Landscape plants and lawns in Tennessee: home-owner expenditure and use patterns

The overall objective of this study was to describe and analyze factors associated with household expenditures for landscape plants, lawn materials, and related supplies in Tennessee. Specific objectives were (1) to assess landscaping activities of homeowners as they relate to use and purchases of landscape planting and lawn materials, (2) to specify socioeconomic characteristics of homeowners associated with expenditures for landscape plants, lawn materials, and related supplies, and (3) to identify features of the homeowners' house and lot associated with expenditures for landscaping activities.

Interest was centered on one of the largest groups of final consumers, household heads of single-unit owner-occupied dwellings (home owners) , living in the four Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSA's) of Tennessee. A detailed questionnaire was used to record past expenditures for landscape plants, lawn materials, and related supplies. Other general information was also obtained, including the purpose for landscape plantings, sources of information used by homeowners, and the cost of hired care and maintenance of landscape plantings and lawns. The number of schedules allocated to the sampling area was apportioned on the basis of the relative number of homeowners in each SMSA to the number of such homeowners in all four SMSA's of the state. For each SMSA, the schedules were allocated on the basis of the number of homeowners in the population unit selected to the number of homeowners in the SMSA where the population unit was located. The specific sample houses to be contacted were randomly identified. Data from 490 homeowner interviews were summarized in tabular form. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify more precisely the influence of the characteristics associated with the second and third objectives.

Tennessee homeowners rated increase in property value as the most important purpose of landscape plantings. Beautification and neighborhood pride were also rated important.

Homeowners rely heavily on personal experience and knowledge for information concerning landscaping activities in preference to other information sources. Nurserymen were the second most important source of information used.

Family members of the household provide over four-fifths of the care and maintenance of landscape plantings and lawn around their homes. About 12 percent of the homeowners contracted part or all of the landscape and lawn maintenance work to commercial firms, and 19 percent hired a handyman or local youth to do this type work. Estimated average expenditure for all homeowners was $21.91 per homeowner—$6.86 paid to commercial firms and $14.33 paid to a handyman or local youth.

Expenditures for landscape plants, lawn materials, and related supplies averaged $72 in 1970 for all homeowners sampled. Of this amount, over $37 (52 percent of the average homeowners' expenditure) was spent for tools and equipment. The remaining 48 percent was spent for maintenance items and plant materials with the average homeowner spending about $9 for fertilizer, lime, mulches, and pesticides, $9 for shrubs, $4 for lawn grass and/or grass seed, $4 for trees, $6 for bedding plants, and $3 for potted and indoor plants.

The independent nursery was the principal market outlet for trees. Independent garden centers and nurseries were the principal market outlets for shrubs. Chain stores and independent garden centers were the most important outlets for lawn grass and/or grass seed, bedding plants, and potted and indoor plants. Chain stores were the major market outlet for maintenance items (fertilizer, lime, mulches, and pesticides) and for tools and equipment.

Socioeconomic variables describing the homeowner and those describing the homeowners' house and lot explained a significant (P < .01) proportion of the variability in expenditures for landscape plants, lawn materials, and related supplies. However, only about 16 percent of the total variability was explained by the variables.

Only three of the variables in the analysis were found to be significantly related to expenditures for landscaping activities. Family income was significantly (P < .01) related to expenditures for landscape plants, lawn materials, and related supplies. The home owners' occupation and his interest in landscaping were significantly related at the P < .10 level.

It appears that the lack of significance among the factors analyzed was due to a high degree of multicollinearity among the independent variables, especially among those factors associated with income.