Putting the “Haute” in Horticulture

Ellen C. Wells

Green Profit spoke with Hort Couture’s sales and marketing manager, Jennifer Hatalski, to find out how the independent-only brand weaves high fashion into the plant industry.

Green Profit: The independent-only Hort Couture brand is entirely focused on style. How did this develop?

Jennifer Hatalski: When Jim and Jennifer Monroe started the concept it was very much grassroots in how it came together. They had the two garden centers of their own in West Virginia, and as an independent garden center they were trying to find something with which to differentiate themselves. They wanted to connect high fashion with plants and not necessarily have plants in the line that were horticulturally intimidating. They wanted to focus on containers, so Hort Couture is very much a container gardening-oriented program. This is to target the younger demographic, as we are looking to home in on them and their interests.

GP: And the reason for the name Hort Couture?

JH: That came from the fashion term “haute couture,” which means high fashion.

GP: So along with the name “Hort Couture” and the stylish Lady in Black on the tags, what are some other ways in which you attempt to tie fashion with plants?

JH: We are always looking at colors, textures and styles. We look at the colors of the year and what’s popular in fashion, trying to relay that back to the brand. We also have something else called the Fashion Plate. It makes designing combination containers much easier for the end consumer coming to the IGC to look for plants and to design their containers.

GP: What are some of the hottest color trends for 2015 and beyond?

JH: You’ll see a lot of things from us that are unique and different just in the way of companion plants. You can put them in containers, and while they aren’t going to be the star of the show they’ll make everything else pop. We call those plants “jewelry.” They dress up other pieces.

GP: What’s your personal favorite “little black dress” in the plant world?

JH: I love texture, so I will go with coleus. It’s so easy. I love the vibrant colors. I love that you can dress it up and make it sophisticated but at the same time you can use it everyplace—in the sun or in the shade. It’s very transitional.

GP: What is your best tip for IGCs to incorporate style into their displays?

JH: I love going to IGCs that really grab hold of the whole Hort Couture concept and put their own spin on it. It’s wonderful to see an IGC that will bring in some scarf or clothing lines and create a boutique experience along with the Hort Couture brand and cross merchandise what they already have in their garden center, making it a one-stop-shop for their fashionable consumers.

Hort Couture HIGHLIGHTS
• Developed by Jim and Jennifer Monroe in 2007.
• Brand debuted at OFA Short Course in 2008.
• Formed partnership with C. Raker & Sons as the brand’s plug and liner supplier in 2010.
• Debuted the brand’s signature coleus series Under the Sea in 2010. GP