Will 2027 be the year of amazing opportunity for you?
By John Stanley, Sid Raisch and Dries Jansen
Doubts about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on society are fading as breakthrough after breakthrough becomes reality. What was once speculation is now a demonstrated fact. Technology experts agree on the transformation ahead, differing only on timing and which company announces the next major advancement. Even sceptics are becoming active daily power users.
Meanwhile, a parallel revolution is unfolding in how consumers view plants. Generations, from children to Gen X, have been educated about sustainability their entire lives. They understand what previous generations did not: plants are essential to our future. Consumers are transforming lawns into pollinator gardens, creating butterfly sanctuaries, building rain gardens and seeking native plants that support local ecosystems, all while enjoying the psychological and physical health benefits.
The shift is profound. Yesterday’s customer wanted a specific perennial for its colour and form. Today’s customer wants the outcome; a thriving ecosystem that attracts pollinators, supports wildlife and contributes to environmental health. Where we once emphasised flower colour or autumn foliage, today we whisper a word, pollinator, sustainable, butterfly, hummingbird, wildlife, and the product sells.
Research proves these instincts correct. The Green Heart Louisville Project is a groundbreaking study demonstrating the clinical health benefits from planting trees. This is not feel-good environmentalism; it is documented medical science showing measurable improvements in human health from strategic planting.
We have seen this type of surge before. During COVID’s peak in 2020 and 2021, horticulture experienced explosive growth exceeding 20% year-over-year. But here is what most miss: we could not capture the full opportunity. Garden centres ran out of inventory. Nurseries could not ship plants quickly enough. Landscape companies could not hire enough crews. Marketing budgets sat unused because businesses were already overwhelmed.
Industry veterans estimate actual demand could have been 100% higher if we had had the capacity to serve it. We may have served only half the customers who wanted to buy from us.
Now consider what is ahead. AI will transform society even more profoundly than the internet did. Jobs will change. Work schedules will shift. People will have more time at home. When that happens, will they seek food security through gardens like they did during COVID? Will awareness of ‘plants as medicine’ accelerate? Will the desire for functional outdoor spaces shift even more sharply toward creating sustainable habitats?
The critical question: Will our industry be prepared this time?
During COVID, we were caught off guard. We cannot use that excuse again. We know demand surges are possible. We understand consumer values are shifting toward sustainability. We have evidence that plants provide measurable health benefits. We see AI transformation approaching.
Yet many in our industry still think small. Some businesses returned to pre-2019 revenue levels with lower profits and are struggling to regain traction. They are playing defensively, focused on scarcity and fear.
Others recognized COVID was not an anomaly but a preview. They maintained higher capacity through strategic investments in people, technology, marketing alignment, and facilities. They are capturing growth whilst competitors contract. The companies that prepare first will be positioned for the next surge.
Here is the uncomfortable truth: the opportunity ahead may be larger than COVID’s surge, but it will not wait for the unprepared. Markets reward those who anticipate and act.
What preparation looks like:
Start conversations now with your supply chain, growers, soil suppliers, hard goods’ manufacturers. Discuss scenarios: What if demand increases 30%? 50%? 100%? How quickly could you scale? What are your constraints?
Use AI tools to model different futures. Analyse your capacity, staffing needs, inventory turns and cash flow under various demand scenarios. The technology exists today to run these projections in hours, not months. It can empower planning, optimise resources, lower costs and capture profit.
Consider permanent infrastructure investments. If demand reaches a new plateau, temporary solutions will not sustain growth. Think about expanded growing space, improved logistics, training programs that create skilled teams quickly, and systems that can scale.
Most importantly, shift your mindset from ‘Will this happen?’ to ‘When this happens, will I be ready?’
The garden industry serves an essential human need; our connection to living things, to growing our own food, to creating beauty, to improving our health and environment. These needs are not diminishing. They are intensifying as society becomes more digital, more automated and more artificial.
The next surge is coming. The only question is whether you will capture it or watch others grow while you struggle to keep up.
Which future do you choose this time?
The time to prepare is now, while others hesitate. AI experts agree: AI advancement is happening sooner than predicted – every time. In twelve to eighteen months, it may be too late. A future opportunity like this is a terrible thing to waste.
John Stanley
Email: john@johnstanley.com.au