Global garden products market is expected to surpass Dh835 billion ($227.36bn) by 2010, according to an expert.

“It is in to be out-doors - whether you are cooking, entertaining, reading, relaxing or even working in the great outdoors and this new trend has ensured higher sales of garden products worldwide,” said Epoc Messe Frankfurt GmbH chief executive officer Eckhard Pruy.

The Epoc Messe Frankfurt GmbH is organising Garden and Landscaping Middle East, the region’s largest industry platform for landscaping design, garden equipments and outdoor living products scheduled to take place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from May 25 to 27.

Pruy said the garden and landscaping business was driven by emerging trends and the rising popularity of garden outdoor spaces as an extension of modern homes.

Growing material comforts, increasing annual household incomes, and changing consumer lifestyles are resulting in increased investments in gardening, and garden landscaping, thereby creating ample opportunities for growth in the industry, he added.

“Higher fuel prices are expected to further drive this trend as more people continue to stay closer to home for their entertainment and relaxation needs,” said Pruy.

The trend towards turning the backyard and the garden into livable areas of a home is directly translating into business opportunities in the garden products market.

“Homeowners today are as focused on designing the insides of their homes as they are about decorating the outside of the home,” said senior show manager Gavin A. Morlini.

He said homeowners are paying more attention to flowers and plants, exterior lighting, cozy couches and containers adding spots of color throughout the yard and an increasing number of people choose easy and simple gardens that are low maintenance and full of colour.

“Home owners are choosing simple elegance over fussy gardens so less is in fact more and the buzz word is minimalism,“ said Morlini. – TradeArabia News Service