Pot Wraps Capitalize on Edibles Trend

Edibles are one of the most discussed topics in the industry these days, and growers and garden center retailers are attempting to determine the best ways to tackle the new trend.

Edibles are also becoming increasingly popular with homeowners. We, at Eberly Public Relations, call it the “Backyard-to-Table” trend. Yet, while consumers are purchasing edibles to grow in their yards and gardens, these products are still somewhat of a mystery to many of them. Without green thumbs, and since many edibles need to be purchased and planted prior to the blooming and fruiting season, many homeowners lack the understanding they need to make informed purchasing decisions.

One quite impressive grower of small fruit plants, Kraemer’s Nursery, Inc., and a well-known horticulture labeling products company, Horticultural Identification Products – HIP, have developed a solution that educates consumers about edibles in a way that entices and informs them. As a result, the grower is seeing a major growth in pre-season orders and sales. And, in these times, “increased sales” is very good and positive news.

HIP exclusively developed and implemented Kraemer’s Nursery, Inc. pot wraps to showcase ripe fruit long before it is evident how the plants will produce, which makes it easy for consumers to know what they are buying.

The pot wraps aim to maximize profitability for retailers by addressing the current and popular “backyard-to-table” and edibles trend.

According to Kraemer’s Nursery, Inc., there has been a 30-percent increase of small fruit plant pre-orders for spring. They directly attribute this to the new edibles craze and to the newly designed pot wraps from HIP. The pot wraps add style and consumer appeal to otherwise ordinary containers and were specifically designed to meet the marketing needs of independent garden centers and mass merchandisers.

If you are a member of the media and have questions about these pot wraps and / or the fruit plants, I’ll be glad to tell you more.

- Doug

America’s Mart Blog Post

Don, Jeff and I attended the early 2009 Home, Rug, Gift and Apparel show at America’s Mart in Atlanta. While there, we met a lot of great folks in the industry, learned about some of the exciting 2009 innovations companies are offering, and saw a lot of new and trend-setting products. Since we specialize in providing integrated Marketing Communications services for companies in the field – and because we contribute articles and product narratives for the Home and Garden media – we spent a good amount of time at the event collecting information about the hot colors and design trends of the year.

Fresh and vibrant new colors and interesting textures were the apparent theme. Whether the new deep red that seems to be taking Home and Garden by storm these days or the range of blues to purples or greens, muted grays, taupes, and browns, the new color trends for 2009 were visible everywhere we looked. Textures were more diverse as compared to last year in many ways. This included everything from combining ceramic and cork to patinas with panache.

Among many of the new products and trends we captured at the show, several were of particular interest. I’ve provided brief overviews of a few of our favorites here. If you are a member of the trade or consumer media and have interest in any of these companies or products, feel free to touch base with us. We can gladly put you in touch with the right contacts to learn more.

Seasonal Living
Specifically, from Seasonal Living, was a fresh line-up of great new lava lamps. In addition to coconut shell furniture (below-left), company representative Gary Pettitt proudly displayed natural materials that comprise their handsome inventory. Furniture and accessories of carved limestone, sandstone, honed travertine, and Carrara marble made an eye-catching vignette. Various tropical woods, weatherproof leather, glass, teak, glazed and unglazed ceramic, birdseed, bamboo, mother of pearl, and resin composite pieces were also displayed. The company’s surprising range of furnishings suits contemporary, classic, and exotic design palettes. They are hand chosen and never mass produced, making them truly unique.

The Magnolia Company
The Magnolia Company’s Seeds of Life are sure to be a hit for bridal or baby showers in 2009. We think they will be perfect for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or for anyone looking to give a living gift that lasts. With the trend of getting back to nature and the simpler things of life, gift-giving is taking on a new realm; Magnolia Company is addressing this by offering eco-friendly Seeds of Life products.

The company shared with us that since planting a tree is a beautiful way to honor a cherished person, they have found their Seeds of Life products to be popular for memorial services. Many occasions are fitting, whether welcoming the birth of a child, commemorating a milestone birthday, or honoring the passing of a loved one. Planting a tree is a meaningful way to leave a legacy. Magnolia Company provides three different ways to gift a tree – as a seed package, a seedling, or larger gift tree. Each one is grown on the company’s tree farm and beautifully packaged for delivery.

