Some Things I picked Up on at OFA 2008

I feel so fortunate to be in a position where I am able to interface with so many of the “movers and shakers” in this industry. In spite of some of the national media's coverage of economic forecasts—our industry is committed to move forward and is refreshingly optimistic.

Below are a few highlights of things that were shared with us and our own observations at OFA 2008:

• Almost all of you with whom we spoke said that sales were forecasted to meet or exceed the numbers from the previous year.

• It appears that the new trend of the “staycation” could certainly help the industry, as people reduce summer travel and stay home, thus increasing the nesting process, which creates a process of the consumer enhancing his / her surroundings by purchasing home and garden products.

• J Guy, Manager and Founder of Novalis® Plants that Work® and Plants that Work by Color™ met with an economist form Wachovia Bank and he stated that “Oil is [estimated] expected to come down to $126 per barrel in the first quarter of 2009, therefore decreasing the price of gas which will allow the consumer to have some discretionary income to do things like gardening.”

~Jeff

Schmoozing with Raw Fish

Some of my absolute favorite (yes, it deserves the bold!) hours during our trip to OFA were spent in an adorable little sushi restaurant named Haiku where Eberly PR hosted a media dinner for a few of our clients and some of our favorite members of the industry media!

I’m telling you; it’s hard to go wrong when you combine awesome people with delicious food and a few drinks. :)

What a blast! We were able to enjoy a lovely evening with industry leaders such as Dan Heims, Ken Brown and Dave Doolittle from Terra Nova Nurseries, Bob Lovejoy from Horticultural Identification Products (HIP), and Tom Kegley and Kim Cameron from Novalis Plants that Work / Plants that Work by Color.

Several of our trade media friends also attended such as Delilah Onofrey, Kevin Yanik and Sue Distaulo from Meister Media Worldwide, Ellen Wells and Jen White from Ball Publishing, Paige Worthy, Jasmina Radjevic and Darhiana Mateo from Scranton Gillette, and Meshele Conley from Garden Design!

What I learned at dinner:

• We can all eat way, WAY too much food when we aren’t paying attention. I really don’t know where we fit it all.
• Sue, Don, Jen, and Jasmina don’t like to wait for their dessert! They went straight for the Key-lime martinis.
• Paige and Dan knew each other in a different life. Nothing else explains all the uncanny similarities!
• We know how to close down a restaurant!

And, remember everyone – this is an annual event, so keep your calendars open for next year! For those clients and media members who did not join us, we hope you can make it next time.

~Leslie

Top Attention-grabbers…

At OFA this year, Novalis announced two new and very cool 2009 exclusive plants that were supplied by network grower Bailey Nurseries.

Officially, the names of the plants are: Hydrangea paniculata ‘HYPMADI’ (PPAF) White Diamonds™ and Diervilla sessilifolia ‘LPDC Podaras’ (PPAF) Cool Splash™ Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle. - I call them, Gorgeous!

Bailey Nurseries joined the Novalis grower network in 2007. Since then, Linda Guy, director of new product development for Novalis and Jonathan Pedersen, brand and business development manager for Bailey Nurseries, have worked closely to facilitate the introduction of White Diamonds™ and Cool Splash™.

The plants will serve as two of the top exclusives for Novalis® Plants that Work® growers nationwide and will be available to local independent garden centers and professional landscape companies beginning spring 2009.

Developed by the Landscape Plant Development Center, Cool Splash is the first variegated bush honeysuckle and is a colonizing shrub ideal for mass plantings.

White Diamonds™ is a new hydrangea with glistening-white panicles showcasing in summer and fall. Smaller and more manageable than most hydrangea paniculatas, it boasts dark-green, leathery foliage that provides increased heat and drought tolerance.

The image is of Cool Splash…and I am sure it’ll make for a BIG Splash with IGCs and homeowners this spring.

Learn more about what’s coming in 2009 from Novalis Plants that Work and Plants that Work by Color at www.novalis.com / www.plantsthatwork.com.

~ Don

Novalis Announces NEW Plants that Work …at OFA 2008!

And, wow, did they ever!

Novalis leaders, interns, sales staff members, marketing / admin managers, and network growers outdid themselves with one of the most beautiful exhibits at OFA Short Course this year! – Good job, Novalis.

It never ceases to amaze me how talented and passionate are the members of the grower consortium. They continue to cultivate gorgeous perennials, woody ornamentals, grasses, bamboos and annuals that are easy to love!

The plant palette they showcased in their booth at the show was diverse, colorful and insightful. The display maximized a winning expression of outdoor living at its best – from premium plant material in a variety of programs and selections to outdoor furniture and kitchen appliances.

Just some of the new exclusive Plants that Work highlights include the following:

• Hydrangea paniculata ‘HYPMADI’ (PPAF) White Diamonds™
• Diervilla sessilifolia ‘LPDC Podaras’ (PPAF) Cool Splash™ Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle.
• Bletilla Ochracea ‘Chinese Butterfly’
• Agave ‘Kissho Kan’
• Thuja occidentalis ‘Fire Chief’™
• Myrica cerifera ‘Arista’
• Hydrangea ‘Mystical™ Opal’
• Aloe Humilis ‘Hedgehog’
• Phlox Candy Store™ Series

A few color beauties from Plants that Work by Color include:

• Diascia Breezee™ ‘Appleblossom’
• Diascia Breezee™ ‘Apricot’
• Nemesia Bedazzle™ ‘Rose Quartz’
• Nemesia Bedazzle™ ‘Topaz’
• Nemesia Bedazzle™ ‘Citrine’
• Nemesia Bedazzle™ ‘Sunstone’

Check out their site for information about these and many other programs and varieties: www.novalis.com / www.plantsthatwork.com

~ Don