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People who took their backyard for granted before the pandemic likely learned to appreciate it a lot more when the government imposed stay-at-home measures.
Now “backyarding” has become the latest trend in home outdoor space as coined by Kris Kiser, President and CEO of the 100-member trade association, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI).
“What we witnessed during this terrible period of COVID was this very real connection or reconnection to the outdoors,” said Kiser during a telephone interview from Alexandria, Va. where OPEI is headquartered.
“Our outdoor space is a safe space, it’s an extension of home,” said Kiser. “So there are staycations. People doing things outdoors in a socially safe way like having people around a fire pit. You can’t find a propane heater. And it’s very hard to find hardscape (gravel, paving, and stones) and plant materials, they’re in huge demand.
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“And, so we call it ‘backyarding’ in terms of what kind of a backyarder do you want to be? So do you have kids? Do you have dogs? Do you want to be a gardener? Do you want to be a zen master? Whatever. You can tailor it for your needs.”
But what if you don’t have a formal backyard but rather a patio, balcony or deck from your apartment or condo?
Can you still be a backyarder?
“Absolutely,” insisted Kiser. “A roofdeck, a patio, a balcony, a windowsill — you could buy a butterfly bush, put it in a little pot, and literally within an hour, you’ll get butterflies if it’s flowering, and you’ve done your part for pollinator support.”
He added that with many large corporations expected to allow workers to do their jobs from home after the pandemic, backyarding isn’t going away anytime soon.
“We think it’s here to stay,” said Kiser. “The power equipment industry had a banner year for a lot of their product. A lot of home owners stuck at home (were going) ‘How do I create or tailor my outdoors for my families needs?’ And so they were buying a lot of equipment, again outdoor hardscape and stone and propane heaters, building projects for their kids. One of my neighbours built a jungle gym just to get them out of the house.”
Kiser said items like walk-behind mowers, chainsaws, trimmers, flew out of stores to the tune of a “double-digit (percentage) increase across the board” as people embarked on projects at home.
“So all of the outdoor-related materials, products, like (those assocaited with) ourselves, did very well in this very tough period for people. We’re anticipating a pretty strong year (again).”
Here are just a few of the “backyarding” personality types. Which one(s) are you?
• Expert landscaper
• Environmentalist
• Nature lover
• Horticulturist
• Kid zone creator
• Pet pamperer
• Entertainer extraordinaire
• Zen master
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