Company owner Matt Roth explained that seed favor boxes can be personalized to coordinate with wedding colors and create a meaningful gift that will grow into a tree for years following a wedding. Here’s what we liked best of all… Matt and his team make it easy; buyers can pick the appropriate tree or gift according to zip code. He books orders around wedding days and ships the favors three days prior to the events. No immediate care is required, as the seeds do not need additional watering or maintenance for three weeks.

To exhibit just how perfect they are for weddings, the Magnolia Company created a beautiful display showcasing the seed favor boxes tied with lavender ribbons and neatly stacked atop a beautiful white cake pedestal.

Pacific Arts & Crafts
We were also captivated by the wide range of attractive and stylish planters from Pacific Arts & Crafts, as they displayed the current trend of distressed copper. Their exclusive line of decorative and versatile copperglass planters marries the rich color of copper with the lightweight durability of fiberglass, thus utilizing the positive qualities of both materials.

Because they are handcrafted of fiberglass, copperglass planters can be enjoyed indoors as beautiful cachepots or outdoors in any climate. The planters are extremely frost resistant and can be easily drilled for drainage. The company’s proprietary method of finishing with a layer of real copper creates the elegant look of solid metal without the excessive weight. As with traditional copper planters, copperglass planters will naturally oxidize over time, creating stunning patinas and a more natural copper look. Handcrafted and hand finished, each planter is slightly unique in color gradation, creating a one of a kind piece for home or garden. We were amazed at the many copper products at the show this year, given the lowering cost of materials since mid-2008. Pacific Arts & Crafts’ planters, in particular, stood out to us with their high-end detailing.

Viducci’s Garden
Viducci’s Garden ceramic is produced in the traditional manner, as it has been for hundreds of years. The entire Viducci’s collection is hand-crafted in factories that are known for quality work in American, European and Japanese markets. Their terra cotta planters are available in various classic and modern styles. Being hand-crafted as such ensures that no two products are exactly alike, a process that has evolved through centuries of dedication. The company boasts the kilns being used for their 2009 line of products have been in service since the year 1300, which we find amazing. The Viducci’s Garden product line has been created and designed to satisfy demand for high-quality container products in the upscale United States market. What’s more, the story behind how the company arrived at the Viducci’s name is an interesting one, as it is a combination of Vietnam and Germany, originating countries, as we learned directly from company President Walter Panfil at his showroom area.

The “Oxide Dark Brown” ceramic container pictured above-left is certainly in keeping with the new trend color of bold brown. Its finish was likely the most beautiful we saw at the show this year, undoubtedly, a contributing factor to Viducci’s Garden receiving the coveted “Best Of Floor For Outstanding Visual Display” award at the America’s Mart last year (in 2008).

The Pottery Market
The Pottery Market features high-fired, frost-resistant Vietnamese pottery and unglazed terracotta pieces. They specialize in high-quality pottery of all shapes and sizes and have a new line of oil lamps and other accessories. They offer a diverse selection of pottery designs and finishes from intricate and fashionable containers to basic good sense garden pots. The Pottery Market also has birdbaths, gazing balls, strawberry jars, and herb planters. The company reports the Wasabi color (right) has been a strong seller for several years now and is expected to remain so in 2009. The color of this container is in keeping with a focus group study we did late last year to uncover color trend predictions for this year. So, we expect to see more home and garden products like these making their way into garden centers and retail locations soon.

Three Birds Casual
Having written about outdoor furniture many times, we enjoyed learning about Three Birds Casual, one of the fastest growing manufacturers of premium furniture for the outdoor living market. We learned a few things about the company from its president, Tad Varga. Their casual teak furniture is a favorite among retailers and designers who aspire to offer their clients or customers quality furniture with exceptional value. Classic character with quality construction is what the Three Birds Adirondack represents. Used with a matching footstool or without, the Three Birds Adirondack provides a restful and relaxing experience. But, we could see this for ourselves by taking a moment to sit in the chair and relax our show-worn feet. All of us imagined how these chairs could make a design statement in our own back lawns or on our patios, as similarly seen above in the photo.

