Big boxes facing tough times
Wal-Mart and Home Depot are grappling with lackluster sales and a rapidly changing market. Both retail behemoths are using new strategies to outdo competitors.
→ Wal-Mart: Not just price. The New York Times
→ Depot scales back. Atlanta Journal-Constitution
→ Wal-Mart tests strategy. The Courier-Journal
→ Home Depot = Time waster.The Boston Globe

AAS announces 2008 winners
All-America Selections, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, announced award-winning plants for 2008. Bedding plant award winners: 'Asti White' osteospermum from Goldsmith Seeds is the 1st F1-hybrid white-flowered osteospermum propagated from seed. 'Skippy XL Plum-Gold' viola from Kieft Seeds Holland has proven to be cold- and heat-tolerant in AAS trials the last 2 years. In the vegetable category, 'Hansel' miniature eggplant from Seminis Vegetable Seeds produces glossy dark-purple fruit in fingerlike clusters.

Garden Design announces top 100 plants
Garden Design magazine featured its "Way Hot 100" plants in the March issue. Several recognizable names got a nod: Hines Horticulture's Hydrangea macrophylla Halo series, Razzle Dazzle crape myrtles from McCorkle Nurseries and Heuchera 'Rave On' from Terra Nova -- to name a few. See the complete list here.

Crocs to introduce fashion footwear
Crocs Inc., makers of the popular plastic clogs, plan to launch a women's fashion footwear line and explore apparel offerings, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal (subscription required). The new shoe line that will hit stores this fall includes models expected to sell for $70 to $200, much higher than the $30 price of Crocs' standard clogs. The company will also unveil a line of men's and children's apparel that incorporates Crocs' proprietary Croslite material.

Garden & Gun magazine launches in April
Garden & Gun, a new Southern lifestyle magazine, will hit newsstands in April. The publication will reflect "the modern lives of affluent Southerners and those who aspire to the sporting life of the South," according to a company statement. Garden & Gun's unusual title comes from a club of the same name, which operated in Charleston, S.C., from 1978 to 1985. Publisher Rebecca Darwin said the magazine aims to be more upscale and targeted than mass-audience titles like Southern Living.

Relaxation keys outdoor furniture trends
Consumers want outdoor furniture that offers relaxation, according to American Home Furnishings Alliance. "Our own porches and patios are the most easily accessible de-stressing zones we have," said Jackie Hirschhaut, AHFA v.p. "They can replenish us in ways no other place or destination can." Top outdoor fabrics for 2007 will feature soothing colors, and cover softer and deeper cushions. Unusual, easy-care tabletops will be in vogue. Other trends include designer labels, furnishings inspired by historic places and fabric options in professionally matched groupings to simplify selection.

Consumers spend $3.8 billion on St. Pat's
Consumers will spend an estimated $3.76 billion on St. Patrick's Day, according to a survey from Nat.'l. Retail Federation. The average consumer will shell out $34.89 this year, compared to $27.94 last year. "With St. Patrick's Day falling on a Saturday this year, Americans will be in the mood to celebrate," said NRF president and CEO Tracy Mullin. Nearly one-third of consumers (30.5%) said they plan to celebrate by attending a party at their favorite restaurant or bar. Most respondents (82.6%) will commemorate the day by wearing green.

View from a blog
The right way to get media attention. Open Register

Worth a visit
The nursery business deserves its own action/adventure serial, "The Great Nursery Adventure: A Year in the Life of Greene Family Nursery." This month, the family faces a shipping emergency. Only on GreenBeam.com.