Millions of people in the US who took up gardening in their outside space or a greenhouse are sticking with it during the recovery, it has been suggested.
Bruce Butterfield, research director for the National Gardening Association, told the Press Association that the current increase in food prices means people are deciding to keep on growing their own instead of going back to the grocery store.
Spending on food gardening – including growing vegetables, fruit trees and berries – jumped 20 percent in a year to $3 billion in 2009 and stayed at that level in 2010, he continued.
He expects this trend to continue over the coming year, as people try to save money where they can.
"A lot of folks, I think they kind of look at the evening news or read the paper or read something online, saying 'Jesus, this world is out of control and I can't have any influence on what happens out there but, by God, I can control what happens in my backyard,'" Mr Butterfield said.