{"id":355324,"date":"2025-11-07T11:10:01","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T16:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/?p=355324"},"modified":"2025-11-07T11:10:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T16:10:02","slug":"how-gardens-and-landscapes-affect-your-home-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/insurance\/homeowners\/how-gardens-and-landscapes-affect-your-home-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"How Gardens and Landscapes Affect Your Home Insurance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Gardening at home remains popular and resilient post\u20112020, with roughly four in five U.S. households participating in some lawn or garden activity each year according to summaries of the 2024 National Gardening Survey (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenhousegrower.com\">NGS<\/a>). From vibrant flowers and native, pollinator\u2011friendly plantings to organic veggies and herbs, the benefits span fresh food, biodiversity, and well\u2011being. This guide explores how gardening enhances your home and how certain projects can influence your homeowner\u2019s insurance through coverage limits, liability exposure, and wildfire\u2011mitigation credits (see California\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insurance.ca.gov\/01-consumers\/200-wrr\/020-wildfireprep\/safer-from-wildfires.cfm\">Safer from Wildfires<\/a> framework).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"gardening-benefits\">Gardening Benefits: Enhancing Your Home<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the COVID-19 pandemic, interest in home gardening has surged and stayed high. The 2024 NGS indicates broad, durable participation\u2014about four in five households engage annually\u2014while younger cohorts are growing fastest (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenhousegrower.com\">NGS 2024<\/a>). Time\u2011use data show that on an average day, about 8% of people do lawn\/garden care and those who do spend roughly two hours, underscoring gardening\u2019s staying power (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/news.release\/atus.nr0.htm\">BLS ATUS 2023<\/a>). Many are planting vegetables, herbs, and small fruits alongside pollinator\u2011 and climate\u2011resilient natives, and Gen Z\/younger millennials are especially likely to say they\u2019ll garden the same or more this year (<a href=\"https:\/\/axiomcom.com\">Axiom 2025<\/a>). If you\u2019re part of this movement, read on to learn how to dive into gardening and impact your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/insurance\/homeowners\/best\/\">homeowner\u2019s insurance<\/a> positively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"table-of-contents\">Table of Contents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#benefits\">Benefits of Having a Home Garden<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#costs\">Costs Associated With Having a Garden<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#coverage\">Homeowner\u2019s Insurance Coverage<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"benefits\">Benefits of Having a Home Garden<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Surveys show sustained, elevated participation: recent NGS reporting points to roughly four in five U.S. households engaging in lawn and garden activities, with strong retention among pandemic\u2011era beginners and continued momentum from Gen Z and younger millennials (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenhousegrower.com\">NGS 2024<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/axiomcom.com\">Axiom 2025<\/a>). Renters and urban gardeners increasingly use containers and raised beds to grow edibles and pollinator\u2011friendly plants even in small spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Eating Organically<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Growing your own food lets you control inputs for a healthier harvest, from soil and compost to pest management. The organic garden market now includes peat\u2011free mixes, biochar\u2011enriched soils, and reduced\u2011risk controls. Practicing <a href=\"https:\/\/ipminstitute.org\/what-is-integrated-pest-management\/\">integrated pest management<\/a>\u2014and using evidence\u2011based resources like <a href=\"https:\/\/ipm.ucanr.edu\/\">UC IPM<\/a>\u2014helps protect beneficial insects while targeting harmful ones. Water\u2011wise irrigation (drip plus a smart, weather\u2011based controller) can cut outdoor water waste while improving plant health (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/watersense\/irrigation-controllers\">EPA WaterSense<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An Engaging Hobby<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Gardening is an engaging, rewarding hobby that combines learning, exercise, and creativity. Entry costs can be modest\u2014seed packets often run $2\u2013$5 and common vegetable starts $3\u2013$5 each\u2014while basic tools and soil amendments are reusable. Time\u2011use data show participants typically spend around two hours when they garden, reflecting its value as meaningful leisure (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/news.release\/atus.nr0.htm\">BLS ATUS<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stress Reducer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond physical benefits, gardening