Hanging baskets are a staple of garden centers, and most likely, you've never had problems selling them before. Let's face it, they're bright, colorful and promise to keep that beauty all summer long. We in the business know better, and most of the time are ruing the day that we have to try to "move" those baskets that have been here since the early spring season.
Hanging baskets are fantastic once they first come in, but after a couple of weeks, they have the tendency to turn a little chlorotic and rough looking -- not exactly prime plants to try to push on your clientele. It's impractical to just toss them, it's difficult to sell them, and you can't just not sell them, so what's the solution? Follow these steps:
Unbag it, tag it, move it!
As soon as you un-sleeve a hanging basket from the back of a delivery truck, get it in the hands of somebody that will love it and take it home. Make your hanging baskets one of the first things your customers see when they pull into your store and the last thing they see before going to the register. By placing them in front of the customer right away, not only will it draw an attraction, but it will also increase the probability of add on sales. If you have a fantastic assortment of baskets, make sure you have the corresponding plants in regular pots to sell as well. Hanging baskets can be fantastic silent sales people and showcase sometimes hard to sell annuals like Scaevola.
Coordinate, organize, kiss 'em goodbye!
When displaying your hanging baskets, make sure you have them in sets of at least two! Most commonly people will need more than one that match, and if they have to hunt around for two "identical" ones it will give the customer more time to change their mind. You want them to act impulsively - -a grab-and-go mentality. By having your baskets paired up, it will save both you and your customer time not having to hunt around. Also, consider having complementary colors hanging together. Place a stunning display of nothing but pink geraniums and yellow lantana front and center. The two colors will blend fantastically and inspire your customers to step out of what might be a comfort-zone of getting the same old baskets every year.
When the spring has sprung, get them done!
After about the last day of May, chances are your customers have filled their needs for hanging baskets and are moving on with their gardening lives. If you have a multitude of these baskets left over, rethink their purpose. Don't look at them as hanging baskets anymore, think of them as "ready to go" containers. Take the hangers off, pop the plants out and stick them in some of your pots you might have had laying around for a while. By doing this you will not only move your old pots but you'll also give a purpose to something that might be destined for the dumpster. Cut the baskets back and give them a good dose of water soluble fertilizer to get them back in gear. By the time they start to shine again, you'll be in the midst of summer, a time that people take vacations. Too commonly vacationers come back from their expeditions only to find a yard full of dead plants. Capitalize on their neglect and have replacements for them, ready to go and looking good.
Nikki Weed is a horticulturist and professional adventurer who uses her experiences and knowledge to manage a successful garden center in Greenville, S.C. She can be reached at pepitaweed@gmail.com.