Scheurich
One Scheurich offering of particular interest is the company’s opaque planters that are available in lilac (pictured), red and white. With glass furniture and accessories seeing a recent comeback, these planters artfully capture light and capitalize on today’s trends of rich reds and purples being used to create home decor that is airy and bright. Their translucent surfaces are captivating with an unusual combination of light and color, as these planters create the effect of being illuminated from within their centers.

Green plants with glossy leaves make great applications, as they capitalize on light emphasizing their foliage. We just might adorn the Eberly Public Relations offices with these planters, as they would cast a rich glow of color on sunny days. Look to Scheurich glass planters if you are interested in something unlike the norm.

Unique Stone Inc.
Unique Stone, Inc. has an interesting collection of terminal statues depicting the four seasons. According to the company, they provide a breathtaking design element to any home or even commercial spaces. The originals, which are circa 1902, were of fine carved marble. They were carefully restored and redesigned by the artisans of Unique Stone Inc. Terminals were typically used to delineate property boundaries on large estates of the very wealthy in Europe and the United States, and they can be traced to the ancient Greeks. Integrating hardscapes with smartly designed landscapes is one of the most popular trends we are working on this year. This provides stunning visual interest and draws homeowners and guests to outdoor living areas. A garland of flowers can adorn the small knobs on the terminals, thus adding an artistic touch to enhance the sense of sight and smell. These terminals would be attractive under gazebos, in continuous fencing as posts, garden entries, and custom drives. We think they would be perfect additions per the season or when opting for all four. We’ll be keeping them in mind the next time we write an article about outdoor design spaces that are benefitted by substantial adornments that cause lasting impressions.

Look for additional posts from us in the near future. Between our clients and other great companies we know, we will be blogging a lot in the coming weeks and months about some of this year’s newest and most coveted products in the Home, Garden, Design, and Agribusiness Industries. We’ll be helping clients and some of our editor friends at various home and garden shows in May and June; we’ll be sure to blog about more trends as we uncover them and when they unfold.

- Doug

'Tiki Torch' Wins at ANLA

A Grand Entrance…

This year’s American Nursery and Landscape Association Management Clinic in Louisville, Ky., was an amazing experience, as is always the case.

Garden Splendor, the premium plant collection that includes more than 500 perennials, annuals, shrubs, vines, and grasses – and known for its yearly Showcase varieties – was well represented with the announcement that the brand’s new Echinacea ‘Tiki Torch’ was the winning plant in the ANLA Plant Pavilion. This was truly a grand entrance for this attention-grabbing plant.

‘Tiki Torch’ features large, dark orange blooms with broad florets and a spicy fragrance. It does wonderfully in full sun and generally reaches a height of 24 – 30 inches. Attractive, burnished copper-colored seed cones can be left to fortify small birds or dead headed to encourage increased reblooming. Its robust color remains intense for weeks rather than days. True to the company’s tagline, this plant is truly a “Plant Worth Remembering.”

We also enjoyed the time we spent meeting and working with Ed and Gail Overdevest, co-owners, and David Wilson, marketing director, of Overdevest Nurseries and the Garden Splendor brand. Their passion for Garden Splendor and horticulture in general is readily apparent.

To learn more about this variety, please visit www.gardensplendor.com. If you are a member of the media and would like to feature this variety for spring or summer, we will be glad to assist you with some pretty incredible images and the story behind this winning plant.

- Doug

On Parr with ANLA 2009 Management Clinic

I was lucky enough to score a ticket to this year’s ANLA 2009 Management Clinic in Louisville, KY. After having reflected upon my experience, I will be writing a short series of blog posts on this event in the coming days, but I wanted to start off by saying… WOW!

This was my first time attending the Management Clinic, and while I had heard from many of you about how great this conference is, nothing could have prepared me for the amount of information and creative ideas that were shared in a mere matter of days! After a few “sprained” fingers from note-taking and some Red Bulls to keep me moving, there was one theme that resonated the entire weekend: (Do you remember this?)

“Head down; keep your eye on the ball; swing through.”
“Head down; keep your eye on the ball; swing through.”
“Head down; keep your eye on the ball; swing through.”

