Trends: Container gardening
Everything you always wanted to know about planters (but were afraid to ask)... You know terra cotta. You've probably heard of terra firma. I once was more than casually acquainted with Tara Greene, whose parents apparently rewound and watched the VCR version of "Gone With the Wind" at least one time too many. Of course, it could be argued that once is one time too many, but I digress.

For the sake of this discussion, let's forget terra firma, Tara Greene and even Terrah Bradshaw for a moment, because we need to focus on terra cotta. Well, actually, YOU need to focus there, according to a recent survey conducted by Dr. Terri Starman, Texas AgriLife Research horticulturist. After surveying hundreds of container consumers, Dr. Starman concluded that retailers can cash in on container gardening by offering more extensive plant care information, by making plant and container selection easy and by pricing the pre-planted or do-it-yourself containers properly. Her findings also yielded some other nuggets, notably:

• Most people prefer a container garden with a complementary color harmony in the price range of $25. Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel.

• Retailers have developed and need to continue to develop ways to provide containers that last longer. "For the money," Dr. Starman notes, "a container lasts longer than a similarly priced bottle of wine or dinner out, for example, and that's important to the consumer."

• Many retailers didn't stop there. Some are already offering "take-home packs" of plants marketed to replenish annual plants that have died in containers or plants marketed to change out seasonally.

• More than three-fourths of the respondents in Starman's study, an online survey, said they would be more likely to purchase a container garden if extensive information was provided, and 85 percent said they would be willing to visit a Web site to obtain that information.

So, what does all this mean to you? Well, as Starman notes, most retailers are in a battle with a slipping economy. Many are losing. Her research suggests you don't have to. "Previous studies have shown that in hard economic times, people continue to garden — perhaps even more so because they stay close to home to save money," Starman says. "The trend toward 'green' awareness calling us to reduce our carbon footprint also pertains to container gardening. Everything in container gardening is confined, so it takes less water and other inputs. And people are using them not only for flowers but for growing vegetables and herbs as food prices increase."

Bottom line: Dr. Starman has done you a favor putting together this Web site. Now do yourself a favor and check it out.

Puzzling pictures
Select company... One of the images shown here is a puzzle. The other two are but weak facsimiles, lame attempts to replicate what a real puzzle should look like. Indeed, they have little reason for being, aside from the fact that we need three pictures to make this bit work. We implore you to select the one that is the puzzle, and to put the product together again. OK, "implore" might be a little strong. How about "beg?"

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Pick 'n Click
The found link... The following links to suppliers will help you obtain information about garden and gift products that appear in GCP&S magazine. Simply point and click to check out a specific product or lines of goods offered by the respective companies. It won't hurt; we promise.

Achla Designs:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15031

Allsop, Inc.:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15041

Amturf Enterprises:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15009

ATLAS Glove Consumer Products, a Div. of LFS, Inc.:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15033

A-V International:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15056

Bartlett Bench & Wire, Inc.:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15002

Bird Brain, Inc.:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15006

Clean Air Gardening:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15026

Cohasset Imports:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15044

Danove Corporation:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15039

DeWitt Co., Inc.:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15038

Discount Pond Supplies, Inc.:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15016

Dorothy Biddle Service:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15055

DuneCraft, Inc.:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15036

Echo Valley:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15043

Fabriscape:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15019

Featherock, Inc.:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15037

Gifts That Bloom:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15007

Horticultural Marketing & Printing:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15010

Hydrofarm Greenhouse Lighting:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15014

Keen Mill Inc.:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15023

Landscapes Within:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15046

Listo Products:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15029

Magid Glove & Safety:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15040

Messe Frankfurt:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15022

Michael Gordon, Ltd.:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15030

Moss Barn, The:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15051

National Lawn & Garden Show:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15011

National Tree Company:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15042

Novelty Manufacturing Co.:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15052

Outback Chair Co.:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15034

P&M Creations:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15021

Parker Davis Company, Inc.:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15018

Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15008

Principle Plastics:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15045

Protective Industrial Products:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15047

Radius Garden LLC:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15025

Red Carpet Studios:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15035

Riverside Enterprises:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15017

Sherman Nursery Company:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15053

Stoney Creek:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15015

Strong Marketing, Inc.:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15012

Structural Plastics:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15003

Sunshine Paper Co.:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15024

Tetra Pond:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15001

Tierra-Derco International:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15005

Ver-Mac Industries:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15027

Vitamin Institute:
Request info • Web site • 1-800-690-1826 ext. 15004

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Oh, yeah, the riddle answer...
A tree.

 
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