Class and quality

Marcella Lucio
 

Ten years ago a friend told me about a position with Silver Vase Inc., an innovative orchid and bromeliad producer in Homestead, Fla. When I drove to the nursery for a job interview, I was not surprised by the nearby farm fields. What really made an impression was the contrast between those fields and the large, state-of-the-art greenhouse structure that recently had been built at Silver Vase.

After my interview, I toured the operation and was surprised by the high level of technology. Everywhere there were signs of applied science and mechanization, including a glasshouse filled with robotics and automation. It opened my eyes that agriculture was much more than what I had envisioned.

Today, as director of marketing at Silver Vase, I have the honor of being involved in many functions, including helping to select orchids for our product lineup. The most enjoyable aspect of my job is discovering a plant I know is going to wow everyone. I love walking into a nursery and seeing something truly unique and then pairing it with a product I saw at a trade show or in a magazine.

The most exciting moment is when that plant goes to retail. After funneling it from plant discovery through the entire process, seeing it in its finished form is the culmination of the wow factor. There is a sense of satisfaction when I see varieties in which I have participated bring success and sales to retailers.

Simplicity and quality. When it comes to customer preferences regarding orchids, the simpler the better. Even though Silver Vase offers a number of extraordinary Phalaenopsis orchid colors and patterns, the predominant favorites are whites, because they are seen as a common symbol of class. However, having a variety of colors, patterns and forms refreshes customers’ minds, causing them to stop and look again.

Customers ask us if our orchids are real, if they actually exist in nature. Providing these kinds of choices makes passionate customers want to collect them all. This involves a win-win for us and our retailer customers. For the most part, the intrinsic circle that begins with product decisions and concludes with profitability at retail sums up my role.

Two new varieties for 2009 about which we are especially excited include single-spike orchid ‘Vivian,’ with bright, perky fuchsia flowers with red lips and yellow dots; and ‘Diamond Head’ that boasts dotted and veined fuchsia flowers with small sepals between the petals. Its beautiful pink coloration makes it ideal for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Breast Cancer Awareness Month promotions.

When a plant yields a double spike, it means it is a stronger plant with enough energy and nutrients to sustain two spikes. It will bloom with a minimum of 12 flowers. Varieties with double-spike potential include ‘Showpiece,’ featuring beige petals with purple veins and solid purple centers; ‘Golden Treasure,’ showcasing deep yellow flowers with red-wine speckles spreading out from their centers; ‘Fancy Fresco,’ with yellow blooms fronted with small red centers and lips; and the unique ‘Brother Pirate King,’ with white flowers accented with big, red-wine blots.

My favorites are ‘Kimono,’ a fantastic and unique yellow orchid saturated with red wine dots and remarkable veins; and the striking ‘Red Ruby,’ with extraordinarily dramatic, deep red-wine flowers. ‘Red Ruby’ transmits a sense of strength because it is so strong of one color and so vibrant. When I look at it, I see energy, passion and love – perfect for get-well and holiday gifts.

Other prominent varieties are ‘Fancy Frills,’ with deep, rich purple flowers, and ‘Alabaster,’ a classic moth orchid with branched multi-spike potential and an arching spray of rounded white flowers with yellow and red-wine centers. Our striking ‘Peachy’ is a long-flowering yellow orchid with terra cotta splotches of color, with flowers that remain in bloom after cut flowers have wilted. Though ‘Peachy’ has softer tones, signifying tranquility, I think of it as very mysterious and exotic. Most individual collectors and orchid enthusiasts typically want something distinctive, like ‘Peachy’ and ‘Kimono.’

Bromeliads to behold. Bromeliads are also causing excitement among plant collectors. I love our new two-tone bromeliad offerings. Guzmania ‘ Kapoho Fire,’ is a striking sunset of color with scarlet red at the base of the flower that fades into a warm burnt-orange topped with tiny bracts of gold. Guzmania ‘Hilda,’ is a hybrid with a spike of blended shades of pale yellow and lime green. One of our breeder partners is developing a new two-tone yellow and orange bromeliad named ‘Marcella,’ after me – the ultimate flattery. Working in the horticulture industry and having a plant named after you is a true honor. It will be a great experience for me to see this variety grown and sent to retail for gift-giving and home décor purposes.

A bromeliad favorite is the stunning Vriesea ‘Splenriete,’ a cultivar with leaves that are heavily patterned with ivory stripes and spectacular, sword-shaped blooms of bright red. This distinctive product uses two young plants, giving customers a ready-made garden. Customers tell me ‘Splenriete’ is an attention-grabber given its exceptional two-part appeal.

Attention to detail. Silver Vase is the largest U.S. partner with Floricultura, the Dutch breeder that provides orchids far more likely to have double spikes and be disease- and pest-free, with extended flower reliability. Floricultura has very high standards for cleanliness in its labs and works hard to develop orchids that have longevity. Their goal, as is ours, is to offer plants grown healthy and clean from the laboratory and stay that way as they reach retail.

Silver Vase is one of the only growers in the United States that offers naturally occurring, double-spike Phalaenopsis orchids, and we ship 30,000 units weekly. It is no small task, and I am proud we have a strong level of drive and energy for our work.

Silver Vase incorporated its Clean and Green Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program 10 years ago to ensure a clean environment and deliver a fresh and healthy product. We carefully limit pesticide use and rely upon beneficial species to control pests; we end pesticide use five months before shipping to ensure delivery of a pesticide residue-free product.

Education and branding. The most important thing retailers can do to market orchids and bromeliads is to ramp up education about plant care, and communicate with customers how easy it is to be successful with these plants. Because the plants last so long, they help build consumer confidence; in turn, consumers become loyal. One good plant experience can change consumer perspective.

I am always fascinated to see an end-consumer realize that an orchid or bromeliad will outlast and out-perform cut flowers. Helping consumers think differently takes time, but it eventually translates into better store sales.

 Another facet of my job encompasses providing merchandising concepts to our customers at times. When requested by them, we provide creative product display ideas and insights. This has proven advantageous to some independent garden centers, in particular, given their propensity to creative promos.

Our next big push at Silver Vase will be branding our plants to end-consumers. In addition, we have an ongoing objective to provide branding support to our retailer customers. In the end, reinforcing our variety and availability of orchid colors is significant. We can provide something different every week, and that is important to the future of the orchid category.

Marcella Lucio is director of marketing at Silver Vase Inc.