Recent data suggests that consumers will purchase more gifts and retailers will hire more people during the 2018 holiday shopping season.
As your customers catch the holiday spirit this season, so do garden centers across the globe. Showcasing all your business’ offerings and the inspirational displays you create can be fun and offer value to your garden center that goes beyond product or sale promotions. At Scarpellini Garden Center in Cesena, Italy, they put together this short video to highlight their Christmas makeover without saying a word. Take a trip through their garden center turned winter wonderland.
Watch it here: bit.ly/ScarpelliniGC
Instagram: With 2019 right around the corner, we’ve been telling readers about our upcoming Garden Center Executive Summit in Denver, Colorado. Instagram followers responded enthusiastically to one event post, as it received dozens of likes. The educational conference will take place February 18-20, 2019, and allow best and brightest minds in the industry to collaborate.
See it here: bit.ly/InstaGCPost
Each month, we ask readers a different question about their retail operations, inviting them to answer via email or social media. Send your answers to associate editor Giovanni Castelli at gcastelli@gie.net.
“What has doing business in 2018 taught you, and what are your resolutions for 2019?”
Answers to this question will be published in a future issue of Garden Center.
Editor’s Note: Bitly links are case sensitive
Garden Media Group’s 18th annual report highlights the desire to connect with the natural world.
The future for gardening looks joyful and holds a connection to Mother Nature that just may be the saving grace of the planet.
This bold prediction comes from Garden Media Group’s 2019 Garden Trends Report: Rooted Together – Reconnecting with the Natural World.
The 18th annual report dives deep into the intrinsic connection people have with nature and how banding together is the best defense to protect the earth.
The 2019 report introduces eight industry trends that garden centers and consumers alike can gain insights from for years to come. Today’s society is online 24/7, for pleasure and for work. The small breaks we can get from nature, indoors and out, has become an oasis for our mental and physical health.
“We are finding joy in nature to achieve peace and purpose,” says Katie Dubow, creative director at the trend-spotting firm. “Our 2019 Garden Trends report showcases trends in design, color and technology that will strengthen our relationship with Mother Nature.”
Garden centers can use these trends to attract new consumers. Knowing what trends are heading toward the garden industry may ensure your business is offering customers a new and exciting path to what they need to keep their garden, outdoor living and home a space they can be proud of.
Increasing our connection with nature allows us to build a healthier relationship with the ever growing technological world. The 2019 Garden Trends Report closely examines how this relationship with Mother Nature can provide grounding for consumers and businesses.
Here’s a snapshot of the 2019 Garden Trends: Rooted Together. The complete 2019 Garden Trends Report: Rooted Together is available for free download here: http://grow.gardenmediagroup.com/2019-garden-trends-report.
Ninety percent of people spend nearly 22 hours a day inside without enough sunlight or fresh air. Children spend on average less than 1 hour per day outside. Since getting outdoors more often is not always an option, we can bring the outside in with houseplants. The connection to and nurturing of houseplants has created a whole new generation of plant parents. Millennials are finding out houseplants are more than just plants, they are collecting them, nurturing them and sharing photos of their “loves” on social media.
In order to cultivate the next outdoor generation, it’s our duty to be aware of habits with screen time. It’s not a shock that we are addicted to technology. Turning off the blue lights, spending less time in front of the TV, putting down our phone and tuning into Mother Nature will make a world of difference.
Prune screen time and plant the seed of creativity in the garden. Get children excited about growing new foods in the garden.
Garden writer Margaret Roach suggests we intervene less, relax and enjoy nature more. She also says to let a small part of the garden “go wild” to support insect life. Replace lawns with mini meadows and incorporate natives to create thriving pollinator communities.
With the amount of waste Americans make every year, it is no surprise that it’s time for a change. Brands are starting to take action to address this issue. And while great minds are trying to figure out the plastic pot problem, the industry has yet to solve it.
The problem of waste needs to be addressed at home as well. Composting will help reduce and reuse food waste and turn it into a sustainable mulch to help your plants grow.
Representatives of Generation Z are stepping up to create a livable future through environmental movements. The Collegiate Plant Initiative connects students to nature by dropping plants on college campuses. The Million Pollinator Garden Challenge numbers doubled in 2018. A $1.9 million partnership with Microsoft and Future Farmers of America will reach more than 650,000 “new environmentalists” ages 12-21.
Flying insects, especially pollinators, are at risk of dying off due to the uninhabitable ecosystem that has formed over the last century.
Yet, we are seeing invasive pests thrive due to a lack of natural predators.
The best way to handle both phenomenons is to garden defensively. Certified arborists can help assess damage and plant for the changing climate of the future. By taking care of the garden you have and planting insect gardens you too can be part of the solution.
