Spring Has Sprung: Australians Get Growing!

Spring is arriving, and Australians are turning to Google for gardening advice as they get ready to plant, grow and get their gardens back in shape.

Spring is beginning to show itself across Robinvale and Euston. The almond orchards have put on their annual display, grape vines are starting to green up and gardens are coming back to life as the cooler months fade away.

For many people, it is also the time of year to start thinking about what to plant at home, with vegetable gardens back on the agenda.

Google Trends data shows that interest in “gardening” has remained strong across Australia over the past five years, with searches following the seasons. The latest monthly reading for “gardening” is 90, while “vegetable garden” is at 62 on Google Trends’ 0–100 scale.

Australians are also looking for plenty of advice about growing their own vegetables. Among the rising searches over the past five years are “vegetable plants grow a garden” (+600 per cent), “how to keep bugs out of vegetable garden” (+150 per cent), “best flowers for vegetable garden” (+130 per cent), “how often should you water vegetable garden” (+120 per cent) and “how to start a vegetable garden” (+110 per cent).

There are also plenty of searches for the practical side of gardening, including “gardening gloves” (+100 per cent), “gardening near me” (+100 per cent) and “gardening maintenance” (+70 per cent).

Locally, Ritchies IGA has brought in seedlings ready for home vegetable gardens, giving residents an easy way to get started. For a town surrounded by horticulture, growing food is certainly nothing new.

The wider Swan Hill-Robinvale region has a strong vegetable-growing industry, with more than 350 hectares of vegetables grown annually across the region.

You don't need a farm to have a garden, though. A few seedlings in the backyard, a small garden bed or even some pots can be enough to get things started. It can also be a great way for families to get children involved and watch the plants grow over the coming months.

And around Robinvale and Euston, there is certainly no shortage of inspiration. With orchards, vineyards, almond trees and vegetable farms all around us, the arrival of spring signals the beginning of another growing season.

So whether you have a large backyard, a few pots on the verandah or enough room for just a handful of seedlings, now could be the time to get growing.

About the data

The Google Trends data used in this article covers Australia over the past five years, using Web Search, with the search terms “gardening” and “vegetable garden.”

Google Trends uses a relative scale from 0–100. A score of 100 represents the highest relative search interest for the term during the selected period; it does not represent the number of searches.

The rising-search percentages show the growth in search interest for those queries over the selected period.

Source: Google Trends

This content is part of a paid partnership with Google to promote Google Trends.