Ball acquires Darwin Plants
Ball Horticultural Co. acquired Dutch perennials company Darwin Plants, Ball said last week. Darwin Plants will continue under its own name and with its existing management and staff. Products will still be distributed from its base in Hillegom, Netherlands. "One of our goals for Ball is to be known as a perennial company," said Anna Ball, Ball's president and CEO. "Adding Darwin Plants to our offering means our customers benefit from specialized expertise and even more innovative products."

House & Garden magazine folds
House & Garden magazine will cease publication after its December issue, Folio magazine reported. The magazine's Web site will also be shut down. House & Garden is published by Conde Nast, which also produces Architectural Digest, Domino and Vogue Living.

Retailers offer early discounts
Major retailers aren't waiting until Black Friday to discount merchandise. Many stores have already slashed prices to lure customers. Many retail watchers are predicting a lackluster holiday sales season.
• Slashing prices. San Diego Union-Tribune
• Dive into discounts. Fort Worth Star-Telegram
• Early deals. CNNMoney

Wildfire salvage efforts continue
California growers continue to assess damage caused by recent wildfires, Calif. Farm Bureau Federation reported. Evergreen Nursery, San Diego's largest wholesale nursery, is one business working to pick up the pieces. The nursery specializes in large-scale specimens used for commercial landscapes. Owner Mark Collins said the fire was definitely a setback for the business.

Sustainable landscape report released
The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SSI), an effort to create voluntary guidelines and a rating system for sustainable landscape design, released a set of proposed standards earlier this month. Interested parties can make comments on the report until Jan. 11, 2008. SSI is a partnership between Amer. Society of Landscape Architects, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and U.S. Botanic Garden. American Nursery & Landscape Assoc. is involved in developing plant guidelines.

Recycling program salvages hort plastics
Missouri Botanical Garden set a new recycling record in 2007 by collecting more than 100,000 pounds of horticultural plastic originally destined for landfills. The recycling program has collected more than 300 tons of waste over the past 10 years. The pots and trays are transformed into plastic landscape timbers. Several area retail garden centers assisted with the collection effort.

Energy named as biggest cost increase
Energy is the biggest cost increase for small and midsized businesses over the past 2 years, a new survey from IBM said. A majority of small businesses worldwide have begun to make changes, such as switching to more efficient lighting and turning off nonessential equipment after hours. "The alignment of business interests and environmental interests underscores this important point: green business has become good business," said Steve Solazzo, gen. mgr. of IBM's global midmarket business.

Consumers rely on directional signs
Forty percent of shoppers rely on directional signs while shopping, according to a recent study by M/A/R/C Research. Also, 13% of impulse purchases occur because customers saw a sign promoting the item. "Impulse purchases are a key to retail success. When you factor in that 13% of these were driven by promotional signage, you quickly see the impact signage can have on sales," said Tony Amador, M/A/R/C research v.p.

Hispanic consumers embrace gift cards
Hispanics are enthusiastic consumers of gift cards, according to a new survey by Comdata Stored Value Solutions. Hispanics received gift cards with the highest average value among ethnic groups at an average balance of $71, compared to $41 for Caucasians and $60 for African-Americans. Also, 69% of Hispanics said they often or always spend more than the value on their cards, compared to 52% for Caucasians and 44% of African-Americans.

View from a blog
Do you have a dose of green guilt? You're probably not alone. Even the most environmentally conscious stray regularly, Sarah Martinez, ass't. editor of Garden Center magazine tells us. Open Register.

Worth a visit
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