Our connection with the moon taps into our desire to tune in with nature. Gardeners are turning toward the moon for advice on the best time to plant, prune and harvest. The age old tradition states that the phases of the moon affect plant growth.
Moon gardens shine at night with flowers in shades of white, silver blue that will reflect the moonlight and glow. Plant insect-repelling plants and night blooming flowers to enjoy your garden at all hours.
Mint is the color of 2019. People will be refreshed by the soft, neutral color which harmonizes science and technology with plant life and nature. It drives us away from ultra-feminine hues such as Millennial pink to more gender-neutral color.
Mint translates over to food with its ancient healing benefits, digestion aid and improving gut health. Plus it is a great pollinator plant.
Garden Media Group, celebrating 30 years, offers innovative public relations campaigns and secures media placements and partnerships. The boutique PR and marketing firm specializes in the home, garden, horticulture, outdoor living, and lawn and landscape industries.
Garden Center Products & Supplies
Blue Sky Clayworks Garden Pots are created using a resist-glaze technique that gives the Garden Pots their specialty look. They are hand-painted and are available in about 60 designs. Garden Pots come in two sizes, in a 3-inch or 6-inch pot, and all styles come with the option to be a tabletop or with holes so that they can hang macrame-style. https://blueskyclayworks.com
The rich colored glass of the Neptune Solar Lantern is alight with sparkles when the sun goes down. This cylindrical lantern has a sleek metal frame, hanging handle and hand-blown glass shade. Integrated solar string lights are charged by a panel in the top. Hang it from a shepherd’s hook, or create tabletop ambience. Offered in celestial deep Teal, warm Lapis Blue or Emerald Green. www.achla.com
Featherock’s Small Single Hole Planter is now available in a small, half crate of 32 pieces or a regular crate of 64 pieces. Each option has its benefits, with the small crate reducing weight and freight cost, and the regular crate earning an additional 10 percent volume discount. The Small Single Hole Planter is Featherock’s most popular sized pumice planter! Try it as an accent in a fairy garden or as the star of a succulent arrangement workshop. www.featherock.com
Marshall Home and Garden continues to bring new wind sculptures to the market with many designs created for higher wind locations. See over 20 different styles at their new Atlanta showroom or view them online. www.marshallhomeandgarden.com.
Feathered friends can dine in style with this charming Rabbit, Bird and Leaf Birdfeeder. Show the birds in your garden that some bunny loves them! Made of aluminum and 20.5 inches high, 15.5 inches wide and 9.5 inches deep. www.spi-home.com
Take a quiet moment and meditate to the music provided by our Utau Meditation Bell (pronounced “Oo-tow”), meaning “to sing” in Japanese. This bell will fill the air with a mesmerizing tune, so you can peacefully reflect in your outdoor space. Resembling many Buddhist temples found throughout Asia, our bell offers a multi-level temple, representing the many stages of Buddhist meditation. We coated this bell in a vibrant red, which is often a symbol in Japan for vitality, energy and the life force in people. The two tones of this bell soothe the listener with an enchanting song, as it plays in the wind. Standing at 11.25 inches tall, this bell matches well with a Golden Bonsai Tree Windcatcher. Height: 11.25 inches. Tones: Two. Color: Semi-Flat Red. www.northcountrywindbells.com
Red Carpet Studios introduces the Wind Art Collection that includes large kinetic spinners, fishing pole stakes and kinetic rustic balancers for 2018. The new Glass Vine spinner is 75 inches tall with glass accents for any garden or outdoor space. Suggested retail is $99.99. RCS has added more than 125 new items to the line, including planters, statuary, spinner stakes and chimes. www.rcsgifts.com
These lightweight anti-fatigue pruners are based on our immensely popular classic Hydrofarm pruners, favored by legions of horticulturists. Their surgical stainless-steel blades offer serious cutting capacity in a lightweight package. These snips feature razor-sharp, tapered blade tips for ultimate cutting precision. Titanium-coated surgical stainless-steel blades hold a sharp edge longer. Their perfectly balanced construction and ultra-lightweight, ergonomic design is suitable for right- or left-handed use. www.hydrofarmgc.com
Sloggers shoes and boots are a staple at back doors across America. Known for their colorful and playful print designs, Sloggers are available in five waterproof styles — garden clog, slip-on shoe, ankle boot, 10-inch boots and new 14-inch boots. Sloggers’ signature all-day comfort insole supports and prevents foot fatigue while the outside materials take on rain, mud and dirt with ease. After wearing, hose them off and leave at the back door for the next project and/or adventure. Made in the USA. For ordering, email info@sloggers.com. For style availability, visit the website. www.sloggers.com
Watch your plants take root with the new AccelaROOT 32-cell tray. These jumbo plugs give you 32 “homes” for your seedlings and cuttings. This finely crafted tray is made to help you jump start growth. Once you’ve started to sprout, plugs come out of the tray cells easily to be transplanted into bigger pots or a garden setup, letting you start all over again — with the same tray. No more equipment to buy! http://hydrofarmgc.com
