Drought conditions are now a reality for many growers and communities across North America as climate change continues to battle our familiar way of life. According to Drought.gov – the National Integrated Drought Information System – the week ending July 19, 2022, saw 45% of the United States experiencing drought conditions (52% in the lower…
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Gardening trends continue to evolve post-pandemic, and there’s no arguing with gardening’s continued popularity given the statistics. It’s been estimated that the pandemic created 18.3 million new gardeners – of which over 80% have remained active, with 55% of American households fully engaging in the activity. But gardening trends are now expanding beyond simply beautifying…
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This year, the first day of spring is on Sunday, March 20, 2022. It signals the arrival of a new growing season when plants and trees awaken from dormancy with a subtle burst of bright green color, which ignites and inspires one’s soul. But just because the first day of spring arrives on our calendars…
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While many of us have probably heard of the concept of urban agriculture, few fully understand what it means. According to the USDA, “Urban agriculture allows for the development of a variety of environmental, economic, and social benefits to the surrounding communities.” It helps preserve green spaces in cities where buildings have taken over neighborhoods, a…
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In prior years, the greatest threat to a garden center’s seasonal business was often the weather, which could devastate plant inventories in a single night. But today’s challenges go beyond Mother Nature and include increased competition from big-box stores, challenges influencing and reaching the younger digital generation, and most recently, struggles to acquire and maintain…
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The pandemic has forced many organizations to re-evaluate their marketing strategies to stay relevant with how today’s evolving customers choose to do business. However, the last few years have been plagued with obstacles and uncertainty, and 2022 is still in its infancy, making it difficult to predict the future accurately. Here are some marketing challenges…
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The pandemic has altered our normalcy. As a result, routines that were once so common and familiar to us have evolved, forcing us to find new ways for everything from shopping to banking to communicating. Marketers must digest those new ways while learning how to capitalize in a new direction – exposing new digital marketing ideas for…
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Axiom – a market strategy consulting company – recently released its annual gardening insight survey about what gardeners will be doing in 2022. Announced at the True Value Home and Garden Show Place Reunion in late September, it seems the benefits of gardening are being utilized as more than just a hobby to occupy one’s time. The…
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Pantone – the leader in color matching – has revealed their 2022 Color of the Year. Rather than simply choosing a color from their vast array, the company decided to manufacture an entirely new color for the first time. The 2022 Color of the Year is called Very Peri – a combination of…
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The pandemic has impacted humanity in many different ways. Still, one commonality is the need to nurture and control something, which often translates into feelings of hope and opportunity for the future. For the horticultural industry, this is often referred to as gardening in crisis. Anyone associated with the horticultural industry is well aware of…
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