Want to Sell More Plants? Make Them Unique
May 6, 2023 Among the many uncertainties the horticulture industry has faced over the last three years, one of the biggest is how to keep the consumers gained during the COVID-19 lockdowns coming back for more plants. That question may echo concerns from previous economic downturns, but there are signs of optimism this time, even if the overall price tag may be down.
“With inflation and having more options for how to spend your money, people are making different decisions,” said Kyle Brewer, Sales and Marketing Manager for Deroose Plants, in an article published on GreenhouseGrower.com earlier this year. “It’s our responsibility to listen to that and still be a part of their everyday life. You have to make your price point attractive, and that coincides with growing different material and growing smaller material to get the product moving.”
In other words, the efforts the industry is making to retain plant buying must both progress and evolve. It also means the focus needs to be not just on the plants people buy, but also on why and how they buy, and how to keep plants and gardening fresh in their minds.
I’ll admit I’ve never been the plant expert on our team. I tend to be drawn more to the technology inside the greenhouse, or the broader decisions business owners wrestle with on hiring the right people and planning for future growth. That’s why I think of myself as a “typical” consumer who will walk into a box store or garden center uncertain of what I’m looking for. In that case, I’m likely going to be drawn to something unique.
The Fuschia Ballerina’s Series from Dümmen Orange was a stand-out both at the Costa Farms Season Premiere and at California Spring Trials. Although I humbly suggest Tiny Dancer as an alternative name. Photo: Robin Siktberg
It’s also why, during my trip to Miami in early March for Costa Farms’ Season Premiere event, I was quickly attracted to a few plants I considered unique, such as the Fuschia Ballerina’s Series that was new from Dümmen Orange, or the wide ranges of breeder-crafted combos on display (my favorite may have been Goth Party from Takii — no surprise, given my musical tastes).
I’m obviously not alone in seeking out the most unique plants. While editing the many videos our team recorded live from California Spring Trials, I was struck by their excitement in discovering the plants that truly stood out, and the passion from the breeders and marketers talking about them. Whether it’s color, purpose, or even name, the uniqueness of the new plants is what keeps people interested in them (and motivated to buy).
Going back to the topic of keeping gardening fresh in people’s minds, I love what the National Garden Bureau (NGB) is doing with its Goodness of Gardening campaign: a series of articles, blogs, videos, and a webinar that highlight the good that can come from gardening. As part of this promotion, NGB has created a Goodness of Gardening resource page for the industry to use to do its own promotion of this message. Included on the page are blogs to repurpose, links to videos, articles, research, and social media graphics. The information is free for anyone in the industry to republish and distribute.
It will take everyone involved in the industry, whether you work directly with the public or not, to keep this momentum going. As AmericanHort’s Chief Economist Dr. Charlie Hall told me last year when I interviewed him for a series of articles, “Everybody has a vested interest in furthering the growth and profitability of this industry. Regardless of which part of the supply chain you’re in, you can work with whoever your customer is and ask how you can help them do a better job in educating the public about the functional benefits
of plants.”
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