FORWARD THE FORAGE ISSUE SURVEY SAYS 07 HIGHER SALES THE FUTURE IS FLOWERFUL EXCLUSIVE! LONGER SELLING SEASONS PAGE 05 PAGE 06 What you need to know about the hottest trend The lowdown. The strategy. Garden Lovers speak up at nations largest flower show. | ISSUE 15 GARDEN The products. THE MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO DRIVING GARDEN CENTERS FORWARD STREAMING SERVICES CASH IN ON GREEN TRENDS BONUS: CONSUMERS ARE STILL BUYING. PAGE 10 | 06 | MEET ACE HBO STAR, FORAGE FANATICPLUS
HIGHER SALES LONGER SELLING SEASON THIS ISSUE GARDENFORWARD CUSTOMERS ARE STILL BUYING TREND SPOTTING: FORAGED DESIGN SURVEY SAYS: LET'S FORAGE! Customers are ready and willing to make purchases. But the question is, are you ready for them? Garden Lovers speak up at nations largest flower show. 02 03 GARDEN CENTER + BUSINESS+ TRENDS FORAGE PRODUCTS YOU NEED ON YOUR SHELVES Getting the right product assortment is key. Learn what you need now. Foraging offers your customers new innovations anytime of the year Are you ready to bring foraging into your store? Sustainable products continues to be a focus for many consumers Check out the latest in sustainable forage supplies 09 07 05 05 06 GETTING STARTED IN-STORE EXCLUSIVE THE FUTURE IS FLOWERFUL. 10 SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT As summer comes close, we at Garden Forward reflect on another busy summer season full of beautiful plants, flowers, and memories However, with the close of summer also comes time for us to scout new trends for next year. With this mission, we bring this issue entirely dedicated to the emerging trend of Foraged Floral Design. Foraging is an exciting new area for your store to grow revenue and customer engagement while sticking close to the core competencies of the garden center (selling landscaping and bedding plants) Happy Foraging DEAR READERS Garden Forward Team
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Foraged Design is having a moment, so you should get ready. Gardeners, nature lovers, and home decor enthusiasts converge on this ultra satisfying way to bring a bit of nature inside to enjoy While the idea of foraged floral design is not new, how enthusiasts go about it has changed! We've seen a massive attraction of new people to this outdoor/indoor activity What we love about foraging is that it's a hands on, creative outlet that is fun for the entire family From going solo to enjoying with friends or family, there is nothing better than creating something all on your own. And now more than ever is the time for you to look at bringing a foraging specific program into your store. DESIGN
While that is one type of foraging, we are talking about foraged floral and plant arrangements.
Forage design identifies plants, flowers, and branches in your garden, yard, fields, and wooded areas cutting them and transforming them into awesome designs for your home or others. Simply put, Foraged Design is about bringing your outdoors in so you can enjoy nature in your home
Let's get out in nature and our greenspaces! Foragers will need tools like cutters and shears that are made to cut stems efficiently. Also, don't forget foraging bags to organize their haul
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"Foraged Design is about bringing your outdoors in so you can enjoy nature in your home" Often when people hear the term "foraging" they conjure up images of scouring for edible plants and ripe berries in the woods
FORAGING PRODUCTS NOT JUST FOR FOOD.
Probably the most crucial step is that freshly cut plants and flowers must be hydrated, prepared, and properly "fed" for maximum vase life. Look for high quality hydrating solutions, cut stem foods, and finishing sprays WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW A look into the supplies your customers need to start forage designing.
With the rise in DIY floral arranging fueled by TikTok and mainstream media, we have found that consumers want to create arrangements on their own Unfortunately, they are intimidated by the cost of flowers and their skill level in creating a design Foraging breaks down barriers for the consumer allowing them to hone their skills while keeping flower costs low.
Adding a forage program to your garden center is the perfect opportunity for you to capitalize on this emerging area of DIY floral design
While there are many arranging supplies, we recommend starting with a good forage foam to help stems hydrate and keep design shape Also, foragers will need a variety of containers, tapes, wires, and finishing elements like moss
ACTIVELY FORAGING DESIGNING & ARRANGING READYING CUT STEMS
Create Seek Prep NewtoForaging? Letusbeyour Guide... We'reheretoguideyoueverystep oftheway.Stickwithus,andyou'll learneverythingyouneedtoknow aboutcreatingaforagingdesign programdesignedtoengageyour customersandboostsales. Readytogetstarted?Let'sgoon thisJOURNEYtogether. oasisforageproducts.com
Offer complete solutions Foraging success starts with the right supplies for the job. So, enthusiasts need to be able to have all of the supplies needed to find plant material outdoors, prepare the stems for arranging, and finally create a foraged floral design. Make sure you have all the tools, stem foods, and design items to make your customers successful and out of other garden centers with a better selection
We're all so busy From managing inventory to training employees (or just ensuring you have enough staff to cover the floor), finding the time or energy to take a chance on new categories can be challenging Well, what if I told you that a foraging program fits perfectly into your wheelhouse of offering landscape and bedding plants while providing an opportunity for higher total basket dollars and repeat purchases?
