Market Buzz

Agribio Group buys Ecke Ranch

Poinsettia breeder Ecke Ranch is joining the Agribio Group, a Dutch-based group of breeding and propagation companies including Fides Oro and Bartels Stek.

“I have been looking for the right opportunity to elevate Ecke Ranch to a new level of excellence,” said Paul Ecke III. “Our combined companies will enhance the strong brand name, high standards for quality, reliability, and excellence in poinsettia as well as geranium breeding. Our customers are changing rapidly. As a primary breeder and supplier our role is ever-expanding. We need a strong partner to support our continuing innovation and provide our customers more options. Agribio Group is the ideal fit to partner with as we look to the future.”

California-based Ecke Ranch has been breeding and distributing poinsettias for nearly 100 years. For the 2012-2013 sales season, sales and marketing programs will remain as published. Ecke Ranch says it will continue with a “business as usual” approach to support brokers and customers following the closing. Ecke’s technical support network will continue providing post-sales support to foster customer success.

“With this acquisition, Ecke Ranch is well positioned to address the needs of the supply chain,” said Andy Higgins, president of Ecke Ranch. “Our team remains committed to poinsettia breeding and our customers. Agribio Group will be a catalyst to further our efforts, which will be recognized by our customers through enhanced breeding, innovative supply chain solutions, and more focused retail programs.”

For more, visit www.ecke.com or www.agribiogroup.com.
 

Hunter designs water-saving app

Hunter Industries has designed a free app to help system owners reduce water consumption, save money and promote healthy local environments. The Hunter Water Savings Calculator is available exclusively on the Hunter Industries website.

This interactive tool features five individual water use calculators that show the clear financial and sustainable advantages of MP rotators, solar sync sensors, check valves and pressure regulated spray bodies. All a user has to do is open it up, enter some general information about the landscape and water cost in question, and hit the “calculate” button. The calculator then gives a reliable estimate of how much water and money can be saved if the latest and most conservation-conscious Hunter products are installed.

The app is optimized for the iPad, and compatible with all kinds of personal computers and web browsers. Video tutorials that introduce and explain the calculators are also available at www.hunterindustries.com.
 

Keep America Beautiful launches National Planting Day to promote native species

Keep America Beautiful and its partners are mobilizing Americans to support local ecosystems by planting native species of trees, shrubs and plants through a new call to action. The first National Planting Day took place on Sept. 8, and will continue with activities through Nov. 30.

National Planting Day celebrates the value and power of native species in restoring ecological balance to the environment, while creating greener, more beautiful communities. Keep America Beautiful says that native species of plants and wildlife are losing ground to suburbanization and fragmented habitats, but they provide the best sources of food and habitat for pollinators and other important wildlife.

“As the scarcity of water becomes a significant national issue, it’s important that we focus on the planting of more ecologically appropriate, drought-tolerant native species,” said Matt McKenna, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful. “National Planting Day is a call to action designed to encourage people to plant natives at home, or to join a volunteer planting effort to beautify their community.”

Keep America Beautiful will be joined in this effort by the United States Department of Agriculture’s People’s Garden Initiative, which is part of the USDA’s partnership with Keep America Beautiful to create food gardens across the U.S. Communities that wish to be recognized for growing a ‘People’s Garden’ must incorporate sustainable practices such as planting native species. People’s Gardens across the country are being called upon to participate in National Planting Day.

For more, visit www.getgrowing.org.
 

‘Man Cave’ takes gold in Garden Centers of America Bathroom Awards

Garden Centers of America is honoring seven stores with the second annual CGA Bathrooms Awards.

A panel of judges selected the winners based on the bathroom’s creativity and comfort to the customer’s overall shopping experience. The winner of the Gold Award received a plaque at the GCA Membership Networking Lunch at the IGC Show, and will receive complimentary registration for the 2013 GCA Summer Tour.

This year’s Gold Award went to Baker’s Acres Greenhouse in Alexandria, Ohio for their ‘Man Cave.’ The unisex facility is a shrine to everything testosterone with a sign on the door urging men and women alike to proceed with caution: “Warning: Man Cave. Enter at Your Own Risk.”

Behind the toilet, a life-sized action cutout of Han Solo stands ready to take action while posters on the wall pay homage to heroes like Rocky Balboa and Clint Eastwood. The “Mustache Wall of Fame” gives a manly nod to Tom Selleck, Burt Reynolds and Yosemite Sam, and if you look up, The Dude and Farah Fawcett are looking down.