Succulents are hot! And Marshall Home and Garden offers an incredibly realistic replica succulent collection with low 10-piece minimums for each style. Their package program includes 30 styles and 300 assorted pieces with an average cost of $2 each, as well as a discounted display unit to showcase them. See them all at their new Atlanta showroom or view them online. www.marshallhomeandgarden.com
Extraordinary summer color with large, vibrant blooms. This award-winning, multi-branching, heat tolerant, non-invasive annual produces over 1,000 flowers in a single season, throughout summer until first frost. Sunny yellow petals with a dash of rich red surround the large brown center of each sensational flower. Excellent in borders and containers. www.monrovia.com
A compact grower, apple-green, lacy flowers open with a tinge of red. But, like a chameleon running from green apples to cherries, the blooms quickly become red all over, making this the acclaimed red variety in our Everlasting line! Crimson comes with a promise to delight you throughout the entire season. Strong stems and dark green leaves provide the perfect foil for ever-changing colors. Crimson ages to green with red highlights — a pleasing combination as the summer fades and nights begin to cool. www.plantsnouveau.com
An Emerald Coast Growers exclusive, Sporobolus heterolepis ‘Morning Mist’ features prolific reddish sprays consistently displayed over arched masses of fine, medium green foliage. This clumping prairie dropseed reaches up to 4 feet high in full sun. Hardy in Zones 3 to 8. www.ecgrowers.com
New — Lilac in bare root form. Sell Lilacs much earlier (mid-February) than you can in gallons by carrying them in bare root form in colorful, waterproof packaging. A much sought-after plant by consumers for their wonderful fragrance and breathtaking blooms. Easy to grow in full sun and adaptable to average soil conditions. www.netherlandbulb.com
Give customers eco-friendly seed-starting products with Botanical Interests Recycled Paper Pots made from 100% recycled paper! So simple to use — just pop them open, fill with soil and seeds, and when it’s time to transplant, tear away the bottom and place directly in the ground, reducing root disturbance and transplant stress while biodegrading right in the garden. Display them in our new product caddy next to the rest of your seed-starting products. www.botanicalinterests.com
The Central Florida Ferns & Foliage Pixie Plants mix is a collection of ferns, foliage and succulents for glass terrarium gardens, container mini gardens or succulent gardens. Its fern selection includes Pteris, mahogany, maidenhair, bird’s nest, Boston types, Selaginella, Autumn, Korean rock and more; to Ficus, ivy, begonias, Peperomia, Fittonia, Pilea, Hypoestes, palms and baby tears. The 2-inch garden plants give mini gardens variety, texture and interest. www.cfferns.com
Discovering the latest trends is a primary focus ahead of the new year.
Every year around the official start of spring, I get a respite from the cold, dreary Cleveland weather and head out to California for the annual Spring Trials with my colleague Karen Varga, editor of sister publication Greenhouse Management. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see new plants and find out what may be on garden center shelves in the future.
In addition to seeing new varieties in person, before the event, we talk to plant breeding companies to get a sneak peek of what they plan to showcase, and we share highlights from our trip with readers after the tours.
In addition to learning about the new varieties and their attributes at their official debut at the California Spring Trials each year, it’s important to discover how they perform during wet springs, hot summers and in unpredictable, uncontrolled conditions in various regions in the U.S.
That’s why we have dedicated much of the December issue to highlighting some of the top-performing new annuals and perennials, as reported by more than a dozen trial gardens managers. As you’ll see, a few specific new varieties are recognized several times throughout.
We published commentary from the managers that further explains why they selected the plants they did as their top choices for multiple attributes including drought and heat tolerance, pollinator friendliness and overall performance. You can read the roundup of plants you may sell to customers in the coming months in our trials report.
In speaking of what’s ahead in 2019, we caught up with Tal Coley, director of government affairs for AmericanHort, to get an update on key issues like transportation, labor and taxes. You can read his comments here.
Discovering the latest trends is also a primary focus ahead of the new year. Luckily, Garden Media Group shared their annual Garden Trends report with us, and you can read excerpts and their predictions for what will be important to consumers in 2019 here.
This issue will hit mailboxes as many of you are gathering with your families and friends to celebrate the holidays and the New Year. We wish you all the best as you close out 2018 and make plans for the seasons ahead.
Michelle Simakis msimakis@gie.net
Giovanni Castelli
Michelle Simakis
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