offers mental relaxation. Harvesting fresh ingredients and working away from digital distractions provides restorative outdoor time and a sense of accomplishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"costs\">Costs Associated With Having a Garden<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Gardening costs vary with size, location, and complexity. In 2025, most physical supplies saw flat to low single\u2011digit price changes while services (like mowing or bed installs) rose faster (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/cpi\/tables\/detailed-reports\/home.htm\">BLS CPI<\/a>). Typical ranges: seeds $2\u2013$5\/packet; vegetable transplants $3\u2013$5 each; potting mix (1.5\u20132 cu ft) $10\u2013$20; compost (bulk) $30\u2013$50\/yd\u00b3; mulch (bulk) $40\u2013$70\/yd\u00b3; drip starter kits $70\u2013$200; LED grow lights $40\u2013$120 per fixture with operating costs around $0.02\u2013$0.04 per hour at current electricity rates (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\">EIA<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Size<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Larger gardens generally incur higher costs. A basic 4\u00d78 ft raised bed can run about $80\u2013$200 for lumber\/hardware, plus fill soil\/compost (\u22481.2 yd\u00b3) at roughly $40\u2013$100. Scaling to multiple beds multiplies materials and soil costs; adding structures (fencing, pergolas, sheds) raises budgets further. Outsourced services add up: routine mowing often costs $35\u2013$65 per visit, with seasonal totals commonly in the $1,000\u2013$1,600 range depending on lot size and region (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.angi.com\/articles\/how-much-does-lawn-mowing-cost.htm\">Angi<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Location<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Your soil type affects costs. Rich, friable soil supports easier planting, while poor or compacted soil may require amendments or raised beds with purchased mix. Water costs also vary locally: 1 inch of water over 1 sq ft equals about 0.623 gallons, so a 100 sq ft bed uses roughly 62 gallons per 1\u2011inch irrigation event\u2014handy for estimating seasonal water budgets (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\">USGS<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Complexity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The complexity of your garden influences costs and ongoing effort. Seeds are cost\u2011effective; specialty seedlings and rare plants are pricier. Drip irrigation kits ($70\u2013$200) and timers add convenience and water efficiency; spectrum\u2011tunable LEDs ($40\u2013$120) support seed starting and indoor greens. Fertilizer costs moderated from 2022 peaks as benchmark prices eased, reducing a major input pressure (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasdaq.com\/market-activity\/index\/gmnafpi\">GMNAFPI<\/a>). Consider your design and maintenance style (DIY vs. services) when budgeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"coverage\">Homeowner\u2019s Insurance Coverage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Gardening can affect coverage needs and premiums. Most standard homeowners policies cover landscaping, but under tight sub\u2011limits\u2014typically up to about 5% of the dwelling (Coverage A) limit in total, with a common per\u2011plant cap around $500 and coverage limited to specific perils like fire, theft, or vandalism (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iii.org\/article\/coverage-trees-shrubs-and-other-plants\">Insurance Information Institute<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allstate.com\">Allstate<\/a>). Garden structures not attached to the house (sheds, pergolas, greenhouses, fences) are usually insured under Other Structures (Coverage B), commonly set at 10% of the dwelling limit by default; increasing Coverage B to reflect new projects raises premium accordingly (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.statefarm.com\/insurance\/home-and-property\/homeowners\/coverages\">State Farm<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Know your perils, exclusions, and add\u2011ons. Plant losses from wind, disease, or drought are often excluded, and tree debris removal is typically limited (commonly about $500 per tree and $1,000 per event when property is damaged or access is blocked\u2014check your policy) (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iii.org\/article\/fallen-trees-and-branches-who-pays-for-what\">III<\/a>). Standard homeowners insurance excludes flood, and NFIP policies do not cover landscaping or fences (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.floodsmart.gov\">FloodSmart<\/a>). Some garden features (pools\/spas, large water features, trampolines) can increase liability exposure and may trigger safety requirements or surcharges\u2014consider higher liability limits or a personal umbrella. In wildfire\u2011exposed areas, verified mitigation\u2014including defensible\u2011space landscaping near the home\u2014can earn premium credits where available under California\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insurance.ca.gov\/01-consumers\/200-wrr\/020-wildfireprep\/safer-from-wildfires.cfm\">Safer from Wildfires<\/a> framework; some insurers also recognize <a href=\"https:\/\/ibhs.org\/wildfire\/wildfire-prepared-home\/\">IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfpa.org\/Education-and-Research\/Wildfire\/Firewise-USA\">NFPA