These are the wise words spoken by John Kennedy the first Saturday morning at the Clinic. For those of you whom were unable to attend, this phrase was used to suit two purposes – supporting the golf theme at the Clinic this year and pushing the mindset we all need to grasp during the roughest economy most of the attendees have ever witnessed.

And, even though one of John’s hit golf balls barely missed shattering the hotel’s chandelier, the meaning behind his words touched us all. Times are hard. We need to keep our minds concentrated on what is important, be creative, and work harder than ever before.

In fact, Aaron Davis, one of the incredible speakers over the weekend, kept repeating during his presentation on Leadership Made Simple that we must focus on our “Why” in order to succeed. Whether you are in this industry because you want to better the World one plant at a time or because you are part of your family’s company legacy, you must hold onto your “Why” in order to make the best of 2009. This is what will drive us to survive and grow as an industry.

So, everyone, even if you need to write it on a sticky note or type it on your screen-saver to serve as a reminder… keep your “Head down; keep your eye on the ball; swing through.”

Do you know your “Why?”

More to come…

~ Leslie

Asian Fascination

A Portland local has been selected to speak at the Annual Plant Fair at the Classical Chinese Garden in Portland, Ore. As president and co-owner of Oregon-based nursery, Terra Nova Nurseries, Dan Heims has helped introduce over 600 new plant varieties to gardeners all over the United States. Heims also shares a unique love of the environment and plants as do so many in the Portland area, and now he hopes to share some of his knowledge during this education-based lecture on March 21, 2009.

If you are interested, and will be in the Portland area, the details include the following:

What: Dan Heims will cover the horticulture marvels of Asia, how to collect plants and bring them home, and an overview of Asian nurseries and “wacky” collectors in his lecture called “Asian Fascination.” Slides will be presented of incredible plants from this region in cultivation and in the wild.

When: March 21, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. and again at 2:00 p.m.

Where: The Chinese Garden on NW 3^rd & Everett, Portland, Oregon.

Web Sites of Interest: www.terranovanurseries.com; http://www.portlandchinesegarden.org/

Hope to see you there!

~Leslie

Dan Heims Speaks to the Masses!

Alright all you Dan Heims fans, there are plenty of opportunities to see him speaking on all things plant-nerd, er, horticulture in the upcoming months!

Upcoming Events this Spring:

The Summit County Master Gardeners of Ohio presents: “Containers and Small-space Gardening” and “Flash and Splash” from Dan Heims on January 24 & 25. For more details on attending, click HERE.

• “Containers and Small-space Gardening” synopsis: Dan's trips around the world have exposed him to an amazing array of wild containers planted with the most unusual plants. Dan will cover these as well as a wide assortment of unusual plant materials that give new life to containers. (Heads-up! He will provide some great tips on how to design containers and small garden spaces as well as helpful information on maintaining soil fertility and plant health for ultimate success.)

• “Flash and Splash” synopsis: One of the most comprehensive slide presentations of variegated and colored-leaved plants in the world, including surprises from New Zealand, Japan, and Europe. Topics include: How variegated plants are discovered, chimera vs. virus, and classification of variegation. How to use color in design, featuring color echoes, repetition, contrast, and harmony.

Yard, Garden, and Patio Show presents: “New Perennials from Around the World” by Dan Heims on February 27. This show is open to everyone! So, if you’re in the area (or have always wanted that lovely trip to Portland, Ore.), visit HERE for details on tickets, times, etc.

• “New Perennials from Around the World” synopsis: Ever wonder how new plants are found? Well, Dan will be sharing his whirlwind tour of ten horticultural countries (Japan, China, Germany, Tasmania, Australia, US, Holland, England, Ireland & New Zealand) and how he found his fellow brethren in each country and the plants they love. His focus will be on hardy perennials but exceptional "temperennials" will also be shown. In his most popular presentation, he will also provide tips on how to get plants into the U.S. legally.

Not available to attend? No problem! Details coming soon on additional talks by Dan Heims including the American Begonia Society Convention in West Palm Beach, FL, in April, and the De Vine Visions weekend event in Victoria, BC, in June.

For more information on Dan and his available talks, visit the Terra Nova Nurseries Web site HERE!