Oakland Nursery in Delaware, Ohio took home the Silver Award after redesigning their 10-year-old bathroom. The garden center replaced all of their wood surfaces and painted the walls in the brightest color they could find. Creative Director Melissa Bargar even hand-painted the walls with trees and plants.

Taking home the merit awards were Cedar Rim Nursery in Langley, British Columbia, GoodSeed Farm in Peebles, Ohio, Lammscapes in Jackson, Wisc., The Garden Place in Norway, Mich., and Plants for all Seasons in Spring, Texas.
 

BioWorks partners with DCM Corp. to offer fertilizers

BioWorks Inc., a provider of environmentally responsible growing solutions, has entered a strategic alliance with DCM Corp. of Belgium, a producer of natural and organic-based fertilizers.

The premier fertilizer product line to be offered by BioWorks in the U.S. will be branded under the trade name Verdanta, and will include organic and organo-mineral fertilizers for professional horticulture and specialty agriculture growers.

According to the company, the fertilizers manufactured by DCM allow BioWorks to offer plant nutrition products that enable growers to cultivate better and healthier crops, save time and money, and provide worker and environmental benefits.

Verdanta fertilizers will initially include two liquid and three granular formulations. The granular fertilizers are developed using the exclusive Minigran Technology – a formulation that provides dust-free, organic and organo-mineral microgranules with a homogeneous composition that assures a uniform nutrient analysis in every granule. BioWorks says it flows freely through all types of application equipment and offers better control of nutrient release.

BioWorks plans to offer Verdanta fertilizers to growers of greenhouse ornamentals and vegetables, specialty agriculture, and nursery and landscape plants later in 2012.
 

Industry groups collaborate for educational event

The Garden Center Symposium and the Midwest Perennial Conference are offering a joint educational opportunity for garden center and landscape operations January 23 and 24, 2013 in Waukesha, Wisc.

Together, the two programs have been running for 72 years. The joint venture will include speakers, round-tables and one-on-one opportunities with leading industry experts. Scheduled speakers include Anna Ball of Ball Horticulture, Bridget Behe of Michigan State University, Dan Heims of Terra Nova Nursery, Stan Pohmer of Pohmer Consulting, Bobbie Schwartz of Bobbie’s Green Thumb and Linda Zoerb of La Crosse Floral.

Speaker presentations will be catered to owners, managers and employees in garden centers, landscape operations and growing operations with topics including new perennials, marketing to prospective customers, industry trends and directions and employee relations.

”This joint program will be a bit of a change for both groups, but collaboration is vital to the success of the industry,” said Eileen Nelson, executive director of the Garden Center Symposium. “We’re all in the same business, so the idea of asking people to choose from similar educational offerings amounts to a duplication of effort as well as expense for everyone concerned. By providing a program with outstanding speakers and subjects relevant to a broader audience, both groups feel they will be able to maximize their value and thus continue to contribute to the success of the industry.”

Both the Garden Center Symposium and the Midwest Perennial Conference provide scholarship opportunities for students interested in futures in the green industry.

For more, visit www.gardencentersymposium.com
 

Midwest Groundcovers launches ‘Hocus Pocus’ line

Midwest Groundcovers, a wholesale perennial grower and groundcover specialist, is announcing the 2013 launch of Hocus Pocus groundcovers. The new line of Midwest-branded groundcover is exclusive to independent garden centers.

Hocus Pocus groundcovers are a fresh, fun way for kids—and kids-at-heart—to get involved in gardening. The diverse new line includes a mix of over 70 groundcover selections, all locally grown at Midwest’s St. Charles nursery. The quick-to-cover, vigorous, yet non-invasive Hocus Pocus plants “cover like magic,” and are tailored to be reliable and durable for Midwest gardeners, the company says.

Available plants will be grown and sold in attractive round, green, pint-size pots in quantities of 10 per flat. Independent garden centers will receive fresh weekly plant restocks from the Midwest delivery team

Plants will be presented with eye-catching color tag labels, which include essential plant information and the Hocus Pocus groundcovers logo and fun fairy. Garden centers can have their logo and store pricing printed on the labels for a fee.

Midwest Groundcovers will support marketing efforts with dynamic point-of-purchase posters and bench wrap.

For more, visit www.midwestgroundcovers.com

2012 OFA Short Course draws largest crowd in four years

This year’s OFA Short Course in Columbus, Ohio was the largest since 2008 with more than 9,100 attendees from more than 25 countries. The Association of Horticulture Professionals says the increased attendance is a result of increasing confidence in the economy.