When we encourage individuals to forage through their spaces and cut and bring their stems inside to create foraged floral designs, we are adding a revenue source that can be tapped into long after (or at the time of) the initial purchase of plant materials. As we know, many outdoor enthusiasts treasure and cultivate their outdoor spaces and plants. Couple that with the booming interest and explosion in the home decor category, and you will understand why foraging offers a powerful program. It's an opportunity that crosses over between nature, gardening, and the expressiveness of home decor Foraging has no defined seasons and can be experienced any time of year, regardless of geography Your store can be at the forefront of offering seasonal and basic supplies all year round, adding up to more revenue and loyal customers Trust the experts When it comes to foraging supplies, rely on only the best quality companies with the best reputations for foraged floral design supplies. Look for a partner committed to high quality cut stem material care and design expertise Also, design advice is everywhere but look to suppliers with solid education and content to help your customers succeed. Look for flexibility. In any retail store, floor space comes at a premium. That's why when you are getting into a forage program, finding a solution that works with your store is crucial. Always partner with vendors that can provide customizable solutions for fixed inline programs or flexible merchandising Foraging planograms will merchandise well in various places, like next to tools and supplies, alongside landscape plants, or prominent endcaps, to name a few Are you ready to bring foraging into your store? Check out these tips below to help you get started in this area
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HIGHER SALES LONGER SELLING SEASONS
GETTING FORAGE PRODUCTS IN YOUR STORE.
What's even better is that when people watch these types of design programs, it inspires them to want to plant and create gardens full of flowers, branches, and beautiful foliage. From there, they head straight to their local garden centers to get started "The more consumers are interested in cut flowers and plants, the more interest these big production groups and media streaming organizations have in this category It adds up to more sales and a category poised for even more growth," said one industry expert.
And the best part? Our sources tell us there could be more shows on the way! So get ready for more perfectly styled petals that will have your customers headed into your store to re create those on screen masterpieces or at least some version of their own STREAMING SERVICES CASH IN ON GROWING FLORAL DESIGN TRENDS. MEET ACE BERRY, HBO FULL BLOOM FINALIST AND FORAGE FANATIC See Ace Berry in action, on Season 1 of HBO Full Bloom streaming 24/7 on HBO Max| 06
And why wouldn't they? With the rise in demand for cut flowers, production companies are noticing.
BINGEWORTHY FLOWER CONTENT IS HERE TO STAY.
From Netflix Big Flower Fight to HBO's Full Bloom, it seems that the major streaming platforms are getting in on the consumer demand for floral design.
Over the years, Ace has had the opportunity to design with some of the world's most impressive and fantastic flower types, but at the end of the day, he admits that he enjoys foraging for his own plant materials We caught up with Ace Berry, and he had this to say about forage designs: "I will look out into my space and see a branch or a perfect flower and immediately see a vision for how I can present it and make it appear even more beautiful I love foraging for my flowers It is such a relaxing activity Bonus, when I forage, I always get to have fresh flower arrangements in my home. It really doesn't get any better than that " It wasn't until Nov 2007, when Ace was laid off from the oil and gas industry that he threw himself into what he always loved: flowers And that passion thrust him onto a stage like none other as a contestant on HBO's Full Bloom.