And, for those of you interested in an interview with Dan for an upcoming article or radio segment, feel free to contact me at
lesliekirk@eberlypr.com.

~ Leslie

A Winning Team

Landscape and Irrigation magazine (in case you don’t know already!) is an excellent trade resource for everything professional landscaping – from industry news to pests to products to irrigation.

Recently, the editor featured the relationship between leading national grower, Novalis, and a professional landscape architecture company, The Hayter Firm. The two worked together in order to maximize budget and project efficiency while planning the landscape for the 2005 U.S. Open in Pinehurst, NC.

After two years of collaboration, an amazing line-up of plants from Novalis Plants that Work, and several creative solutions, it was agreed by event planners and attendees that the landscape was one of the best ever designed / installed for the U.S. Open.

Congrats to J. Guy, founder and manager for Novalis, and Robert Hayter, owner of the Hayter Firm, for their landscape and plant savvy that helped make this event a great success.

To learn more about these two companies, log onto… www.novalis.com / www.plantsthatwork.com and www.thehayterfirm.com.

Read the article HERE!!

~Leslie

Industry Leader Launches Sustainable Plant Program

One of the exciting new plant programs during 2008 came from Overdevest Nurseries, the founder of the Garden Splendor® brand of plants. The new program includes a line of sustainable plant products under the new Footprints™ brand name.

Footprints™ is considered to be among the first product lines in the industry to be fully sustainable. It is a new line of decorative, eco-friendly patio plants. The program is being made available to independent garden centers in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast for spring 2009.

This program is truly sustainable, not just in part, but fully “green.” We give kudos to Ed Overdevest, founder of Footprints™, because the plant varieties are grown using sustainable practices such as compost made from renewable soil ingredients and recycled irrigation water. Best of all, the plants are potted in natural-component containers and labeled with tags that are biodegradable. Bamboo stakes are even used for the tags, rather than plastic. For online information, log onto www.footprintsplants.com or contact us here at Eberly Public Relations.

Meet Dan!

With 32 years of experience in the Horticulture Industry, Dan Heims researches, speaks, writes, and stands at the forefront of the horticulture industry as president of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc. Over the past 13 years, Terra Nova Nurseries has grown to become a world leader in plant breeding, introducing over 550 exciting new varieties to the global market, 498 of which include granted and pending patents in the United States, Europe and Japan. Heims has been an integral part of the company’s growth and success from its very beginning.


As an educator, Heims is known as a knowledgeable enthusiast in all things horticulture. He has spent years lecturing all over the world, including the United States, Japan, England, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Tasmania, Australia, and Canada. From breeding to growing, Heims teaches people about his experiences in the industry.


And, now, you may be able to visit Dan at one of his upcoming lectures around the United States. A few talks in 2009 include the following:


• 2009 Great Lakes Trade Exposition on “Containers and Small-space Gardening” on Tuesday, Jan. 6.
• The Summit County Master Gardeners of Ohio on “Containers and Small-space Gardening” on Saturday, Jan. 24, and Sunday, Jan. 25.
• Yard, Garden and Patio Show on “New Perennials from Around the World” on Friday, Feb. 27.
• 2009 American Begonia Society Convention: the West Palm Beach Branch on “California Dreamin’ (Plant Discoveries in California’s Hot Spots) on Thursday, April 30.


More about Terra Nova Nurseries:
Terra Nova Nurseries is a world leader in plant breeding and genetics which has introduced over 460 captivating, robust and innovative varieties of annuals and perennials for the landscape and garden to the marketplace. The Terra Nova Nurseries team produces dozens of hardy new selections each year through expert flower breeding and laboratory research. These varieties are then propagated through tissue culture in state-of-the-art labs to make large quantities of healthy plants available to home gardeners, independent garden centers, growers, and landscape professionals throughout the world.

~Leslie

STEPABLES Selects Independent Garden Center Contest Winners

Drum-roll please…

STEPABLES officially announced the names of three independent garden centers that received first place honors in respective plant display categories as part of the second annual “We’ve Got Sole” contest. The winners include Deneweth’s Garden Center, Heights Flowers and Natorp’s Mason Garden Store.

