According to a press release, exceptional performance at 20 trial sites has earned Coleus Main Street Beale Street top honors as a 2020 All-American Selections Ornamental Winner. The new variety, available for the 2020 retail season from Dümmen Orange, is the first-ever coleus to be named an AAS Winner.

The AAS comparison trials, held at trial sites across North America, showed that Main Street Beale Street was the only true red coleus to be fully sun tolerant, with no signs of bleaching, scorching, or flecking, according to the release. Main Street Beale Street flowered six weeks later than comparable varieties, allowing it to last longer in landscape plantings. Along with the rest of the Main Street series, it offers robust, full plants with late flowering and adaptability to full sun and shade.

“Main Street Beale Street was selected to be the best true red on the market, and we’re excited to see that validated by the AAS program. We have been testing true reds for five years in conjunction with the University of Florida, and this one has raised the bar,” saud Emily Mason, IPT Lead for Bed & Balcony Plants at Dümmen Orange, according to the release. “Beale Street is a variety that will turn heads at retail, and keep consumers happy through the end of the season.”

Dümmen Orange partnered with the University of Florida to develop the variety. 

As we do each year, we surveyed greenhouse and garden center owners across North America to get a closer look at the industry. Amongst all challenges, the common problem was of course, labor. In Greenhouse Management’s 2019 State of the Industry Report, labor issues ranked No. 3 in the top three challenges. In Garden Center’s 2019 SOI Report, staffing issues took two of the top three spots on the list of IGCs’ biggest problems. Two-thirds of them said it is difficult or very difficult to find high-quality hires, even after 70% of them increased their minimum/starting wages. Our sister magazine Lawn & Landscape reported that on a scale of 1-10, 53% of their respondents ranked the concern for the impact of quality labor shortage as an 8, 9 or 10.

Open house hiring event

Open interviews are exactly that — open to the public during a specific time. Open interviews allow for job seekers to view the workplace and get a feel for how it’d be as an employee. This can help job seekers decide if they’re up for the job, which can essentially help owners with hiring a long-lasting employee. During the open house, existing employees can offer tours to prospects and give their opinion of the job. According to the recruiting platform CareerArc, job seekers rank current employees as the most trusted source of information regarding a company.

Career fairs

People attend job fairs to find employment and employers attend job fairs to find employees. Sounds like a match made in heaven. Having a booth at a job fair can do two things: attract potential workers and increase brand awareness. Attending job fairs can also save money since you’re not posting on recruiting platforms. Fairs may also attract young workers with more availability and the desire to learn a new skill.

Collaborating with a transitional or volunteer program 

Partnering with a transitional program can be a symbiotic relationship. In April 2019, Lawn & Landscape published an article that features prison horticulture programs. The classes offer hands-on experience to those looking to make a difference — personally and professionally — once released. Connecting with a similar program and offering someone a second chance can result in a willing and dedicated worker who holds the job in high regard. 

Partnering with a local university/trade school

Local schools can be a great way to find labor. Students are always looking for internship credit and experience to not only state on their resume, but to apply to future jobs. Students in this stage are also eager to learn about a career and attain knowledge through hands-on education.

Getting the older crowd involved

In June 2019, Garden Center posted an article that explained the success of horticulture therapy with insights from a registered therapist at the American Horticultural Therapy Association. While horticulture therapy can be applied to anyone with psychological, emotional and physical issues, it’s great for the older crowd because engaging in gardening and plant-based activities can help improve memory, cognitive abilities, muscle improvement, coordination, balance and more. Offering employment to the older generation can also help cover seasonal employment since they most likely lack prior engagements. It can also increase diversity and add to your company morale.

According to a press release, Dramm announced on Nov. 11 that Scott Sterling and Marc Radsma have joined the commercial sales team as regional technical representatives. Scott Sterling started his career as a grower for Sedan Floral in Kansas. Sterling worked for and managed Oglevee Ltd. in Pennsylvania for many years before moving into plant sales with Eason Horticultural Resources and Vaughn’s Horticulture. Most recently, Sterling was the supply chain manager for J. Berry Nursery in Grand Saline, Texas. Sterling will be joining Dramm as the Central U.S. technical representative.

Marc Radsma grew up in the greenhouse industry in Beamsville, Ontario. Radsma has worked in growing and in sales for more than 28 years, holding positions at Northern Innovators and Monrovia. Radsma’s most recent position was the Young Plants Program Manager at Skagit Horticulture in Mt. Vernon, Washington. Radsma will be joining the team as the Western technical representative. Both Radsma and Sterling will be responsible for working with growers and distributors in their regions helping with hand-watering tools, chemical application, complete irrigation systems, greenhouse air movement and total water management. 

For more information visit Dramm's website here.

It’s no secret that social media has taken business by storm. From digital marketing to customer interaction to an inside look, social platforms have increased visibility overall. But how do you stand out amongst other crowd-chasing accounts?

Who’s on social media?

According to a 2019 study by the Pew Research Center, seven in 10 Americans use social media to entertain themselves, connect, engage in news and share information. The same study states that since February 2019, Instagram is the third most-surfed platform, Facebook is the second and YouTube is the first. Of active social media users, 37% use Instagram more, 69% favor Facebook and 73% prefer YouTube. Of those consumers, however, each day 63% use Instagram, 74% use Facebook and 51% use YouTube.

The psychology behind posting

Your business may not use YouTube, so let’s focus on Facebook and Instagram. According to Sprout Social, a social media management platform, Facebook receives the most consistent engagement weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Instagram receives it Tuesday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. For both platforms, Wednesday is the best day and Sunday is the worst day to post.

Why does time frame matter?

According to a smartphone usage study, 80% of smartphone users check their phones within the first 15 minutes of waking up — hence the reason for early morning posting. As for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., lunch breaks leave room for social media usage, while the 3 p.m. crowd usually hops on to pass time before work concludes. However, to pinpoint high engagement times specific to your business, you can utilize the Insights tab on Facebook’s business page and measure your daily audience level with Instagram’s business account.

Do quality images matter?

Along with timing, photos are essential to engagement. Because the brain responds quickly to images, the visual stimulation that a well-thought-out photo will trigger can increase reactions. According to marketingbitz.com, 93% of human communication is visual. Two-thirds of all stimuli reach the brain through the visual system and is processed 60,000 times faster than text. Think about it. How often do you remember something because of a photo you saw? Yes, words are powerful, but images are too.

The takeaway

While social media shouldn’t be your only form of marketing, in today’s world, it’s an important channel of communication. Before visiting your shop, consumers are more likely to research your website and social media to confirm the value of their visit. With social media, you can show your consumers that you have what they want and will answer any question they may have. A well-timed, eye-catching image can lead to more likes, shares, comments and click-throughs that may convert into new customers.