IRELAND BENEFITS FROM ITS GREEN IMAGE.

The demand for Irish garden nursery products is increasing both at home and abroad, and that should bring double-digit growth for plant producers and retail nursery operators.

Strongest internal demand for plants and other nursery products will be among consumers in the age range of 35 to 55. Generally speaking, garden supply customers are cash rich but time poor. Although some will take the do-it-yourself approach to gardening, others will rely heavily on the services of landscape experts.

Sales of do-it-yourself gardening materials and equipment should experience year-on-year growth ranging from 3 to 5 percent by the second quarter of this year, rising above the 5 percent mark in the second half. Demand for household landscaping services will pick up by midyear, with sales gains approaching 5 percent in the third quarter of 2004.

Ireland is capitalizing on several competitive factors that give its greenhouse products a competitive edge in the EU. Those include extensive peat bogs and a green (environmentally oriented) image. As internal and external demand for greenhouse products grows, commercial nurseries in Ireland will expand and become increasingly specialized over the next two years. That will lead to healthy growth in demand for products and services associated with greenhouse construction and upgrades.

Increased orders for nursery products go hand-in-hand with rising home ownership. Sales of new residences will continue to expand through the remainder of 2004 in an environment of increased consumer confidence and low interest rates. However, the heated expansion noted over the past two years will cool a bit as 2004 progresses.