The Coolest New Retail Products From TPIE

The Garden Center Group has once again coordinated a retailers’ choice awards program, this time based on items on display at the recent Tropical Plants Industry Exhibition (TPIE) in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. A team of retailers walked the trade show floor, identifying these 15 products as being the “coolest” ones they found.

“A special thank you to everyone who participated in the Cool Products of TPIE selection process,” says Danny Summers, Managing Director of the Garden Center Group. “It was a tough job, but it was exciting and a great experience!”

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Check out the slideshow for a look at the cool products that made the cut. Supplier contact information and product descriptions are listed below.

 

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Copper Wire Orbs, Glass Light Bulbs, and Ceramic Eggs (LiveTrends Design Group, LLC)
www.livetrendsdesign.com
email: [email protected]

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LiveTrends is a vendor that continues to offer new ideas for small planted containers ideal for the office desk, kitchen space, or apartment living. Many utilize succulents that are easy to maintain. This year’s addition of the copper orbs, new glass light bulb planters, and the ceramic egg planter set were great additions. The ceramic egg set included a ceramic paper-look carton holder.

New Echo and Echo Alto Pot Cover Collection (A-Roo Co.)
www.a-roo.com
email: [email protected]

A-Roo has added to its current line of pot sleeve and covers a pair of thin-wall pot covers that have a glossy look of ceramic while being very flexible and lightweight. Echo and Echo-Alto come in five colors and four sizes (4 inches, 4½ inches, 6 inches, and 6½ inches).

Clay Orchid Pots (Big Grass Living)
www.biggrassliving.com
email: [email protected]

Handcrafted in Thailand from high-fired, weather-resistant terracotta, this new addition to the décor collection provides a natural home for orchids, bromeliads, tillandsias, and other epiphytes. Design perforations allow air and light to reach rhizomes, simulating the natural environments gardens, outdoor rooms, or kitchen windows.

Planted Aquariums with Dart Frogs (Creations of Earth)
www.creationsofearth.com

Creations of Earth’s Dennis Singer is the creative behind this new approach in shipping a planted aquarium (actually a terrarium) that includes Dart Frogs. Singer says the colorful frogs are not poisonous and, combined with the right plant mix, develop a natural habitat. Light kits will be also be available soon.

Neoregalia Bromeliad ‘Cotton Candy’ and ‘Donna’ (DeLeon’s Bromeliads, Inc.)
www.deleons4color.com
email: [email protected]

These two new varieties of bromeliads caught the eye of both interiorscapers and retailers for being different. Unlike other bromeliads, they do not have showy inflorescence that rise above the foliage and as a result, keep their colorful foliage for up to 12 months.

New BioDome for Kids with Nepenthes ‘Lady Luck’ Pitcher Plant (DeRoose Plants, Inc.)
www.derooseplants.com
email: [email protected]

DeRoose has combined a great new mini biodome with a pitcher plant to give kids a fun connection seeing plant growth. All kids have to do is take the top seal off to allow for air circulation. The combination includes a storybook of instructions. ‘Lady Luck’ is an incredible hybrid with unparalleled color, adaptable to a variety of growing conditions including sunny windowsills, unheated terrariums, and even outdoors in milder climates.

Decorative Gravel & Stone from Around the World (Euro Quarries, LLC)
www.euroquarries.com
email: [email protected]

When the retail team found Euro Quarries’ booth, they were astounded with the varieties and sizes of decorative rock. From large boulders for landscape accents to matching pea-size gravel, they have a remarkable array of choices. Euro Quarries’ Jay Cram emphasized they have nearly every possible color to help design a perfect look. Sizes include large single pieces to small pouches for retail.

Cordyline fruticosa ‘Singapore Twist’ (Excelsa Gardens)
www.excelsagardens.com
email: [email protected]

This Cordyline is like none you have seen before. As it grows, it develops woody-like stalks while forming large colorful fan-shaped foliage. Smaller sizes will be available for retail.

New Glass Cloche Terrariums (Flori-Design, Inc.)
www.flori-design.com
email: [email protected]

Flori-Design’s Gail Cash is consistently creating some of the most interesting dish gardens, fairy gardens, terrariums, and plantscapes in unique containers. This year, the new glass cloche terrariums were the show-stopper. Clear glass bottoms also showed media. Two sizes are available.

Table Lamps Planters (Penang Nursery, Inc.)
www.penangnursery.com
email: [email protected]

Penang Nursery gave buyers a vision of many new ways to enjoy plants in the home or office. Two of their new ideas were these glass-based table lamps that featured plantings.

Bromeliads in Hanging Baskets (Rose of Sharon Nursery, Inc.)
www.roseofsharonnursery.com
email: [email protected]

Certainly bromeliads are quite common, but the application of this planting as a hanging basket caught the eye of both interriorscapers and retailers. The quick coverage offered by the wide-spreading hanging basket here was a new approach on a common plant.

Sports Teams Containers and Tags (Sporticulture, Inc.)
www.sporticulture.com
email: [email protected]

The concept of a grower or grower/retailer selecting currently stocked plants with acceptable colors and creating a team theme for local markets is a novel idea. The tags and pots are not tied to particular plants, but allows the seller to make their own assortment. Both Pro and Collegiate teams will be available. Tags and pots are available through Griffin Greenhouse Supplies.

New Olivar Basket Planters (Sunshine Ceramica)
www.sunshineceramica.com
email: [email protected]

These new ceramic basket planters are fabulous. Great colors and shinny glaze! Three colors are available.

New Safe-t2 Watering Can Covers: The Water Boy-Plant-Tech H20 (Architectural Supplements)
www.thewaterboy.net
email: [email protected]

The Water Boy’s Bill Lyons has seen enough water spilled in offices and commercial applications when crews are hand watering. Avoiding legal issues is a big deal, and that is why these two adaptations to well-accepted watering cans are a must. Lyons designed the foam inserts for the specific watering cans. They include a Velcro strap and are sold as a combination (can and lid).

Solar-Powered Vertical Growing System (Mr. Stacky)
www.mrstacky.com
email: [email protected]

Mr. Stacky has established the stackable growing systems, including ones with self-contained recirculating pump systems. Production is announced on a new solar-powered version of their current 110v units. To be available later this year!

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