Welcome
Modern Garden Marketing is a collection of news, opinion, information and resources for those working inside the Australian garden and landscape industry in the 21st century, with an emphasis on:
1. expanding the industry in general by promoting gardens and gardening to the public and fostering their continued interest
2. effective promotion of individual businesses within the industry to increase their share of the garden and landscape dollar
News
A new type of plant tag
Microchip technology similar to that used to identify animals is being tested in plants. Scientists in Italy have developed a way to embed Radiofrequency Identification (RFID) tags in rose bushes that causes minimal damage. Potential applications of such technology include tracking of plants for research or quarantine purposes, identification of valuable specimens vulnerable to theft, and visitor guides in botanic gardens. Media releases including link to original HortTechnology article: Embedding microchips in ornamental shrubs
Editorial
Growing Gardening (Part Two) - June 2011
(This editorial first appeared in Into Horticulture - Issue 3 (June 2011)
The first part of this editorial discussed the declining interest in gardening in Australia and some of the likely reasons for it. If you work in the nursery and garden industry, or if you recognise the many benefits to individuals and society that gardening (both private and municipal) can bring, you have a responsibility to help fight the decline.
So, what can be done to "grow" gardening?
Provide inspiration - Put that little extra effort into your front yard or business premises. Raise the standard.
Share your knowledge - It might sound obvious, but are you taking advantage of every opportunity to pass on the things you've learned to family and friends, especially the young ones? Perhaps you have gardening books or spare tools you can pass on, too.*
Take an interest, praise their efforts - Why not let a stranger know how nice their garden looks as you pass by?
Spruik - Remind your neighbours what landscaping could do for their property price or time on market (quite altruistically, of course).
Get political - Let your government representatives know about the economic benefits of both private and public gardens and attractive streescaping (from local employment in nurseries to the potential for international garden tourism). Ask candidates what they will do for parks and gardens if elected. Vote for the candidates that recognise the importance of parks and gardens.
Be community minded - Contact council and ask for street trees to be planted in your nature strip. Alert authorities to weeds or tree vandalism on public land. Support garden clubs and community gardening efforts, in whatever way you can.
Give gardening gifts - There are items to suit all levels of experience, all types of accommodation and all manner of celebrations (for more specific ideas go to Garden Gift Ideas. Besides introducing new players to gardening, it also helps support the industry in the short term.
More thoughts for nurseries, garden centres and other garden businesses:
Advertising and marketing is important to your own business, but you're also doing your part for the industry as a whole by keeping gardening in front of the public and reminding them that it's an important and worthwhile activity.
Another consideration is whether you're making it as easy as possible for the potential customer to find out information about products (growers, manufactures) and where they can buy them (retailers). If someone has seen something they want to purchase, all but the most highly motivated will give up if they need to hire a private detective to find out where to buy one. A properly designed website with attention paid to search engine optimisation (SEO) and online marketing would be a starting point in this day and age, but traditional media, even TV, may also be an option if your budget extends that far.
Technical information including video can be made available to a wide audience at small cost via the internet these days. Why not print your URL on the plant label, leading customers to more cultural information and landscaping ideas available on your website? Besides helping the customer, it makes you look authoritative and you can cross-promote other lines.
There may be opportunities for professionals to share their knowledge, and promote their own businesses along the way, via articles in local publications or talks and demonstrations at various community events. On the other hand, you might bring the public into your business by making space available to clubs or charity events (not necessarily garden-related organisations) where they can see your stock and/or display gardens. Could you offer some of your products or services as a prize for a charity raffle?
International Trends
June 2011
A theme that seems to have been popping up a lot lately is the idea that non-native species aren't necessarily bad. This would appear to result from recent comments by some ecologists in the journal Nature, which suggest that a "nativism" ideology has often gotten in the way of a more scientific assessment of alien species and the beneficial roles they might be playing in ecosystems. (Media release here: Ecology biased against non-native species?. Restricted access article here: Don't judge species on their origins). Perhaps a more pragmatic attitude to non-native species might stop gardeners being denied (whether by guilt or actual legislation) attractive and easy-to-grow plants because those species caused a perceived problem in certain localities or even because they might cause such a problem in the future.
