When people have extra income, they spend it on the lawn. In a recession, they don't have the money to go places and do the things they usually do, so they stay around the house and spend money on the lawn. Not surprising, as gardening holds the No. 1 spot as the nation's favorite outdoor activity. In today's good economy, the average green industry patron is a college-educated male 30 years old or older. He is married and lives in a small town or rural area of the Midwest.
Buyers are also often farmers or retirees.
The majority of the state's green industry is in South Mississippi. George County housed the most nurseries, with 46 in 1995. Pearl River County had the most acreage, at 1,100. Unlike the enormous tracts of land owned and farmed by many row crop producers, those in the green industry work small plots of land. Many start in the business as a part-time hobby, working a day job then tending a greenhouse on evenings and weekends.