Plant breeders continue to put major firepower behind their promotions aimed at both growers and consumers.

Ball FloraPlant. A new Web site (http://www.ballfloraplant.com) is geared primarily to commercial growers, although consumer information is also available. A major part of the site will cover the Fiesta series of double impatiens, which the company plans to promote heavily in 2000. Ball plans to promote the Fiestas extensively in 2000. Custom 4-inch pots printed with the Fiesta name and care instructions were created to market the series, along with a POP kit. Fiestas will be the focus of a major marketing campaign Ball plans for spring 2000 when the plants are featured on morning television news shows, garden shows and in newspapers. Mass merchandiser Target has already done promotions with the Fiestas in green pots and Ball's Celebration series of New Guinea impatiens in terra-cotta-colored pots.

Ecke Ranch. Ecke continues to promote its Flower Fields program with a Web site and an assortment of merchandising materials, including different size tags, bench cards, shelf talkers and banners. The company is also working with container manufacturers to produce pots that carry the Flower Fields logo.

PanAmerican Seed. First there was PanAmerican's Wave and now comes the year of the dragon -- 'Dragon Wing' begonia, that is. This is the next crop the company plans to heavily promote with its own Web site (http://www.dragonwingbegonia.com), print and television publicity as well as the usual POP materials including tags, bench cards and 'Dragon Wing'-imprinted, white, 6-inch OS pots. PanAmerican officials believe consumers continue to look for larger-size plant material and 'Dragon Wing' will meet that need for use in baskets, specimen containers and in the landscape.

. © 1999 Branch-Smith Publishing