Weekend Reading 10/18/24

Welcome to Garden Center magazine's Weekend Reading, a weekly round-up of consumer garden media stories meant to help IGCs focus marketing efforts, spark inspiration and start conversations with consumers.

This week: Plants in the 2025 Color of the Year, desert gardening, throwing out the traditional retail calendar and keeping a garden journal.

Try Trendy Teal-Colored Plants in Your Garden, HGTV

HGTV shares some plants in shades of teal, the 2025 Color of the Year in the Garden Media Group's 2025 Garden Trends Report. Make sure to highlight your teal plants in your merchandising and marketing!

Desert Botany series: Why do we need desert gardening?, Desert Sun

Mack Nash, curator of gardens at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Southern California, shares information on desert gardening and native desert plant species. If you live in a dry climate, this piece is for you and your customers.

Why stores are throwing out the traditional retail calendar, Associated Press

In response to growing customer demand, stores are bringing out their Christmas collections weeks before the Nov. 1 start of the holiday shopping season, the AP reports. Are you doing the same to compete with other retailers?

How to Keep a Garden Journal, Better Homes & Gardens

Taking notes about weather, bloom time, harvest and pests makes you a better gardener, according to Better Homes & Gardens. Suggest this idea to your customers!

Enjoy your reading, have a great weekend and we'll see you next week!