How popular is organic gardening?

According to the National Gardening Association (NGA) organic gardening, or all natural gardening, is growing quickly in popularity with more folks then ever using all-natural gardening methods. Results from NGA’s 2004 and 2008 Environmental Lawn and Garden surveys show that “Households that use only all-natural fertilizer, insect, and weed controls increased from an estimated 5 million households in 2004 to 12 million in 2008.”

When the 2008 Environmental Lawn and Garden Survey asked U.S. households, “In your opinion, how important is it that residential, commercial, and municipal lawns and landscapes be maintained in an environmentally friendly way?” 89% of said households responded that they felt eco-friendliness in the garden is important, and the majority noted that eco-friendly gardens are “extremely important” or “very important.”

The NGA also asked folks why natural gardening matters to them. Most households (73%) feel natural gardening is better because they want to be environmentally responsible and also talked about keeping it natural due to concerns about health and well being. Other reasons included a drive for a reduction of chemical exposure, reducing water pollution, way of life, and the ability to grow safe and fresh produce.

The 2008 Environmental Lawn and Garden Survey also estimates that the number of households using all-natural methods in the future could grow by 42 percent to 17 million households or more in the near future.

Do you use natural gardening methods or not? How come? Do your reasons match up with the reasons notes above? For me it’s an eco issue; I don’t like to see gardening methods that harm the planet if you can help it. I guess it’s probably also a health/chemical issue related to my son. I don’t buy conventional carrots at the store for my son, so why would I grow non-organic carrots for him to eat?