Kelly D. Norris

It’s fair to say that the New Plant Showcase at Cultivate’18 was one of the more diverse and interesting in recent memory.

Consumer demand for pollinator plants is rising quickly. What are you doing to capitalize on it?

For Millennials and other new gardeners, the features of plants such as natives aren’t terribly important. It’s the benefits that are paramount.

My last column seems to have stirred up good conversation, sautéed a few long-simmering sentiments, and served up […]

The value of a new plant seems scaled on how quickly producers add it to their lines as opposed to the value it might actually have at the point of consumption.

In his latest column, Kelly Norris says programs like Plant Select deliberately set out to change the market demand for a different palette of plants. Their success should serve as an example for how to authentically connect the gardening experience of a particular region with the supply chain.

Imagine the modern consumer getting so excited about a new plant that they shared the experience with a friend, perhaps not even a fellow gardening consumer.

From woody perennials to genetically modified petunias, Kelly Norris gives his take on what turned out to be a busy spring.

Offering a selection of ornamental grasses that cater to customer needs will keep sales from stagnating.

The tough plant varieties unique to their regions could be the urban superstars of tomorrow.

Horticulture is a multi-million dollar industry with lots to offer, yet we’re still overlooking several avenues for growth.

When you’re selling the exact same thing as everyone else, it’s unrealistic to expect customers to buy only from you.

According to Kelly Norris, plant breeding inspired by consumer motivations and interests restores our connection with consumers thirsty for out-of-the-ordinary plants.

My reflections on promising new plants, the realities of market penetration, and adding value along the supply chain.

In his latest column for Greenhouse Grower magazine, Kelly Norris says there are more plant collectors out there than we think, which opens the way for the gift plant market to explode.

In his latest column for Greenhouse Grower magazine, Norris says landscape plugs have the potential to pave the way for new perennial varieties and nature-based designs that appeal to consumers’ changing priorities and lifestyles.

Norris asks if the time has come to rethink new plant introductions, or how we market them to consumers.

The best way to predict the future is to invent it, says Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden’s Kelly Norris. He says he believes in the power of our industry to plant the world a more beautiful place, to influence people to grow sustainable food and to make conscientious decisions about how they engage with our environment.