Press a button and have your desires fulfilled. For years now, instant gratification has been an essential consumer trend which emphasised immediacy for all industries. With the presence of automation, the internet and smart devices that’ll easily satisfy whatever need or desire, consumers anticipate their needs being met. In 2030, 50% of the adult population will belong to the Convenience Generation (millennials and Generation Z): consumers desiring convenience and instant gratification. 

 

But if there’s one theme that doesn’t often come to play when we talk about the garden, it’s instant gratification. An oak will take at least fifty years to reach maturity. Even fast-growing perennials such as the strong, greatly performing Echinacea Pretty Parasols will need one to two years to reach their full potential. 

 

But this doesn’t mean that you can take these trends on board. Gardening will always be an act of patience, but convenience and instant gratification demands can still be met with specific characteristics. Strong performers, fast growers and early flowering varieties will surely create pull from the upcoming Convenience Generation. 

 

Early flowering varieties such as Dianthus Vivid Bright Light and Ribes Amore will surprise this generation of gardeners with an abundance of flowers early in the season. Sarcococca Purple Gem and Winter Gem will delight these instant gratification-oriented gardeners even more so, flowering and spreading a delightful scent from early January.

 

Breeders worldwide have been focussing on the desire for instant gratification and selected new series based on, amongst others, the potential to fulfil this desire. The Ajuga Feathered Friends series quickly gained incredible popularity with its innovative colours and fast growth rate. Other surprisingly fast-growing newcomers are Euphorbia Miners Merlot and Galaxy Glow, who will amaze consumers with their out-of-this-world growth rate and few requirements. 

 

Dare not forget about the ongoing #succulovers trend. Succulents such as the Mad about Mangave series rapidly turn to trend as they are bought as handsome, mature-looking plants that, conveniently, hardly need any work to retain their good looks for years. 

 

There are many ways to select the right marketing for this future convenience generation. Rather than providing an overload of information with low-quality photographs, make labels clear, triggering and quickly convincing. A strong one-liner like “3+ months of flowers” will more likely attract these consumers than long explanations and vague descriptions. These consumers want their needs met in as little time as possible. The less time they spend reading or figuring out if a variety is right for them, the better. 

 

Providing an assortment with a wide range of varieties with the right characteristics, combined with clear, quickly convincing marketing, gives this next generation of consumers everything they need to commit to a brand. And when they do, they will do so for many years.