a few flowers and care for the lawn and landscape around their home. • Just Cut The Grass households include people who mow their lawn and keep their yard picked up, but aren’t really interested or involved in landscaping or gardening. • None of the Above households are not involved in any type of lawn and garden activity. Many of these people don’t have a yard or garden space.

16. America’s Gardeners • 2% Master Gardeners • 7% Garden Enthusiasts • 31% Casual Gardeners 40% of Americans think of themselves as gardeners.

17. Americans Who Don’t Garden • 23% Reluctant Gardeners • 15% Just Cut the Grass • 23% None of the above 38% of Americans don’t think of themselves as gardeners. 23% of Americans don’t have a yard or space to garden.

18. Top 10 Benefits of Gardening • 69% Gardening is a way for me to decorate, beautify my home • 64% Food gardening is a way to grow fresh and nutritious food • 62% Gardening helps me relax • 62% Gardening makes my outdoor space more liveable • 57% Gardening adds curb appeal to my home • 56% Gardening is a great form of exercise • 55% Gardening helps me connect with nature • 51% Gardening adds to the value of my home real estate investment • 51% Gardening is a way for me to be creative • 44% Gardening is a great educational tool for children

19. How do gardeners describe their attitudes about gardening? • 74% said, “I enjoy gardening” • 60% said, “Gardening makes me happy” • 46% said, “Gardening is a responsibility that comes with owning a home”

20. What do gardeners say would encourage them to do more gardening in the future? • 40% said, “If I had more time for gardening” • 32% said, “If I had more suitable space for gardening” • 31% said, “If gardening cost less money”

21. Dr. Diane Relf Horticulture Extension Specialist, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University

22. Why the Need to Research Benefits of Plants and Gardening? • Increases effectiveness • Widens audience • Influences policy and planning • Influences resource allocation

23. The Need for Nature • Survey results: • 55% Gardening helps me connect with nature • Research: • Antidote to overload and arousal of modern life (less complex and calming) • Early learning experiences (accounts for difference but not similarities) • Evolution (survival, human rituals and religion throughout history)

24. Bringing Balance & Harmony • Survey results: • 69% Gardening is a way for me to decorate & beautify my home • 51% Gardening is a way for me to be creative • Research: • Self-expression: the role of plants/gardens in art and architecture • Increased self-esteem, enhanced personal satisfaction and efficacy • Greater sense of stability and community spirit among gardeners • Increased satisfaction with the quality of their lives

25. Reduced Stress - Anxiety • Survey results: • 62% Gardening helps me relax • Research: • Views of plants improve emotions (e.g. lessened anger) • Nature scenes have measurable physiological effects (e.g. lower blood pressure, reduced muscle tension) • Recover from major health problems (e.g. cancer, Alzheimer’s) • Study showed patients recovering from gall bladder surgery spent less time in the hospital and used fewer doses of strong pain relievers if they had room with a view of trees rather than brick wall

26. Reduced Stress –Security/Peace of Mind • Survey results: • 57% Gardening adds curb appeal to my home • 51% Gardening adds to the value of my home real estate investment • 62% Gardening makes my outdoor space more livable • Research: • Realtors appraised properly landscaped home higher than others • Sales price of a home with “excellent” landscaping was 12 to 15 percent higher than one with “fair” or “poor” landscaping • Return on investment for landscape is higher than most home-related investments • Adding plantings and landscapes reduces crime, violence • In a Philadelphia neighborhood, residents’ involvement in community greening was catalyst for 90 percent reduction in neighborhood crime

27. Good for Physical Health - Food • Survey results: • 64% Food gardening is a way to grow fresh and nutritious food • Research: • Fresh vegetables are an excellent source of many disease-fighting nutrients...that can’t be taken as a pill. • Current research focuses on botanical therapeutics: plant-derived pharmaceuticals, multi-component botanical drugs, dietary supplements, functional foods and plant-produced recombinant proteins. • Some indications show that kids who grow vegetables will eat them. • Vegetables grown by students had a high intrinsic value and improved attitude toward fruit and vegetable snacks.

28. Good for Physical Health - Exercise • Survey results: • 56% Gardening is a great form of exercise • Research: • Provides adequate, challenging workout that is less stressful to bodyEffort Expended in Gardening vs. Other Activities *Values based on the ratio of associated metabolic rate for specific activity divided by resting metabolic rate.

