'Tis the Season

The holiday season is upon us. With that comes department store sales, hectic family planning, decorating, baking, and many other holiday traditions. Now is the time when people are picking up their poinsettias, Christmas cactus, cyclamen, and other plants that bring festive cheer to their homes.



Poinsettia's are most likely the first plant that comes to mind when "Christmas plants" are mentioned. Although they are challenging to grow due to the multitude of factors involved (greenhouse temperatures, fertilization, etc.) they can be a very rewarding product for your business.

The economy is still causing low sales in some areas, but poinsettia sales seem to be on an upward trend. Although red is still the preferred color, many growers are finding success with specialty varieties and dabbling in larger pot sizes for larger profits. Greenhouse Grower reports that 10 inch poinsettias are selling for 30% more than they were 10 years ago. Compare that to smaller sizes which have either gone down in price or only slightly increased, and you see why people are shifting their growing operations.



Amaryllis bulbs are another popular item that people give as gifts. Some stores sell prepackaged grow kits, but the problem with these is the flower is not around until after the holiday season. That's why I've always preferred to purchase the bulb already grown out so it is enjoyed throughout the month of December.

A really neat idea to try is growing miniature roses in a holiday themed container and selling them for indoor use. Mix reds and whites for the best effect. You could also decorate mini Christmas trees using red and white roses.

Have a safe and memorable holiday season!
-JK

Heat Thrivers and Cold Survivors

There are many different plants that will work in extreme temperatures. Too many times, we tend to stick with what grows in moderate climates. Why not try some of these?

Heat Lovers
(All of these are great for large container sales)

Achillea Gypsy
Anagallis Angie
Ageratum Patina
Angelonia Carita
Angelonia Cascade Carita
Asteriscus Aurelia Gold
Cuphea Rico Red
Dipladenia Rio
Dorotheanthus Mezoo Trailing Red
Geranium Hybrid Caliente
Geranium Hybrid Calliope
Goodenia Fresca Yellow
Heliotrope Scentropia
Ipomoea Sidekick
Lantana Bandana
Lantana Bandito
Penstemon Phoenix
Salvia Oceana Blue
Salvia Mesa
Scaebola Bombay
Torenia Torrie Blue
Verbena Lanai
Vinca Nirvana
Vinca Cascade Nirvana

Cold Survivors

Bergenias
Berry Bushes
Camellia
Crape Myrtle
Evergreen Holly
Helleborus
Japanese Maples
Snow Drops
Witch Hazel
Winter Vegetables:

• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Kohlrabi
• Leaf Lettuce
• Leek
• Mustard
• Onions
• Spinach
• Swiss Chard
• Turnip

Feel free to share any of your suggestions!
-JK

Ways to Save

There are many different ways to grow your profits when ordering from us. Many customers are unaware of the different ways we can save you money, so today I will cover those for you.

10% Early Order Discounts

This is the best way to save, and has the added benefit of allowing the grower to custom grow your order. It also prevents you from having to scramble for product in the spring through current availability. Our early order discount for seeds is until the end of September every year.

The following plug growers offer early order discounts until the end of October:

Anything from Raker (PK)

Anything from Knox (PX)

Plugs from Plug Connection (PL)

Plugs from Gro N Sell (PH)

You've still got a few weeks left, so if you haven't sent your plug orders in, now is a great time.

Shipping Included

If you are in Hawaii, or Alaska, you know how expensive freight can be. Raker, Plug Connection, and Knox (only for seeded plugs) all include it in their price. Its also a good idea to use these growers if you are a school that has to meet an exact amount on a purchase order.

Smart Ship Weeks

If you do Proven Winners from PleasantView, they offer smart ship weeks that can save you $30 to $40 on freight costs. All of you will not be able to benefit from this, but for the three states that do:

Colorado Smart Ship Weeks: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, & 16

North & South Dakota Smart Ship Weeks: 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16

Volume Discounts

The more you order, the more you save. We have volume discounts on seed, as well as plugs. Combine all of your seed orders together to save the most:

Seed Volume Discounts

$250-$500 - 5%

$500.01-$1,000 - 10%

$1,000.01-$2,000 - 15%

$2,000.01-$3,000 - 20%

$3,000.01-$5,000 - 25%

$5,000.01-$10,000 - 30%

$10,000.01 and up - Call for a quote

Our plug and plant growers also offer volume discounts, so please ask if you would like information on your favorite growers' volume discount levels.

The volume discounts are in addition to your 10% discount.

Please feel free to share your ideas, or thoughts about other ways we can save you money. Of course, service matters, and that is the most important thing that I bring to the table.

As always, thanks for reading!
-JK

Ride the Wave

Wave petunias are amazing. When you are looking for an easily recognizable petunia that will fill out a basket like no other, they are the way to go. Since some people get confused by the different types of Waves, I have broken down the differences:

Standard Waves

The lowest growing of the wave family (4"-6" tall), they make a great groundcover. They will spread up to four feet, and are perfect for beds, window boxes, planters and baskets.

Easy Waves

The same as a standard wave, only taller (6"-12" tall). Lots of colors to choose from, including "Burgundy Star", one of my favorites.

