New Plants Set Outdoor Living and Gardening Lifestyle Trends

New Plants Set Outdoor Living and Gardening Lifestyle Trends

Novalis® Showcases 2008 Plants that Work® Introductions and 2007 Trend Plants at Fashion In Bloom, Sept. 19-22, 2007.

September 10, 2007 – Moncks Corner, S.C. – Novalis®, a national consortium made up of regional nursery and greenhouse growers, will present its new 2008 plant introductions and existing core plant programs at this year’s Fashion In Bloom event, Sept. 19-22, 2007. The Conard-Pyle Company, a leading member of the Novalis® network of growers, will serve as site host. The display will feature Novalis®’ Plants that Work®, a national brand of trialed perennials and annual “color,” in an outdoor living setting that includes open-air living rooms and alfresco kitchens through alliances with Summer Classics and Viking.

The varieties will include selections from specialized programs encompassing a series of exclusive plants only available through Novalis® and landscape solution-based plant collections.

The concept of the overall design exhibit is based upon the growing trend of homeowners juxtaposing easy-to-grow plant material and active outdoor lifestyles. While showcasing the latest artistic trends pertaining to lavish, yet practical, outdoor living spaces, Novalis® will, in tandem, present creative approaches for retail-ready plant displays to the attending independent garden center (IGC) owners and personnel.

Novalis® representatives will be present to share information about all of the 2008 plant programs and a new expansion initiative to add superior “color” growers to the network in conjunction with the latest plant program, Plants that Work® by Color™. As part of the most notable advancement of the Plants that Work® brand to date, Novalis® will bring more than 150 varieties of world-class “color” genetics to IGCs for spring 2008.

Currently, Novalis® leaders are incorporating select “color” growers with a common goal of providing proprietary breeding, diverse product selections, and controlled liner production and distribution, all of which will be available exclusively to IGCs.

Individual interviews with Novalis® representatives are welcome, and may be pre-scheduled by contacting Eberly Public Relations at 866-574-2906 or seeing Don Eberly or Jeff Collard at the event. Post-event media kits and interviews will also be available by calling the aforesaid number.

The Novalis® 2008 product and program line-up, all part of Plants that Work® with full marketing and merchandising support for IGCs, will include the following:

Plants that Work® – Exclusives:

• NEW: ‘Pink Double Knock Out’® Rose
• NEW: The Garden Sensation™ Series – a new line of ornamental shrubs, including: Philadelphus ‘Snow White Sensation’™ and Weigela ‘Shining Sensation’™
• NEW: Gaillardia Commotion™ Series – two new vibrant Gaillardia varieties, including: Gaillardia Commotion^TM ‘Frenzy’ and Gaillardia Commotion^TM ‘Tizzy’
• NEW: Mystical^TM Series – a new line of five lovely, rust-resistant Hypericum varieties, including: Hypericum ‘Mystical Red Star’^TM, Hypericum ‘Mystical Orange’^TM, Hypericum ‘Mystical Beauty’^TM, Hypericum ‘Mystical Black’ ^TM and Hypericum ‘Mystical Sweetheart’^TM
• Hydrangea ‘Lemon Daddy’™
• Hydrangea ‘Big Daddy’
• Hydrangea ‘Bits of Lace’™
• Lonicera ‘Edmee Gold’
• Hydrangea ‘Color Fantasy’®
• ‘Empress of China’^TM Dogwood
• Acer ‘Shirazz’^TM

NEW: Plants that Work® in Nooks & Crannies™ – A program with a mix of small-stature varieties for compact spaces and special applications with over 200 selections presented in convenient 8-pack carrying trays.

Plants that Work® – Bring on the Heat™ – This reliable, striking collection of perennials and shrubs from Plants that Work® is back for 2008. Performance-rated for thriving in the hot areas of gardens and patios, Bring on the Heat™ now encompasses 40 plants.

Plants that Work® – In the Shade™ – This robust and dependable collection of plants has returned with best-of-breeding offerings that have beautiful mixtures of texture and color for shade areas. The program consists of nearly 40 cutting-edge shade-lovers.

Bamboo – A favorite program from Novalis® Plants that Work®, seven clumping and running varieties are offered as part of this stunning collection.

Twice as Nice™ Daylily Collection – Novalis®’ award-winning collection of repeat-blooming Hemerocallis still remains a strong selling choice of gardeners and landscape professionals for outdoor rooms. It has been expanded to include two dozen daylilies in a vivid color spectrum.

Oriental x Trumpet Hybrid Lilies – This collection continues to represent a breakthrough in great garden lilies. With new colors and enhanced garden performance, Oriental x Trumpet lilies have thick latex-like petals and a soft fragrance.

Evison ^TM / Poulsen® Garden Series Clematis – The series of clematis returns with free-flowering habits and large, open flowers. Working in various garden locations and offering USDA Zone 4 hardiness, these clematis varieties grow well in conjunction with shrubs and other climbers, or as container plants on the patio.

NEW: Plants that Work® by Color™ – The most impressive expansion to date of the Plants that Work® line, brings world-class genetics to gardeners in a rainbow of color and form. In spring of 2008, retailers and homeowners will have new and unique options for year-round “color,” with more than 150 varieties that make spectacular beds, borders and containers.

These offerings, along with hundreds of other robust and branded plants from the Novalis® network, are cultivated to accentuate outdoor living, provide solutions for novice and expert gardeners, and address consumer high-demand for new collections of unparalleled variety and quality in every region of the country.

In an effort to maintain its mission of offering consumers a complete outdoor “lifestyle,” Novalis® is continuing to form alliances with outdoor product companies like Summer Classics, creator of high-end outdoor furniture, and Viking, producer of premium outdoor kitchen appliances. Products manufactured by Summer Classics and Viking have been incorporated into the Novalis® trade show and event design, which has been awarded “Best of Show” honors at two recent industry events, the Ohio Floriculture Association and Southern Nursery Association trade shows, and will be featured at this year’s Fashion In Bloom event.

- Sally