29. Good for Physical Health - Exercise • Survey results: • 56% Gardening is a great form of exercise • Research: • Linked to reduction in osteoporosis • Bone density for women who did yard work was equal in those who did weight training, and higher than in women who did jogging, aerobics, or calisthenics

30. Stimulates Learning • Survey results: • 44% Gardening is a great educational tool for children • Research: • 96% of teachers who garden in the classroom said gardens were successful teaching tool • 75% of them reported that student behavior improves in a garden • Reduced symptoms in children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and related ability to concentrate have been reported • The greener and more natural a girl's view from home, the better she scores on tests of self-discipline (abilities to concentrate, inhibit impulsive behavior and delay gratification)

31. Gardeners’ Attitudes • Survey results: • 74% said, “I enjoy gardening” • 60% said, “Gardening makes me happy” • 46% said, “Gardening is a responsibility that comes with owning a home” • Contributing factors to the pleasure aspect include: • All factors discussed thus far can have positive impact • Sunshine is a mood enhancer • Seeing the direct result of one’s efforts brings immediate gratification

32. What Do Gardeners Say Would Encourage Them to Do More Gardening? • Survey results: • 40% said, “If I had more time for gardening” • 32% said, “If I had more suitable space for gardening” • 31% said, “If gardening cost less money” • Research and 40 years of experience has produced…

33. Five Steps to Happier,Healthier Gardening • Know Your Gardening Goals • Think Small • Get Help • Work Smart • Take Time to Smell the Roses

34. Tim Key VP, Consumer & Trade Research, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company

35. Understanding Consumers’ Gardening Needs • The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company is focused on: determining which benefits are most meaningful to gardeners and reducing perceived barriers so that consumers can reap the benefits of gardening • Common theme: strong desire for simplification and enhanced convenience

36. Process for New Product Concepts • Need Identification • Strategic Quantitative Research • Qualitative • Concept Development and Testing • Product Prototype Development

37. Need for Simplicity Drives Innovation • Consumer Trend: Consumers want simplicity and convenience in their lives. • Consumer Observations: • 45 million gardeners use a hose to water • Only 55% are using plant food • Consumers said very “easy” and “relaxing” to do, from a physical and psychological perspective • Consumer Needs: • Plant Food Users: addresses #1 compliant that activity is messy, and helps correct mis-use • Non-Category Users: addresses #1 complaint that activity is confusing, and helps tie to enjoyable habit of watering • Solution/Concept:Making feeding as easy as watering will increase the likelihood of feeding. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company: Proprietary & Confidential

38. How Much Consumers Like/Dislike Gardening Activities Among Homeowners Who Perform the Activity Top Box Ratings = “Like/Dislike Very Much” Gap between Like and Dislike 24% 21% 13% Making Feeding Is As Easy As Watering 1% 0% 3% -2% -1% -4% -9% -13% -23% Using a 5 point scale where 1 is "Dislike very much", and 5 is "Like very much", please tell us how much you like or dislike performing the following gardening activities. The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company: Proprietary & Confidential

39. Easy to Use & Choose Products • LiquaFeed • Shake ‘n Feed • Ready-to-Use Products • Premium Growing Media Mixes • Packaging Changes • Consumer best practice tips • Bilingual directions

40. Summary • What we’ve heard today: • Two growing trends across the nation, Wellville and Gaia, demonstrate that we are re-cultivating our agrarian roots and turning to nature as both a pleasure and purposeful pursuit. • Gardeners believe there are numerous benefits to gardening, and research proves that it really is good for the mind, body and soul • That deriving the benefits from gardening at home involves some very simple, practical steps

41. Q&A • To get in queue to ask a question, you can “raise your hand” by clicking on the icon located on the right hand side of your computer screen, or dialing *0 on your telephone to speak with the operator • When we announce your name, we will take your phone off of mute and it will be your turn to speak • We ask that you limit yourself to one question and one follow up question to ensure that the greatest number of people have the opportunity to ask their questions

42. For More Information • To schedule an interview with one of today’s speakers, please call Kim O’Halloran at 312-240-2742 • To review today’s presentations, visit the Web sites for The Scott Miracle-Gro Company and the Garden Writers Association • www.scotts.com • www.gardenwriters.org