What Are We Doing in the Plant Business??

WE ARE NOT SELLING PLANTS – WE ARE SELLING LIFESTYLES! Times have changed OK, ok, I’m good with that but wait a minute …

…lifestyle ??– what does it even mean? Bird watching …. bicycling couch potato-ing or … traveling All of these things, I guess

Using the ubiquitous grill and BBQ-ing

Plants are garnish for a lifestyle –if this is what lifestyle is all about … how do we fit in?

-The Changing and Confusing Landscape of Consumer Preferences and Industry Trends - and the plants that make them go - Gardening is a Four Letter Word

“Gardening is work” “Landscaping is pleasant” From a marketing meeting, I learned the following perceptions to be true

Marketing has taken on a far greater importance than ever before – something absolutely needed

We have a message – plants and gardening are good for health, good for the environment … Where is our message? Others do it … Way too expensive

We have tried – marketing boards, voluntary contributions, but to no avail We are independent producers who hate taxes of any kind. Been voted down twice.

Perhaps a new initiative using Facebook, Youtube and Twitter may be the least expensive means and may reach young people sooner. Discussed at OFA and discussion is on-going.

I know I am an old guy, but there are still many baby boomers who garden – with money. I hate discarding them because they don’t have a clue what Twitter tweets. Maybe we resurrect an old idea – it would be a winner, I am sure… Why not – well, it was tried once but … needs to be tried again

Trends that are real: Aging of America, more diversions and distractions, communication (websites, blogs) greening of America, -native plants -green roofs New plants.

What are we going to do with young people, they won’t buy plants, heck they don’t even like plants!

I don’t mean to sound facetious but … … let them grow up!!

The Poker Game, who holds the cards? Gardener? Independent Garden Center? Broker? Plant Breeder? Box store? Grower? Landscaper? ie who determines what plants are sold at retail?

We seemed to have made basic gardening rather complicated 392 p 384 p 432 p 360 p 432 p

My daughter does not need to be force fed botanical names She does not need to have to chose between 15 different heucheras and 10 different cone flowers We have to make gardening less complicated!!!

There are too many choices already Let’s not confuse our lives any more than they already are

Dummen’s Confetti program, taking the guesswork out of combinations.

In fact, the issues of gardening from the consumer’s point of view and from the industry point of view are close together The Green Movement Green is in, there has never been a more opportune time to do “green things”. Easy things like recycling, water catchment (rain barrels, etc), reduction of chemicals, but one of the catch words today is … … Sustainability

California Pack Trials Approx 30 breeders showing off their new products and ideas to Mostly growers and retailers (independent and box store buyers),

Beautiful welcoming outside

Inviting you in to see the …

Stunning displays inside

Gazania Big Kiss series

Begonia ‘Go Go Scarlet’ Cape daisy, Osteospermum, ‘Sidekick Copper’

PetCals – a cross between Calibrachoa and Petunia

Calibrachoa ‘Aloha Gold’ Pelargonium TexMex series

Cyclamen is a huge bedding crop in CA Mini-cycs

New sweet potatos – Bodger Botanical

Grasses like Annual Pennisetum ‘Jade Princess’ Vines like Mandevilla Sun Parasol series

Ptilotis ‘Joey’

Delphiniums & Ethyl Bloc

A few cut flowers are also displayed Campanula Champion series

Combo plantings Ease of selection for growers, ie no thinking involved

Burpee and Ball – taking advantage of the Burpee name. All pots and labels biodegradable & compostable.

Marketing – the name of the game

The idea of WOW combos – big and small

Easy to understand, useful labeling

Excitement, “Scent’sAbility”

Alyssum is a large crop in CA and the North – Wonderland series

Everything, from pot to label, is available as a biodegradable, compostable form.

Marketing through color – Fides Co.

Marketing color – more ways than one

Who says Horticulture doesn’t marketing isn’t a little edgy?

To end this tour A show stopper – Euphorbia ‘Breathless Blush’ With geraniums