Shock Waves

A bit slower in some climates than other waves, but they make a great groundcover and grow very well even into late summer.

Tidal Wave

Humongous growth habit, almost two feet tall by five feet in some instances. Not much color to choose from, though.

Double Waves

These are becoming more popular, and are great for unique looking mixed baskets.

Waves are more expensive than your standard petunia, but they are totally worth it. Your customers will appreciate the quality and be willing to pay more for something that has a proven track record.

Some tips for growing Waves from seed:

 4” (10cm) pot 1 plant per pot 10 – 12 weeks
6” (15cm) pot 2 – 3 plants per pot 10 – 12 weeks
10” (25cm) basket 3 – 4 plants per basket 10 – 13 weeks

Give them at least 6 hours of direct sunlight every day, fertilize every few weeks, medium amounts of water, and they will perform every bit as well as you've heard.

This one definitely lives up to the hype. Feel free to share your experiences or questions about this series in the comments section below.

-JK

What Works for You?

There are many facets of the horticultural industry that intertwine to create business for growers. Retail garden centers, fruit/veggie stands, florists, potpourri manufacturers, etc. Even schools use growers to supply them with plugs for their horticultural programs.

What works for a retail garden center is very different from the methods a fruit stand owner uses. While one can focus on things like creating attractive displays and labels, the other will not have the space or luxury to do so. For this reason, I am curious to see what works for you. What is done that is unique to your situation? And why?

I'm serious about receiving feedback, and I love to learn as much as possible about your business. So please, tell me all about it.

Some of you are still wrapping up sales for the year, and are most likely thinking about next spring. While thinking about it, use your imagination to set a goal of doing something creatively different to increase your sales and reputation.

Whatever you do, make sure it is uniquely yours, and you will reap the rewards.

Living in the Matrix - Part Two

Last week I covered how to optimize your search engine listings. This week, I will go a step further and show you how to gain even more exposure by using internet marketing.

Search Engine Marketing

This is something that has been around for some time now, although lots of people do not take advantage of it. You essentially pay a search engine to list you as a "sponsored" link for certain keywords. So if someone types in "garden centers in northern California", you will show up in a very conspicuous spot on the side of the search listings.

The most used are Google AdWords. It is a user friendly ad program that is very beneficial to businesses with a low budget, and will drive a lot of targeted traffic to your site. There are others, but in my opinion, this is the most valuable of them all, and shows the most potential to create conversions.

Conversions

This is what you really want. It doesn't matter if you get a million visitors to your site if they don't visit your store, buy your product, etc. It is also the best measure of how successful your advertising campaign is, and using targeted keywords to drive traffic to your site is essential in creating conversions.

Once you get them there, you have to offer some sort of value and distinguish yourself from the competition. Otherwise, they will just see you as another face in the sea of businesses. Give them a reason to buy from you, and only you.

Social Media Marketing

I believe this method has the most potential. Facebook users are steadily increasing, and its no longer just teenagers using it to plan their parties on the weekend. It is a viable network for people and businesses alike to connect and share their ideas, likes and interests.

The power lies in the fact that your ad is targeted to people using the profile information they have created. If someone lists "gardening" as one of their interests, and they live nearby, you can aim an ad right at them. Facebook allows you to set your budget so you don't overspend, and there are multiple options for ways to pay for it, such as paying per click, or by number of times your ad is shown.

There are many great resources that get into the nuts and bolts of search engine and social media marketing. Fortunately, it is still something that people are figuring out, so the ones who get on it right now will be in the best position for growth in the future.

-JK

Living in the Matrix - Part One

Welcome, so glad you could join us.


Search engines, social media, internet ads: all of these tend to create headaches, and most people lack a general understanding of how to use them. This is a good thing! If others are not taking the time to learn, it puts you at an advantage!


Everyone should have a website. There are some really good options for creating one at a decent price, and you can have one designed fairly cheap as well. I'm not going to go into what to include on your website, as there are many different variables that pop up when deciding this, and each business is different.


What I am concerned with is how to promote your website, and how to drive traffic not only to your site, but your doorstep.


Search Engines


The ideal situation is to be at the top of the search list when someone is looking for what you offer, and where you offer it. Most people don't scroll through multiple pages of search listings, I certainly don't. Come up with a very concise descriptor of who you are and what you do, then place that in the meta tags of your website (your web designer should know how to do this, and if you need help, let me know), as well as in the body of your website.


Google Analytics is another great tool for measuring what keywords people are searching for, and applying it to your website. I will expand on using this in a future blog post.


Try out your descriptor phrase in the three main search engines: Google, Yahoo, and Bing. See where you come up at, and then try variations of your descriptor. If you find a better descriptor that places you higher in the rankings, then go back and modify it in your meta tags and on your website to get better results.


Another thing that most people don't understand is how to use links. It's much better to link to my website with "wholesale seeds" than "click here". Using descriptors as links will place you higher in the search listings with the keywords you want, and will go much further in driving traffic to your site. So if you are linking to other areas of your website, be very conscious of what the clickable text says.


I hope this has been helpful. If you have any suggestions for what you would like to see here, or how I can better serve your needs, please let me know.

Stay tuned for Living in the Matrix - Part Two...

-JK