SURVEY SAYS
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Gardeners and flower lovers alike came together for the nation’s largest and the world’s longest running horticultural event The Philadelphia Flower Show. In June, the greenspaces of FDR park found themselves teeming with excitement over landscaping and floral installations, fun plant based activities, and the camaraderie of coming together for this grand event The show devoted ten days to all things a horticultural fan would fancy. At this event, OASIS® Forage Products (the inventors and Garden Lovers speak up at nation's largest flower show makers of the famous OASIS® Floral Foam) met with the crowds to learn more about what Philadelphia thinks about the idea of foraging plant material for floral designs. SPOILER ALERT: The people loved it. The team from OASIS® Forage Products met patrons with a simple question: Do you want to make a forage floral design? The response was better than they would have ever expected. Continue reading at next
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GARDENFORWARD
Of surveyed would buy OASIS® Forage Products. They said they would spend around $50 to start this activity Over 25% said they would spend over $75 to get started in this activity Of people reported that their confidence in flower arranging increased after working through our easy to design system NUMBERS The team loved bringing smiles to the faces of fair goers, but they were looking for so much more at the end of the day. They were there to survey and inspire the people of Philadelphia to slow down, take time out of their day and enjoy creating something gathered, prepared, and created by hand Instructions were simple, trim 10 12 pieces of plant material from the available landscaping plants, choose a vessel to hold stems, and head on to what they call the "Forage Bar." From there, our team of designers was there to help them prepare their stems and make their masterpieces. Participants learned how to prepare their stems to live longer and how to design using the simple idea of creating a geometric shape. They were empowered to create like they never had before "Wow, I never realized I could make floral designs from plants in my own space. I'm definitely going to do this again," said Lauren S a thirty something Philadelphia resident. OASIS® Forage Products engaged with over 350 show goers and talked to countless others about how to get started with foraging in their own life. See the panel to the right to learn more about these surveys "Wow, I never realized I could make floral designs from plants in my own space. I'm definitely going to do this again" -Lauren S. 96%
40% 94%
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Respondents would expect to find OASIS® Forage Products in the garden center or elsewhere that sells landscaping and bedding plants 47% to learn more about Oasis® Forage Products? Check them out at: oasisforageproducts com
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8 out of 10 new gardeners report that they would rather spend on their garden than other places such as night clubs. Information is from the 2022 Garden Trends Report published by Garden Center Media 6 7
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The consumer experiences continue to evolve and, over the next several years, will find itself in a bit of a hybrid purchasing situation between in store experiences and the convenience of online shopping. Champion retailers will embrace this strategy and support their customers wherever they want to shop. 1 8 . 3 M I L L I O N N E W G A R D E N E R S Have come on the scene since 2020 And according to McKinsey & Company, 75% of them are here to stay.
The question is, are you ready with what they want? P E R I E N C E S
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Americans have paid down debt and are now ready to spend They have over $2 Trillion more in their pockets compared to 2020. T H E G R E A T R E S E T .
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The great reset has brought with it a renewed sense of self and interest in embracing a "YOLO" lifestyle. These people have quit their jobs and changed their plans Many have found their way over to the green arts of gardening and plant care. H Y B R I D F U T U R E S
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Younger consumers, particularly Millennials, are more interested in buying experiences than purchasing tangible items for ways to provide hands on activities and events, B G S P E N D E R S
CONSUMERS ARE STILL BUYING $ 2 T R I L L I O N M O R E
National Gardening Associations' "Reluctant Gardeners," those who don't think of themselves as gardeners, had the second highest spend on flowers at $71.51; first were Garden Masters at $78 81 T H E C O O L F A C T O R
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This product degrades by 75% within one year in an anaerobic environment (ASTM D5511) to learn more about OASIS® Forage Products? Check them out at: oasisforageproducts com homedecorgo-to partytime
showing off my garden art datenight zen familytime freshair timeinnature therapy opportunitytobrag learningaboutmyworld metime connectingwithfriends FORAGING IS MY SUSTAINABILITY
GARDENFORWARD SPOTLIGHT
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Breaking down the brick. Degradeable Forage Design Brick from OASIS® Forage Products. The sustainability of products continues to be at the forefront of consumer purchases. According to a new study by the University of Pennsylvania, Three quarters of Generation Z consumers state that sustainability is more important to them and will influence their purchase decisions. OASIS® Forage Foam should be in your sights when evaluating forage design products This degradable forage foam is brought to you by the same people who make OASIS® Floral Foam (the green foam inside many professionally designed floral arrangments). The parent company, Smithers Oasis, boasts the only degradable foam on the market This forage foam is scientifically formulated to help freshly foraged plant material live longer. Dry gray foam transforms to rich black when soaked, creating the perfect canvas for any design This foundation is the perfect way for foragers to achieve an excellent stable base while creating an optimal environment for plant material From there, users can create foraged floral designs that are only limited by their imaginations.
Seek Prep Create Enjoy We help your customers bring their outdoors in through innovative products, education and community. Combining art and science, we teach how to create foraged designs made from plant material foraged and created by hand.
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