This 'N' Data

A cure-ious plant, this cardinal flower
The next time you tout the virtues of cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) to your customers, be sure to add an observation from Angela Treadwell-Palmer. In a recent “The Weeding Gnome” e-newsletter, the president of Plants Nouveau noted:

“Here’s an interesting fact I found while researching the medicinal properties of many of the plants I am introducing from around the world. The coolest use I’ve found is for cardinal flower. Did you know that a poultice of the leaves can applied to the head to relieve the pain of headaches?

“So, if you drink too much wine while relaxing in the garden, chop up some cardinal flower stems and make yourself a poultice, which is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth over the skin to treat aching and swelling.”

Did Tweety tweet this?
The recently launched Nature’s Feast line was voted “Best New Product” at the Birdwatch America Trade Show 2010. Created by Cranswick Pet Products in England and distributed in the U.S. by Tierra Derco International (TDI for short), the Nature’s Feast line includes a wide range of modern, stylish and affordable bird feeders. Rumor has it that these items will “fly” off the shelves this spring. www.tierraderco.com.

Making a good situation better
Texas-based Calloway’s Nursery was tabbed as one of our Innovator Award winners in 2009, largely because of ideas like the one we’re about to relate. First, some background:

After sending out a media-directed “heads-up” about Calloway’s upcoming Edible Festival, the company recently received a request from the staff of the popular television program “Good Day Houston” to bring a group to the studio, where the show’s on-air crew would tape a 30-second plug about the nursery company.

“Our team came up with a quick plan to ‘divide and conquer,’ and we got an e-mail out to our 3,000 most active e-mail customers in Houston inviting them to come with us on the show,” said Kimberly Bird, Calloway’s vice president of marketing. The nursery asked the prospective “media darlings” to dress up in their best gardening outfits and join the party. As enticement, Calloway’s offered a $100 gift card to the person sporting the best set of threads, and everyone else who participated received a $15 card.

Ultimately, 15 of Calloway’s garden club members met Houston store manager and media spokesperson, Eddie Russell, at the studio. The show personality picked the member with the best outfit, and the members stood with Russell as he taped the company plug about the upcoming Edible Festival and special deals on plants.

“It was a lot of fun,” Bird said. “We furthered the relationships we have with some of our most active customers and club members.

Plus the ‘visual’ presentation of the garden club fun and camaraderie will hopefully help us grow membership.” www.calloways.com