What’s New?

Ellen C. Wells

Over in the California Spring Trials coverage the above question was the one I suggested customers asked you, the garden retailer, each spring. Of course, in relation to Trials, we are mainly talking about new varieties, and hopefully some exciting new-to-the-industry plant.

This 2016 edition of CAST didn’t provide much in the way of new and exciting, unfortunately. But that’s okay, because I’ve amended my thought on what customers are looking for after all.  And it’s not new plants. In fact, the same-old-same-old plants will do just fine, thank you very much. Customers, I believe, are looking for different ways of including these plants in and around their homes.

Case in point: I’ve had the opportunity to do lots of walking on Martha’s Vineyard recently. (Not as idyllic as it sounds! The ugly truth is my car broke down on the island over a weekend and I was stranded until the repair shop opened.) The homes are quintessentially New England in design and decor: white or natural cedar shingles and black trim providing the ideal backdrop for the usual hydrangea, catmint and lavender perennial plantings. Annuals are the usual suspects, as well: petunias, begonias, marigolds and lots and lots of geraniums. Whether in a retail-ready basket or bowl, a glazed pot, a woven basket or some shabby-chic holder of soil (think old boot or antique cookie tin), annuals are being upgraded in the quaintest way possible.

Elsewhere, it may be oxide planters, mod self-watering patio containers, terra cotta, wooden bowls, twig baskets or those upside-down or vertical grow bags. Each place and each person has her own style. I’m just wondering if we as an industry are making the most of our ability to provide style suggestions to the folks buying plants and garden accessories.

You and I have been to the trade shows like Cultivate, the IGC Shows, TPIE and regional offerings, as well. There are lots of chic pots and crafty containers available to us and for our customers. My question is why aren’t there more of these things on garden center shelves?

I take that back. The mod pots and twig baskets are on garden center shelves, just not at a lot of places. Why? Numerous reasons like fear of not selling through, having too many onesies and twosies, or not having a broad enough selection. Maybe it’s a lack of style on your part! Quite honestly if that’s the case, turn on HGTV, the DIY Network or download some fashion magazines, my friends. Horticulture is way too dependent on fashion trends these days to ignore them.

You are asking “what's new?”, too. But not as it pertains to plants, pots and whatnot. You’re asking it in terms of what’s new with the consumer. Drawing on some data but more anecdotal evidence, it seems today’s consumer is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde character. Some needs can be filled in the no-frills way, and some needs can only be satisfied with the exactly perfect purchase. Store-brand, one-ply toilet paper and single-origin, locally roasted coffee come to mind. Supplying the former—or at least the horticultural equivalent—is easy. The latter is not too difficult, either. What can be tricky, though, is knowing which and providing both. Does she want that special new combo grown from vegetative cuttings in a plastic basket or a nice assortment in a special container that speaks to her in some way? Does she want the heirloom tomato plants as seedlings or the potted hybrid with nearly red tomatoes on it? Maybe she wants both. And there are really no hard and fast rules about it.

What’s new? The simple answer to that is “absolutely everything.” Your job is to figure out who you serve and what they want. GP