Apr 14, 2016
Finishing UpBy Abby (Kleckler) McGarry

Day 4 and Day 5 of California Spring Trials have been jam-packed with great stops. Since last we met, we started Tuesday at the Dümmen Orange North location at BarrelHouse Brewing Co. in Paso Robles. The stop was stunning with a lot of open space and well-executed displays to showcase its large succulent program as well as its expanded line of perennials after acquiring Florexpo.

We then hopped in the minivan and headed down to the Dümmen Orange South location at Edna Valley Vineyards. The sun was finally shining bright for the trip and there were a lot of new introductions from Dümmen Orange and HGTV Home Plant Collection.

Our final stop of the day was at Windmill Nursery, which had eight exhibiting companies including Terra Nova Nurseries with its introductions in dwarf coleus, a species we’ve been seeing a lot of this year.

Yesterday we “only” had two stops, but there sure was a lot to see! We started the morning at GroLink in Oxnard with more than a dozen companies. From chrysanthemum beer to a retrofitted pinball machine and a lot of neat intros, the innovation was on display.

The afternoon was spent at Ball Horticultural Company seeing a little something from all of their lines, including Burpee’s new vegetable focus on Amazing, signifying great performance, SpaceSavers for the urbanite and Foodie Fresh for the chef in all of us.

Today, we’ll be going to Green Fuse Botanicals before heading home. Have you been following along? Make sure to read the wrap ups from the first five stops and the middle five. Also, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram for even more updates, and visit our sister publication GPN at www.gpnmag.com for new variety coverage.

Whether you made the trip to California or not, what’s been catching your eye? Let me know at [email protected].

Cheers,

Abby

Pallets (Dümmen Orange)

We have seen no shortage of pallets used for displays at this year’s California Spring Trials. This pot mums corner, however, caught my eye, with easy wooden shelves attached to the pallets at any height needed.

Succulents (Dümmen Orange)

Dümmen Orange’s succulents were the center of attention with displays showing many different applications, including on the entire bottom of a bar. I really liked the succulent combos to add a little color to the container with a kalanchoe in the center.

Consumer Brands (Dümmen Orange)

Confetti Garden with components grown separately for a quick-and-easy purchase at retail gained traction last year, but now Dümmen Orange is focusing even more on the consumer brands. Confetti Garden, Potunia and SunStanding all have new websites.

Scents (Captain Calla)

As Captain Calla increases its presence in the U.S., it is focusing on year-round retail concepts to help boost sales. The Scentsation line of callas has a scented pot thats smell lasts for six or seven weeks and is based off of popular perfume fragrances, although other scents such as coffee have had success.

Mum Beer (Gediflora)

Gediflora has introduced its Belgian Mum No. 1 beer, already a hit in Europe, selling 18,000 bottles of beer mainly in garden centers since September. It’s made from the delicate extract of chrysanthemum petals and is a great cross marketing idea from two very different industries.

Miniature Gardening (Hort Couture)

Hort Couture has two new lines of micro coleus, which are true dwarf varieties perfect for terrariums and fairy gardens as well as combos. This shell display caught the eye and showcased the Sea Urchin and Sea Monkey collections.

Mint (Pan American Seed)

What a way to display ornamental mint! This Mini Mint with a tight habit can make for a great fragrant groundcover or container plant. Pan American Seed also showcased it with a golf tee and ball in the center of a container for great Father’s Day purchases at retail.

Cyclamen (Ball Ingenuity)

A line of cyclamen developed by Morel Diffusion was showcased at Ball Ingenuity in a way that aimed to show retailers how to make cyclamen fresh again. The plants were paired with candles, ribbon and purse pots, positioning them as a great gift item.


Abby (Kleckler) McGarry

Abby (Kleckler) McGarry is the managing editor of Lawn & Garden Retailer. Contact her at [email protected].