Meanwhile, many look to big garden shows like Chelsea to spot trends, but one wonders to what extent the exhibitors are trend setters or trend followers. The much-talked about Irish Sky Garden would appear to be simply the interest in veetical and rooftop gardens taken to an extreme. Nevertheless, if you'd like to check out the scene at Chelsea this year, there is still extensive coverage online even though the show is now over. For pictures, videos and commentary, visit: The "Grow Your Own" trend has been talked about for a while now, but for many, the backyard vegetable patch might soon represent the difference between eating and not eating, even here in "The Lucky Country":
Families forced to steal food The Daily Telegraph
Editorial
Growing Gardening (Part One)
(This editorial first appeared in Into Horticulture - Issue 2, April 2011)
We all know there are many ways to help plants grow. However, the practice and status of gardening needs cultivation too if we - as individuals and as a society - are to enjoy the many benefits of gardening and landscaping into the future.
If you're reading this newsletter, you've probably already experienced the pleasure of nuturing a plant to flower and fruit, enjoyed more than one day out at a garden show (and "stimulated" the economy in the process) and you are probably aware of the many social and environmental benefits of gardening/landscaping in private and public spaces.
Unfortunately, gardening (which here will be used as shorthand for private gardening as well as cultivated public parks, street trees, commerical landscaping etc) seems to be in a downward spiral at the moment, for a variety of reasons. For example:
- rising cost of living and household indebtedness
- stretched public budgets
- shrinking yards
- lack of spare time
- water restrictions
- plethora of competing recreational activities
- loss of a gardening culture and the passing on of practical knowledge with social isolation and fragmentation of families.
- suburban garden centres closing, high barriers to entry for new garden centres
- move away from flowering plants toward more utilitarian landscaping lines in the retail market place
Gardening also seems to be increasingly side-lined in the broadcast media lately, although without knowing what is going on behind the scenes, it is difficult to say whether this is just a response to a decrease in listeners/viewers rather than a cause. It is part of a viscious circle, however, as the new generation of gardeners are less likely to become interested without such easy access to information and inspiration.
Do we just shrug and accept these trends or can we fight back? If you're working in the garden industry, your livelihood may depend on it.
More News
Biodegradable pots research
An American study which looked at strength, water loss and decomposition of plant containers made from various types of biodegradable materials shows that for successful use in nursery production, choice of pot will depend on the type of plants and conditions under which they are being grown. Media release including link to the HortTechnology journal article here: New information provides sustainable options for greenhouse operations (April 2011)
U.S. survey predicts spring gardening trends
The Garden Writers Association Foundation have released their "2011 Early Spring Gardening Trends Research Report" tracking the preferences of U.S. consumers. An brief overview is available here: Garden Spending Drops But Retailers Maintain Head-to-Head Competition. Findings include a predicted drop in garden spending compared to 2009, and the interest in growing vegetables remains strong.
Yet another benefit of gardening
A survey of adults 50 years and older suggests that gardeners eat more vegetables than non-gardeners. The number of years they have been gardening, the amount of time per week they spend gardening or their motives for gardening did not seem to make a difference. Encouraging older people to paarticipate in gardening activities may therefore be a way to improve their diet. Media release including a link to the original HortTechnology research article here: Gardening linked to increased vegetable consumption in older adults
Congratulations, Queensland Garden Expo
The Queensland Garden Expo, which is held annually in Nambour, has won the Festivals and Events category at the 2010 Queensland Tourism Awards. It will progress to judging for a national award, to be announced in March next year. (November 2010)
Grow and glow
In a Netherlands study that compared allotment gardeners with neighbours of a similar age, older gardeners with an allotment scored better in a variety of health and well-being indicators. Whether cause or effect, the relationship was not apparent among younger participants. Results published in Environmental Health: Allotment gardening and health: a comparative study among allotment gardeners and their neighbors without an allotment (November 2010)
Can trees fight crime?
