“Advertising is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.” ~ Bill Cosby

Why is it I feel I’m one of few people/companies in horticulture who is willing to take a chance?

Often, it seems I’m the only one willing to try something new or totally make a fool of myself.

When someone asks me for something special, I give it my all. Why wouldn’t I?

I know people say it’s because I own my own company. That’s hogwash!

I’ve been taking chances for most of my career. I’ve always been an idea person. Being the idea person is even harder when you are the one who has to implement the ideas. You’d think I would know better than to try and implement new things and crazy ideas just to see what happens. But I keep coming up with one crazy idea after another.

I’m a glutton for punishment.

Take advertising. There’s nothing that puts a bee in my bonnet more than corporate advertising that never changes. I know repetition is good, but there’s something numbing about seeing the same ad in the same trade magazines month after month. There is something to be said for the fact that I recognize them, I know the colors, I recognize the logos and I remember the message.

But what is the message?

I pay a lot of attention to ads just to see what other companies are doing, probably too much attention.

Do other readers notice ads? Do they remember the ads? If they see the same thing month after month, do they too become numb and stop looking?

There’s something to be said for changing it up. Does anyone remember the Snickers candy bar billboards that ran last year? I LOVED them. They were some of the most original ads I’ve seen in a long time.

They used the same type and colors as the Snickers candy bar label. Heck, the ads were even the same size every time, but something was different each time I saw one. The text inside that familiar blue and brown rectangular label was different.

Maybe if the tractor and chemical companies that advertise in our trade publications actually valued our eyes, they too would change the ads a bit from time to time. If they remain the same, month after month, do people stop reading? If they were just a tad different, would they read every time?

I see an ad for a local garden center in our local home magazine month after month. The ad never changes. The ad only has their logo, which says something about life being beautiful. The ad doesn’t mention who they are. It doesn’t say we are a garden center. It doesn’t say we sell plants. It doesn’t say we install landscaping. It doesn’t say anything except something about life being beautiful.

Do they assume everyone knows who they are? A bit presumptuous of them, don’t you think?

What about people who have just moved into the area? Do they know who they are?

I know who they are and I’m ashamed for them because this ad is a waste of money. It’s pretty, but it says nothing about one of the largest garden centers in the area. Heck, it doesn’t even tell people it is a garden center. Can you believe that?

This type of ad is common with national brands and designer clothing lines. You never really know what they are selling. You probably remember their name and the pretty models they use in their ads.

That being said, change does not guarantee success. It’s good to test new ideas. It could work great and boost sales or it could possibly leave you wandering in the desert…

Am I the only weirdo who thinks this way?

I get bored easily. I would certainly have been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder or ADD, when I was a child. The term ADD didn’t exist when I was a child, so I was just “bored”. My brain needs to keep moving all the time. This is why I do so well with smart phones and social media. My brain never gets to rest.

That’s not necessarily a good thing, but that’s my life. I miss nothing. I pay attention to the smallest details.

Maybe that’s why finding new plants was such an easy career for me. I can spot a special plant while driving on the interstate at 75mph. OK, so that’s probably not a good thing, perhaps I need a driver.

I’m sure that’s why I’m not afraid to try different marketing approaches, wear yellow go-go boots and a Foxxy Cleopatra wig on stage for the World to see and even taste new, exciting foods and beverages. I really have no desire to taste one of those 1,000 year-old Asian eggs, though. The thought makes me nauseous.

A girl’s gotta have limits.

The Garden Idol project was really fun for me. I took it way too seriously. I thought I would be blown away by everyone else’s presentations and there were a few surprises. I don’t want to give anything away since the voting is on-going. I was astounded how taken aback everyone was that I took so much time preparing and making it a fun. Some presenters did nothing special.

How could they?

When challenged, I go for it. Why not? It’s not often you get the opportunity to show people what you’ve got.

Oh wait a minute…isn’t that what advertising is all about? Shouldn’t we be showing possible customers what we’ve got? Shaking our booty for everyone? Letting them know we are the best and we’ve got the goods they want?

There’s a reason my “Milkshake brings all the boys to the yard”…no one else is shakin’ it, that’s why? There’s not much competition when it comes to being clever in our industry. Heck, there’s not much competition when it comes to being clever anywhere.

Social media can work, if it’s used for the right reasons. People love to be involved. More on this next week…

I think print ads can work too.

I have two print ads that are working. They are catchy, yet concise and they have a very direct message. They tell people what Plants Nouveau can do for them and why they NEED our plants.

But I’m not resting on their success, I’m already working on the next new and different ad. These ads may be good, they are now my “control” ads but you can always improve. And the best time to test a new campaign is when you have a working control. The company that waits for the results to diminish before thinking about change is the company that sees valleys in their profits.

I only want spikes… Don’t you?

How do I come up with my ideas?

Wouldn’t you like to know! LOL

Or as my husband says, “I’d be happy to tell you… but you couldn’t afford me” ;-P

Seriously now… I don’t assume anything. I pretend no one knows my company and I act as if no one knows anything about my fantastic new plants. The ad is the introduction, and you only get one chance to make a good impression.

Most advertisers spend too much time trying to be clever and not enough time conveying their message. It’s a shame because ads are not cheap. They need to work.

In closing…

Although it is May Day and I wish you a happy one, I’d rather declare this Mint Julep Day, for today is the Kentucky Derby and my husband already has fresh mint from our garden steeping in Knob Creek bourbon for his famed Derby libations.

Once a year, I loves me a mint julep, or two. If only I could find some antique silver cups to serve them in. For now, my favorite collection of gnome glasses will do.

Until next week. .. Happy Weeding!

Angela Treadwell-Palmer
President, Plants Nouveau

PS. Speaking of advertising… I had the great fortune to participate in the Delaware Center for Horticulture’s famed Rare Plant Auction as a plant expert last Saturday night. Imagine getting dressed up, wandering about the conservatory at Longwood Gardens with a cocktail in hand, all the while trying to entice people to bid on the fantastic, often unusual plants in the auction. We’re talking nirvana for plant weenies like me. Although it just proves the old adage “color sells” because plants in bloom go quickly. Plants not blooming yet, no matter how rare, are a hard sell.

Lots of Plants Nouveau introductions were in the auction. Our two new heucheras, ‘Stainless Steel’ and ‘Dark Chocolate’, Epimediums ‘Purple Pixie’ and Conalba Alabaster, an entire Cone-fections coneflower collection – including selections that have yet to hit the market, and Helianthus x multiflorus ‘Sunshine Daydream’ were among the auction stars.

Amazingly, no matter how hard I tried, no one bid on the three pots of Stainless Steel. They were small, but it just goes to show you that colorful, full, bushy plants sell. No matter how rare a plant is, if it’s not as big, and not as bushy, and not in bloom, consumers will chose something else, no matter how common it is.

However, I was surprised to see the high bidding on Heuchera ‘Dark Chocolate’. Consumers like dark leaved coral bells. I happen to think Heuchera ‘Stainless Steel’ is destined to be the best new coral bell on the market, but it’s not dark purple. Consumers love dark purple leaves.

Dark Chocolate is growing well in my garden. The foliage is a pretty shade of deep eggplant purple with fuchsia undertones. I have seen larger plants in the breeder’s garden and they are quite lovely. The foliage color brightens in a bit of sun and it has proven very drought tolerant for the past two growing seasons in my garden. Not many coral bells are truly drought tolerant. The deep beet red flower buds unfurl to showcase lovely, cut flower quality creamy pink bellflowers.

If any garden writers, or growers would like to trial some – please let me know ASAP.