Trends
Ring in 2020 with Classic Blue Hues
I'm sure by now you've heard that Pantone, a provider of professional color standards and digital solutions, announced that Classic Blue is the 2020 Color of the Year. According to the color authority, Classic Blue... more »
Trending in Foliage
Earlier this year, I made it a point to read numerous articles analyzing gardening trends for 2019 and beyond. Some items were fairly predictable ... hello houseplants. Others seemed more like educated guesses, such as... more »
The Value and Appeal of Grasses
If you haven't noticed by now, ornamental grasses are a seriously hot plant category at the consumer level. And they have been for quite some time now. Some may have thought the interest in grasses... more »
On Trend: Ornamental Grasses
Back in the mid-to-late 1980s when I entered the green industry full time, ornamental grasses were beginning to enjoy their time in the spotlight, just as perennials had a couple of years earlier. I remember... more »
Gardening Apps Work Together to Provide Answers
The Garden Answers App and Armitage’s Great Garden Plants App have recently joined forces to help homeowners, new gardeners, inexperienced garden center employees or novice landscapers by providing the ability to instantly identify a plant from a photo... more »
Researchers Use Biometric Technology to Understand Consumer Habits
Designers have long been taught that the most important attributes of a design are its elements: line, color, texture, pattern, form, space, and size. Yet, these attributes have not been proven to be perfect indicators... more »
Living Coral in the Garden
As the final weeks of 2018 are here, it's the perfect time to reflect on the past 365 days and also plan for the next 365. Our industry is all about color, so I always... more »
What’s on Tap for 2019?
In 2019, Americans will be looking for different ways to reconnect with the natural world and Mother Nature. That is the prediction from the Garden Media Group’s newly released 2019 Garden Trends Report. “Rooted Together... more »
All Eyes On the Consumer
A rising tide of consumer awareness will lift all boats — be it retailer, grower, breeder or brander. Providing them with the products and information that match their needs will keep them coming back to... more »
Watch What You Say … and Simplify!
I’ve long been a proponent of following trends through the eyes of the consumer. In Paco Underhill’s groundbreaking book called “Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping,” and a later edition called “What Women Want:... more »