A study in Portland, Oregon has investigated the relationship between urban trees and crime. While numerous small trees were found to be associated with increased crime rates (possibly by blocking views), large trees were associated with reduced crime. The researchers speculate that large trees suggest that a neighbourhood is well looked after and that criminals are more likely to be caught as a consequence. Read more at the USDA Forest Service website: Some city trees may discourage 'shady' behavior (November 2010)
UK report on garden centre outlook released
Garden Centre Futures - Opportunities for Growth is a report prepared for the UK industry. The full report can be purchased, but some of the key findings are outlined at the The Horticultural Trades Association website here: The future is bright for Garden Centres according to latest HTA research (October 2010)
Planting scents make sense
Even though 63% of people in the United Kingdom buy herbal and floral scented products, only 32% realise that they can derive these benefits from garden plants, according to research conducted for the Horticultural Trades Association. Their PlantforLife consumer campaign, which will be encouraging the planting and using of such plants, has enlisted the assistance of an "aromacologist" to explain the effects of floral and herbal scents on health and well being. Source: PlantforLife reveals the scentsational benefits of UK gardens (July 2010)
Gardening grows better kids
Research commissioned by the UK's Royal Horticultural Society indicates gardening in school helps develop a range of positive attributes such as confidence, responsibility, independant thinking and healthier lifestyles, as well as important job skills such as team work, communication abilities and an entrepreneurial spirit. RHS media release here: New RHS report says school gardening boosts child development. More information can be downloaded from the RHS site here: Research on School Gardening (June 2010)
The NZ Scene, 2010
So, what's hapening in NZ? John Liddle, CEO of NGIA in New Zealand, shares some thoughts:
The State of the Industry (April 2010)
Price increases not the complete answer (June 2010)
UK maintains interest in gardening, GYO strong
Although bad weather meant a slow start to 2010, The Horticultural Trades Association in the United Kingdom are hopeful that retail sales will pick up, with consumers indicating healthy interest in spending more time in the garden. It's expected that the "Grow Your Own" (GYO) categories will continue to dominate spending. Source: HTA GIM Market Update - All things GYO drive garden market (May 2010)
Would you pay more for sustainable pots?
In a study at Purdue University in the USA, participants were given money asked to bid in a silent auction on plants in pots made of various materials. Results indicate that consumers there are indeed willing to pay more for plants in "sustainable" pots, although pots made from rice hulls or wheat achieved a higher price than pots made from straw. Read more at the Purdue University website: Auction shows consumers will pay more for sustainable flowerpots (April 2010)
Previous news items related to the benefits of gardening and landscapes to the community have been archived at which may still be of interest at Benefits of Gardens and Gardening. Other bits and pieces archived in Older News.
You'll find other general-interest gardening news with an emphasis on Qld at queenslandgardening.com
Editorial
May 2010
Even if you believe that the global finacial crisis won't hit Australia eventually, or that there isn't a property bubble soon to burst, it would seem likely that the days of easy money and lavish spending are quickly passing.
What does this have to do with gardening? The problem is that gardens are considered a luxury by some - a cost that is easy to cut from both government and personal budgets.
Obviously, anyone directly involved in the garden and landscape industry will be worried about cuts in discretionary spending, even as they try to recover from the trauma of the the drought. Perhaps sales of big-ticket items will decline, but it doesn't necessarily have to mean the end of gardens. It may require, however, a change in product range and improved promotion (disclosure: I sell advertising) on the part of successful businesses. The garden industry as a whole could be trying harder to make sure the kind of information consumers need to use their products is readily available and easy to find by the public.
It's true that gardens can cost a lot of money, but on the other hand, tremendous long-term benefits can be had from small investments. There are a myriad of social, psychological and health consequences to the community as well as the more more practical uses of plants (shade, privacy, food etc). These have an economic impact, although they are a lot harder to quantify than mining royalties.
And don't forget the number of Australian jobs generated by the garden industry - wholesale growers, garden centres, landscapers, local manufacturers of garden supplies and so on.
If you love plants and believe in the value of gardens, I ask you to do what you can to promote the benefits of gardening, and share your knowledge and skills to children and grandchildren, neighbours and friends.
Don't call it a recession, call it the dawn of a new gardening era.
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