Firewise USA<\/a> participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Gardening is a rewarding venture with aesthetic, environmental, and financial upsides. To protect what you\u2019ve built, inventory your landscaping and structures, consider endorsements above default plant sub\u2011limits, recalculate Other Structures coverage after projects, and leverage wildfire\u2011smart landscaping to qualify for available credits where offered (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.insurance.ca.gov\/01-consumers\/200-wrr\/020-wildfireprep\/safer-from-wildfires.cfm\">Safer from Wildfires<\/a>). Review your policy and speak with your agent for tailored guidance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gardening at home remains popular and resilient post\u20112020, with roughly four in five U.S. households participating in some lawn or garden activity each year according to summaries of the 2024 National Gardening Survey (NGS). From vibrant flowers and native, pollinator\u2011friendly plantings to organic veggies and herbs, the benefits span fresh food, biodiversity, and well\u2011being. This [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":345,"featured_media":355329,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1268],"tags":[],"post_author":[14193],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How Gardens and Landscapes Affect Your Home Insurance - Reviews.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Using this guide you can understand How Gardens and Landscapes Affect Your Home Insurance\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/insurance\/homeowners\/how-gardens-and-landscapes-affect-your-home-insurance\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Gardens and Landscapes Affect Your Home Insurance - Reviews.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Using this guide you can understand How Gardens and Landscapes Affect Your Home Insurance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/insurance\/homeowners\/how-gardens-and-landscapes-affect-your-home-insurance\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Reviews.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Reviewscom\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-07T16:10:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-07T16:10:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/GettyImages-1181246635.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"892\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Reviews Staff\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Reviews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Reviews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Reviews Staff\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/insurance\/homeowners\/how-gardens-and-landscapes-affect-your-home-insurance\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How Gardens and Landscapes Affect Your Home Insurance\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/\",\"name\":\"Reviews.com\",\"description\":\"Your Guide to the Best Services\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How Gardens and Landscapes Affect Your Home Insurance - Reviews.com","description":"Using this guide you can understand How Gardens and Landscapes Affect Your Home Insurance","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/insurance\/homeowners\/how-gardens-and-landscapes-affect-your-home-insurance\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How Gardens and Landscapes Affect Your Home Insurance - Reviews.com","og_description":"Using this guide you can understand How Gardens and Landscapes Affect Your Home Insurance","og_url":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/insurance\/homeowners\/how-gardens-and-landscapes-affect-your-home-insurance\/","og_site_name":"Reviews.com","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Reviewscom\/","article_published_time":"2025-11-07T16:10:01+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-11-07T16:10:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1440,"height":892,"url":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/GettyImages-1181246635.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Reviews Staff","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Reviews","twitter_site":"@Reviews","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Reviews Staff","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/insurance\/homeowners\/how-gardens-and-landscapes-affect-your-home-insurance\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How Gardens and Landscapes Affect Your Home Insurance"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/","name":"Reviews.com","description":"Your Guide to the Best Services","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355324"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/345"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=355324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355324\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/355329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=355324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=355324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=355324"},{"taxonomy":"post_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_author?post=355324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}