September 2008

Arboretum Lifestyle Garden Centre in Ireland their plants as shown. It not only provides a description, but also provides provenance. A great way of showing the source for the consumer.

Tim Smit from Eden Project really caught everyones imagination at the awards ceremony at GLEE in the UK. His thinking is very much inline with mine, here is a snippet from his speech. The above quote comes from Tim Smit, one of the co-founders of the UK’s Eden Project in Cornwall on recieving a prestigious

By Daily Mail Reporter 28th August 2008 Superfruit: Aronia berries A berry reckoned to be the healthiest fruit in the world will soon be available in Britain’s shops for the first time. The aronia is a ‘superfood’, richer in anti-cancer antioxidants than raspberries and more modern imports such as the goji and acai. It even

Whilst in seminars I have promted the fact that the future includes text marketing, I have had a few worried faces. But, Marketing Trendz magazine from the USA endorse my findings ….. read on. Texting Wonders Can’t get shoppers to respond to your marketing prods? Start texting. According to the Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) first-ever

In 1956, Victor Gruen from Austria built the first shopping mall, Southdale in Minneapolis, USA. Since then the USA has built 1000’s more, however they are one of the fastest countries that are returning to to village square shopping. The ‘coatless’ shopping experience that Americans enjoyed for so long is now on a downturn. The

As a publicist and writer I get to play a part in the promotion of all kinds of internationally marketed products. From electronic goods to sports shoes to business IT services to human resources, plus of course plants and horticulture-related items. This exposure to other markets sets examples of what businesses in the horticulture industry

Edelmans are one of the major Dutch suppliers of “Living Room” products for garden centres. Whilst in Holland in August I had the opportunity to go to their showrooms and look at the trends or 2009. One of the trends is that ‘bling’ or the platinum look is now coming into garden products, alot of

One of the challenges of our industry is getting to the younger gardener. On my travels in the U.S.A. over the last two months I met Patti Moreno, the TV’s Garden Girl. Patti is on Public Television in the U.S.A. as a segment in the Farmer’s Almanac TV. Her aim is to inspire Generation X

Although the British media are promoting the UK is heading for the worst recession in 60 years. The Four Oaks show was busy with plenty of exhibitors from Holland, Italy and Spain. The highlights of the show for me were as follows: Pic 1 – Aerobin. The Australian Aerobin was launched at the show. This