Selecting Mixed Containers for the Masses
Combination planters in the garden center isn’t a new concept, but it continues to grow in significance for mass market growers. With more and more consumers having less time, less knowledge and less interest in traditional gardening, these ready-to-use products are becoming much more relevant in the store.
One of my roles is representing Westhoff genetics for the North American market. A large part of this position is making presentations to the box store buyers and their network of growers.
Recently, one of the buyers told me, “We’re getting shown so many products, but really what I want to see are three to five solid combinations and when to schedule them into my programs.” I take that as pretty solid advice on how to plan our California Spring Trials, Flower Trials, Costa’s Season Premier, etc.
In fact, at this year’s California Spring Trials, we started the Westhoff display with 20 combination hanging baskets and asked every visitor to flag their favorite before entering the trials. It gave us really good feedback, seeing that every day’s results were pretty consistent. From there, we took the industry’s top pick to social media to get direct feedback from consumers. This process gave us a great feel of what will perform well for growers and retailers next spring.
But my goal for this article isn’t to say what we want to present, rather it is to find out what actually works for the growers to make successful combination programs. To do this, I decided it was best to go straight to the sources:
Erin McCarthy
Vice President of Sales; Altman Plants, Vista, California
Chris Berg: Container gardens for box stores … your thoughts?
Erin McCarthy: Container gardening continues to be a growing and very important segment here in our territory. The states we serve have been in a record-setting drought and so, while most people have had to adapt landscapes and go to low-water- use plants, I feel that people see that container garden or hanging basket as their one bright spot.
Berg: Do you see distinctively different consumer groups buying combination containers versus traditional plant products?
McCarthy: Absolutely. We know that a lot of first time gardeners, or just non-traditional gardeners, are more comfortable buying containers than planting a garden. They trust that we’ve already selected the right plants, which will work well together and perform through the season.
Berg: What are the components that make a successful seller on the bench?
McCarthy: First of all, we need the finished product to have a strong perceived value. The container companies have come a long way in offering us cost-effective containers that are still classy and durable. Then to make this a long- term success for the consumer, I always like to see at least one long-term component in the combination. We all know that after months of on-and-off watering and minimal care, that a lot of the more sensitive annuals are going to die off. I like to have something like a papyrus or dracaena that is going to live after the other items have lived out their cycle.
Berg: As a breeder rep, I’m always presenting growers with new combinations of different genetics; what can we do better to give you success with our recipes?
McCarthy: The breeder combinations have improved a lot in recent years. There are really two priorities that have equal value. One, it needs to obviously look good with complementary colors and two, the plants need to time out together naturally. Also, combinations don’t always have to be national; give us some regional options. Here in the west, we’ve removed any combination with verbena because it just dries out on us. If one component dies, we can’t sell it.
Berg: Are there any trends taking place of monochromatic or contrasting colors?
McCarthy: Not one over the other; both types are still growing. I think the main thing is that we need to merchandise them separately. The monochromatic combinations sell much better when they’re in one block and not against other combos that are so busy.
Berg: What about colors in general? Do you change them year-by-year or throughout the year?
McCarthy: There’s a definite shift every year that goes from pastels early on in the season and then more vibrant colors in the summer. Certain colors like pinks and purples are always going to be popular, but oranges and yellows together is a rising trend.Morethanjustthecolorinthecontainer,though, is the container itself. We’ve seen a big trend away from dark, metallic brushed containers to a much lighter and neutral tone.
Berg: One last question. What is your biggest struggle that you’d like solved regarding combinations?
McCarthy: We’re a Southern grower. We need more combinations that are daylength neutral. We struggle every year to have enough options early in the season.
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Denise Kelly
Planning and Trial Manager; Smith Gardens, Bellingham, Washington
Chris Berg: When I travel to the Northwest, it always seems to be hanging basket capital of the world. Does everything do well up here or do you have any struggles you deal with?
Denise Kelly: We certainly have our unique growing challenges, but getting to know the various genetics through our trial process has definitely helped our success. Early spring is tough for us with low light levels. We try to find genetics that are more naturally compact that time of year to avoid any stretch. Later on in the season, we select more vigorous varieties that we can control in production with PGRs.
Berg: How do the breeder presentations of combinations fit into your current production plans?
Kelly: The breeders programs have definitely improved for varieties that look great, and for the most part, produce well together. We do use some of them as a starting point, but we really find that our most successful programs come from blending genetics from various breeders and finding the perfect mixes that work well together aesthetically and culturally.
Berg: What are the color combination trends that you’re seeing?
Kelly: Monochromatic combinations are going down and the mixed colors are back on the rise. We’re also working in more four-color combinations, rather than the traditional three varieties that are commonly presented.
Berg: Is there a secret to what makes a certain patio planter really sell?
Kelly: Drama! In patio planters we need that one powerful variety in the center to catch people’s interest. King Tut papyrus is one of my favorites to use. Also large calla lilies or anything big and tropical makes combos fly off the shelf.
Berg: Any production pointers you’d offer to other growers out there?
Kelly: One thing that we found helpful that goes against the norm is putting the trailing plant in the center of the hanging basket, rather than to the outside. This forces the trailing variety to work its way through the entire combo and make a much more
attractive blend.
Berg: For your final question, what is one point that you would like breeders to address in their combinations?
Kelly: We need more combos that can be produced and shipped pot tight. Big trailing plants are beautiful, but if we can’t grow and transport it to the store, it doesn’t help anyone.
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Justin Hancock
Consumer Marketing Specialist; Costa Farms, Miami, Florida
Chris Berg: Costa is well known in the industry for its consumer research and trial grounds. How do you use these assets to design successful combination programs?
Justin Hancock: Working on the consumer marketing team, we spend a lot of time doing consumer research and data mining to help predict the consumer trends in colors and styles for the coming seasons. In addition to our own research, we sit on councils for the hardgoods with some of our retail clients, which allows us to collaborate information with other dynamic market research groups.
Berg: South Florida can be a challenging climate for many annuals; how do you find what works?
Hancock: Angelica Cretu and her research and development team trial hundreds of combinations each year through different seasons to see what’s really going to work here. We pay a lot of attention to what is going to work for the end consumer and not just what will turn a quick profit. Our goal is that a gardener will be able to enjoy a hanging basket for at least six to eight weeks from the time they purchase it.
Berg: Do you tend to use a lot of the breeder recipes or do you find yourself designing custom for your climate?
Hancock: Yes, we use many of the breeder combos out of the box. In fact, we have many of them that we have kept in year-after-year because they perform so well. Our Shades of Summer program has some custom-designed mixes though, using unique items that perform particularly well here.
Berg: Being in such a unique climate, how do the national box store programs fit with your consumers?
Hancock: It was definitely a challenge a few years back because many of the nationally mandated programs just weren’t seasonally suited down here. However, we’ve worked with our buyers and they have allowed for more flexibility in the supply chain to steer the right products to right season.
Berg: Do you have some absolute go-to varieties that are staples to your combinations?
Hancock: Angelonia, lantana and scaevola are always consistent performers for our summers.
Berg: What is the No. 1 thing your combos need to sell?
Hancock: Color. It must look good now. Even with advanced consumers, they still prefer the combination in full bloom, rather than something with promise. Impulse is such a strong driver that is easy to underestimate.
Berg: Last question. What is one thing that breeders can do with their combinations to make better programs for Costa?
Hancock: I’m going to channel my inner L.J. here and say cost.
Berg: Fair enough!
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