National Garden Bureau Providing Promotional Materials For “Year Of The” Program
November 9, 2016 
The National Garden Bureau (NGB) is offering its assistance to grower-retailers who want to help their customers learn about, grow, and even celebrate NGB’s four 2017 “Year of the” program award winners. Promotional materials and other resources are available on NGB’s website.
Each year, NGB, a non-profit organization that promotes gardening on behalf of the horticulture industry and its members, promotes the use of the crops it has chosen for its “Year of the” program. For 2017, those crops include:
• Annuals: Year of the Pansy
• Vegetables/edibles: Year of the Brassica
• Perennials: Year of the Rose (In cooperation with the American Rose Society)
• Bulbs: Year of the Daffodil (In cooperation with the American Daffodil Society)
The National Garden Bureau Board of Directors selects crops that consumers can grow successfully. Each “Year of the” crop is easy to grow, genetically diverse, and includes many new varieties — all traits that will help consumers and their gardens flourish.
Promotional Materials
To help spread the word and the use of these crops, NGB offers free promotional materials for grower-retailers, garden centers, and nurseries. These materials range from printable fact sheets to photos and logos that can be used in catalogs and advertisements, on websites, and in other appropriate marketing materials.
In addition, NGB has partnered with GardenCenterMarketing.com to provide “Year of the” benchcards and vinyl banners for a small fee. Garden retailers can use these materials as Point of Purchase materials alongside the “Year of the” crops or at customer service and help desks.
For seminars and presentations, free presentations for brassicas, daffodils, pansies, and roses are available on NGB’s SlideShare account.
Another new aspect of NGB’s “Year of the” program is a video about the edible class, produced by and starring cook, author, and storyteller Jonathan Bardzik. This video can be viewed on YouTube and shared by any person or company who wishes to promote gardening and cooking with brassicas.
Promotion Works
NGB began the “Year of the” programs in the early 1980s. Over that time, the programs have generated tremendous consumer and industry publicity. To view the publicity created from past programs, visit the National Garden Bureau website and click on “Press Room.” The entire industry — breeders, brokers, seed companies, growers, nurseries, and retailers — are urged to highlight these flowers and plants when planning their 2017 marketing season.
For more information about the “Year of the” program and/or membership in National Garden Bureau, contact Diane Blazek.
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