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Reinventing the American Garden
| Dr. Marvin N. Miller
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>> Published Date: 12/27/2012
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 Those of you who know me well know that I’m an avid and intense gardener. I consider each season of my Chicagoland garden, from pansies and kale in the fall, to bulbs in the spring and then camouflage for the withering bulb foliage with bright summer color.
From a different direction comes a realization via recent focus groups that a segment of the gardening population has recognized “it costs a lot more to garden these days than it used to.” Almost half of a recent consumer panel concurred with the most avid gardener who made this point.
Recent industry trends show why consumers may be experiencing this “financial pinch.” Many of today’s garden favorites are now vegetatively propagated from cuttings, which is a more expensive input for growers than the seed varieties that used to make “the top picks” list. Because of the more expensive input, growers have instinctively put them in larger pots to get a greater return for the investment. Add to this garden brands, which often require branded pots, tags and royalties for specific genetics, and it’s no wonder consumers recognize the higher costs associated with the garden products they buy.
From yet a third direction comes an issue relating to a devastating disease affecting one of the most popular garden favorites in many parts of the country, impatiens downy mildew (IDM). Indeed, IDM has affected the ability of Impatiens walleriana to survive the summer in parts of the Eastern, Midwestern and Western U.S. and even parts of Ontario, Canada. And lest one think this is an insignificant garden disease, recognize that impatiens can often account for 40% of bedding plant production or a garden retailer’s inventory of annuals.
These factors have now combined to present an unprecedented opportunity to rethink the American flower garden. Considering my own garden, in which I’ve featured Impatiens walleriana for more than 25 years, I found the need to get more creative. I planted some New Guinea impatiens, which are very tolerant of IDM, if not immune to the disease. In front of my house I was forced to seek alternatives, as the need to interplant among the withering bulb leaves limited the size and location of holes I could dig for summer color. I contacted a grower-retailer and special-ordered vegetative coleus plants in a much smaller size than he would normally offer. I also pre-ordered a case of caladium bulbs, which made the interplanting quite easy. I even added some dusty miller plants for the contrast of colors and textures and a few dwarf snapdragons for spots of blooming color.
The resulting display did total a bit more than I might normally spend had I planted this bed using flats of impatiens. And I had to wait a bit for the caladiums to sprout and the coleus and dusty miller to size up. However, the drama of the emerging design was definitely several steps above the tamer display I have normally achieved using Impatiens walleriana planted in full color. And the comments from neighbors and the resulting pride made for significantly greater returns per dollar invested in this bed, yielding a much greater personal value.
For the average gardener, the dilemma of filling the void created by IDM and the lack of traditional performance of Impatiens walleriana presents an unprecedented opportunity for garden retailers. Those who offer advice, present new offerings of plant varieties and sizes, and suggest design and plant alternatives have the opportunity to help create an entirely new look for the average American flower garden. For the aggressive retailers patient and willing enough to offer these garden plans for the consumer, a secure market niche can be developed if the retailer creates a reputation for providing outstanding gardening advice. And the possibility certainly exists that consumers will spend more while achieving a greater satisfaction from their gardening efforts. GP
Dr. Marvin N. Miller is market research manager for Ball Horticultural Company in West Chicago, Illinois. He can be reached at mnmiller@ballhort.com.
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