This 'n' Data

The Poll Position

Here’s what industry professionals have been telling us in recent online polls. Be sure to check www.gardencentermagazine.com each week to cast your vote on various pertinent topics.

Cha-ching!

We recently received a press release from Watters Garden Center in Prescott, Ariz. The fact that we're repeating what was said in said press release shows the power of establishing a relationship with the media, even (or, actually, especially) the local kind.

The note said Watters Garden Center (www.wattersonline.com) will sell the Bloomerang Lilac that blooms repeatedly through the year. "It's all new, so I guarantee even the most avid gardener has never seen this plant in Arizona before,"  said Watters Garden Center owner Ken Lain, who went on to explain why this is news:

"The old fashioned lilac your grandmother grew bloomed once in spring and then out of fashion. This revolutionary new lilac blooms in spring and then flowers and flowers again repeatedly for season-long color. The impact from this compact new variety fits easily in any mountain landscape where the sun is shining and needs more fragrance.

"Even perennial beds look better with this bloomerang variety that looks great in glazed containers with a foundation of mixed winter pansies.  Enjoy classic lilac fragrance for months instead of weeks and it is so new you will have the only one in the neighborhood."

Touting what's special about your place or your inventory to and through the press is a great way to ensure your message is heard. Kudos to Lain and to Watters Garden Center, which undoubtedly will realize some "Cha-ching!" for its marketing prowess.

This year's Winning Color is …

Pantone LLC recently announced that Tangerine Tango, a "vivacious, enticing hue," is the color of the year for 2012.

"Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy."

Right on cue, plant companies have begun taking steps to paint the nation's landscapes Tangerine Tango. The same week the Pantone report came out, Selecta North America was touting plant varieties that match the favored hue.

Sunrise XL Orange Zonal Geranium, SuperTrouper Scarlet Red Pot Carnation, ColorPower Orange Flame New Guinea Impatiens, and Trixi 2.0 Sunrise all are "doing the Tangerine Tango" this year.

selectanorthamerica.com