Deneweth’s Garden Center of Macomb, MI, won the first place prize for “Best Definitive Display.” As a result, a check for $5,000 was presented to the charity of their choice, Komen Detroit Race for the Cure, on Aug. 5, 2008. The display exemplified their imagination, showing eye-catching ways of presenting Good For Your Sole® point-of-purchase materials on traditional tables and other platforms. The winning display also integrated various landscape applications of STEPABLES plants throughout the designated area, including between pavers and on green roofs. In addition, the Deneweth’s Garden Center team was inspired by the contest to raise an extra $1,100 on their own for Komen Detroit Race for the Cure.

Heights Flowers of Peoria, IL, came in first for “Best Use of Space,” maximizing the use of designated floor and shelf space to boost sales. Heights Flowers prioritized information sharing in their design, providing a working computer within the display for customers to visit the STEPABLES Web site to utilize the online tools for selecting the right plants for their specific lawns and gardens.

Natorp’s Mason Garden Store in Mason, OH, triumphed in the category of “Best STEPscapes Display,” which utilized STEPABLES plants in a multi-tiered landscape application to show customers the many ways creeping perennials can be used as solution plants. The design showed customers how to plant between stepping stones, create a lush seating area, use creeping perennials in beds and borders, replace turf with a creative low-growing plant pattern, and build a rock garden featuring STEPABLES.

The “We’ve Got Sole” contest is offered annually to independent garden centers as a fun way to develop plant displays that can boost sales and brand recognition while simultaneously giving back to the communities in which they are located. Each winning store was awarded a STEPPY Award as well as gift cards for a company party. To see photos of these displays, information on the garden centers and chosen charities, and contest details, visit http://www.stepables.com/garden-center-contest.asp.

Congratulations to you all!!

~Leslie

STEPABLES® Launches New Media Marketing Campaign

Under A Foot Plant Company™ and its national plant brand of creeping perennials, STEPABLES®, announced today the launch of an innovative marketing campaign designed to utilize new media, such as an interactive Web site design, instructional videos and informative blogs, to build brand recognition among its growers, garden centers and consumers.

As an award-winning marketing leader in the horticulture industry, STEPABLES® has designed the Web site to serve as the core of the new media campaign. The site now includes:

• Hundreds of new images to show consumers and landscapers the most creative ways to use STEPABLES
• Multiple forums for open discussion about anything the site visitors would like to discuss
• Several instructional, how-to videos
• A new blog written by Frances Hopkins, founder and president of Under A Foot Plant Company™
• “Meet Fran” section that personalized the brand with a family behind the name
• New media center with all current press releases
• A help desk available to consumers, garden centers and landscapers
• Design center with printable garden layouts
• A STEPABLES® Fun Club to receive discounts on plants and merchandise

“I wanted to create a marketing campaign that reflected my enthusiasm for gardening and hopefully inspire those visiting the STEPABLES® site to try something new,” said Frances Hopkins, founder and president of Under A Foot Plant Company™. “I look forward to interacting more personally with anyone who visits www.stepables.com.”

Hopkins will be updating her blog regularly as a new medium for communicating upcoming STEPABLES® news and responding to commonly asked questions from homeowners and landscapers. The site also has a new guest blog where horticulturalists and experts are invited to offer advice and knowledge about their experiences with STEPABLES® plants.

Brief instructional videos are featured on the new STEPABLES® site for a quick look at how STEPABLES® can spruce up any landscape. In less than five minutes apiece, these four videos show imaginative possibilities with the STEPABLES® line such as learning the basics of container gardening, planting combination sensations with flower bulbs, creating accents with steps and benches, and replacing a lawn with these low-maintenance plants. Hopkins produced and starred in each of the videos to further personify the brand and educate her audience with these how-to STEPABLES® tips. Take a look at one of the videos, posted below, to see how you can plant STEPABLES® around benches or between steps.

Click on the links and video to see how this plant brand plans to remain at the forefront of marketing with the newest technologies in communication!

~Leslie

All Great Things Come in Threes

Exciting News from Ball Horticultural Company!

1. Ball Horticultural Company announces the launch of its completely redesigned Web site!

The new site is organized and easy to navigate with one convenient location for growers, retailers, landscapers and home gardeners to find out about plants, products and programs available from Ball.