This year, OFA Short Course was recognized by Trade Show News Network as one of the top 25 fastest growing trade shows, and the 150th largest in the U.S. among all industries.

Results of post-event surveys showed that people attend the convention to see new products and plant varieties, to find new vendors, learn business and production techniques, and network with other professionals.

The keynote speakers included TV personality Joe Lamp’l and White House Chef and Senior Policy Advisor Sam Kass. Lamp’l shared strategies on how to reach today’s consumers and what to say when you do. Kass focused his remarks on how gardening can lead to healthier lifestyles and the success of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign.

The convention was also an opportunity to publicly celebrate the joint venture activities between OFA and the American Nursery & Landscape Association. Hundreds of ANLA members attended, and the organization hosted its annual governance meetings in Columbus. Along with the OFA Board of Directors, ANLA’s board voted to pursue organizing a new horticulture trade association with OFA that will replace OFA and ANLA in 12 to 18 months. Details on the new organization will be released as progress is made.

The next OFA Short Course will take place on July 13-16, 2013 in Columbus, Ohio.

For more visit www.ofashortcourse.org.
 

Take a shot at first American in Bloom photo contest

Photographers can showcase their talents by participating in the first-ever “Planting Pride Photo Contest: Capturing the Spirit of America in Bloom.” This contest, sponsored by America in Bloom and GIE Media, will showcase efforts to beautify and improve communities. Photos will be categorized into seven criteria: floral displays, landscaped areas, urban forestry, environmental efforts, heritage preservation, overall impression and community involvement.

“People across the country are doing beautiful and innovative things to make their communities better places to live, work, play, and visit,” says Laura Kunkle, America in Bloom executive director. “It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Communities have great stories to tell, and we want to help them tell that story through photographs. By framing the photo contest around these seven criteria we can spotlight various aspects of a community’s beauty and community involvement.”

The contest runs through June 1, 2013 to allow for photographs to represent the changing weather seasons. Public online voting will take place from June 2 to August 31 with winners announced in September 2013 during the America in Bloom Symposium & Awards Program in Orlando, Florida.

To submit photos or to learn more about the contest, visit www.AmericaInBloom.org.

To enter, visit www.gardencentermagazine.com.
 

Proven Winners Roadshow set for October

The Proven Winners Roadshow is hitting the dusty trail again in October, traveling across the U.S. and Canada with four sessions.

Attendees can learn about the newest varieties and hear ideas from Proven Winners experts on how to grow their businesses.

This year, marketers, horticulturalists and retail experts will cover topics like new varieties and programs, cultural tips, Proven Winners ColorChoice flowering shrubs, Proven Winners perennials and Judy Sharpton’s ideas for creating destinations, merchandizing and optimizing store layouts.

All roadshows are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Registration is free and includes complimentary breakfast and lunch. Roadshows will be at the following locations: Minneapolis, Minn. on Oct. 2, Denver, Colo. on Oct. 4, London, Ontario on Oct. 23 and Lancaster, Pa. on Oct. 25.

For more, visit www.provenwinners.com.
 

Difference Makers

Kevin Mansoor, general manager, Ponderay Garden Center

The selling season is short in Northern Idaho, but Kevin Mansoor, general manager of Ponderay Garden Center, has found a way to keep the garden center full and help out the community at the same time.

“Basically, in North Idaho, we have 10 weeks of retail: Mother’s Day through the Fourth of July,” Mansoor says. “After that, we’re pretty much a contractor business.”

Concerts for a Cause, the center’s new free concert program, brings in bands from all over, as far away as England and Mexico, to play on the garden center’s stage, with free admission. Each week, the proceeds from go to a different local cause from animal shelters to cancer support groups. “The whole thing is a community program, so we wanted to keep the donations in the community,” Mansoor says.

The garden center started the series last year, and partnered with Horizon Credit Union this year to keep costs down for the garden center, and keep the admission free for patrons.

The shows draw hundreds of people to enjoy a picnic on the lawn, have a drink in the wine and beer garden, and listen to a free show. The staging area can seat up to 600 people, and the bands even like it so much that many have offered to come back next year and play at half price.

“The musicians love it. They say it’s the best venue for 500 miles,” Mansoor says. “That’s what’s going to propel it next year.”

It’s all about creating a community within the garden center, and Ponderay has really done that by hosting not only concerts, but a whole night’s worth of fun – all for a good cause.

“The response has been over the top. It has been absolutely phenomenal,” Mansoor says. “They love the venue; they love what we’re doing; they love the whole event.”