Spring is officially here. Hopefully the sun is shining, the rain clouds are in hiding and consumers are buying wherever you are.

Assuming that is the scenario in your area to this point, consider half the battle won. The preparations you made, assuming they were the right ones, should then carry you through to a successful season.

But wait, you did prepare properly. Right? If you want to experience the greatest spring ever, your preparations must reflect your aspirations. Bad economy or not, you just can’t achieve greatness with hesitancy.

The growers serious about 2009 being the best yet took calculated risks, maybe even a gamble or two, in their preparations. Success in any economy, after all, is achieved through opportunity, whether you make your own or follow a developing trend.

Robert DeLeon, president of DeLeon’s Bromeliads in Goulds, Fla., is one opportunistic grower for Spring 2009. His operation specializes in bromeliads and orchids, and it’s throwing a curveball at the market this spring by taking a stab at miniatures.

“We’re in a difficult situation, the same situation most companies are in,” DeLeon says. “Growing the minis is a tough call because things are still very uncertain economically. We’ll see how it works.”

Recognize & React

Americans, at least historically, have followed the bigger-is-better mantra. Europeans enjoy the miniatures, DeLeon says, because their homes are smaller and they work well on windowsills. They’re also willing to pay more for small.

DeLeon understands a European trend won’t always translate here, so he isn’t focusing too many resources on miniature bromeliads and Phalaenopsis orchids. Instead, he’s poking the market with minis to see how consumers react while fine-tuning his minis production practices in case they do take off.

DeLeon’s biggest concern is whether miniatures will fly in the summer and fall. His customers, like many growers, aren’t booking orders as early and as regularly as past years. But the upside is he’s essentially doubling production space by growing his minis in 2-inch pots, and he should be seeing quicker turns simply because he’s growing smaller.

To reference Allan Armitage’s column this month (page 60), DeLeon is “doing more with less.” Literally. Do minis offer a guaranteed payoff? No. Are they a sensible risk as an added dimension to DeLeon’s offerings? Yes.

Can you see miniature potted plants at every garden center checkout area? On every desk in America? As simple, classy and somewhat pricey gifts? Having the vision is the start. Creating the opportunity is the next step. At least you’re telling yourself “you can” by taking a stab at success. But understanding limits is important, too.

“We could be on to a good thing,” DeLeon says. “Like I said, we’re in a difficult situation compared to any other time we’ve been in business, so we have to try to proceed a little bit more cautiously than if we were in a better economy.”