Highlights of the new ballhort.com include a database where growers and retailers can list their businesses, a commonly asked questions page for all audience types, and a section for sustainable solutions from Ball. Also, site visitors can enjoy all the best features of the previous site including downloadable PDFs with plant culture information and lists of Ball Exclusives. Take a look!

2. Ball Horticultural Company and French firm Alliance 47 announce a joint venture to develop and commercialize new bio-packaging products for the horticulture industry.

Under a long-term agreement, Ball Horticultural Company has exclusive worldwide rights to technology that will apply to an extensive range of packaging products including pots, tags, point-of-purchase materials and more.

Ball Innovations will oversee the research and product development work related to the partnership. “Our goal is for Ball to continue to lead the industry in providing practical, sustainable solutions for greenhouse growers,” says Bill Doeckel, General Manager of Ball Innovations. “By working with Alliance 47 to greatly expand the range of sustainable packaging products, we hope to dramatically improve the sustainable options for our industry.”

Packaging products made from the new substrates will be commercially available to horticulture industry professionals in Europe and North America beginning in 2008.

3. In 2008, Wave® petunias will celebrate their 10th year on television with a national advertising campaign that is bigger, bolder and better than ever before!

A new commercial promoting Wave petunias in Pink Packaging will air more than 700 times on 25 national cable channels including HGTV and DIY as well as other lifestyle-oriented networks like E!, Lifetime, A&E, Food Network and more. The comprehensive marketing experience for Wave petunias will also include elements of print advertising, direct mail, events, online communications, viral marketing and public relations.

“This commercial is designed to get attention and appeal to newer, younger gardeners with an edgy, fun style,” says Diane Hund, Director of Marketing at Ball. “This year’s entire Wave marketing campaign is unlike anything our industry has ever seen. We’re fully committed to helping growers and retailers by marketing Wave petunias to consumers in fresh and creative ways, and the unique approach and broader reach of this year’s television advertising plan does just that.”

The theme of the commercial is “Accept the Gardener in You,” and will air March 31 through June 11 in the U.S. and Canada.For a behind-the-scenes look at the integrated Wave marketing plan, check out the Wave video posted on YouTube.

~Leslie

Dan Heims, president of Terra Nova Nurseries, to speak at Powell's Books in Portland, Ore. as part of "Get Gardening" series

Dan Heims, president of Terra Nova Nurseries in Canby, Ore., will be speaking at Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing in Portland on March 18, 2008 as part of the "Get Gardening" series. Heims will speak about and present information on varieties of Heuchera and Heucherella featured in his recently published book, Heuchera and Heucherella, Coral Bells and Foamy Bells. In the book, published by Timber Press, Heims and co-author Grahame Ware provide background on wild species of Heuchera as well as details about how these plants have developed into the garden stars they are today. The book also features extensive plant listings of the choice selections and hybrids available commercially. It also includes practical chapters on garden care, propagation and design uses, all recommended by Heims and Ware.

"Get Gardening" is a joint effort by three local Portland businesses, Timber Press, Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, and Al's Garden Center, which have joined forces to bring garden enthusiasts an exciting program of monthly talks by some of the country's top garden writers. Each presentation is followed by discussion and snacks. There are various door prizes and giveaways as well as an opportunity to talk to the authors, like Heims, meet other gardeners, and swap gardening stories and photos. There is no cost to participate in "Get Gardening".

For more information on Dan Heims and the "Get Gardening" event at Powell's in Portland.

Information about purchasing Dan's Book, Heucheras and Heucherellas - Coral Bells and Foamy Bells

More about Terra Nova Nurseries:

Terra Nova Nurseries is a world leader in plant breeding and genetics which has introduced over 460 captivating, robust and innovative varieties of annuals and perennials for the landscape and garden to the marketplace. The Terra Nova Nurseries team produces dozens of hardy new selections each year through expert flower breeding and laboratory research. These varieties are then propagated through tissue culture in state-of-the-art labs to make large quantities of healthy plants available to home gardeners, independent garden centers, growers, and landscape professionals throughout the world.

- Sally