Archives for August 2007

As many may remember, Under a Foot Plant Company™ and its STEPABLES® brand, created a point-of-purchase plant display contest this past spring for nationwide independent garden centers carrying the plants.

We are excited to announce that a winner has been selected in the STEPABLES® “Best in Sole” Display Contest and the donation check has been presented to the winning garden center.

A $2,500 donation was given to the winner’s charity of choice, The Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity, on July 10, 2007 on behalf of The Andersons Inc. and STEPABLES®.

– Sally

Overdevest Nurseries, LP and Its Garden Splendor® Plant Brand Receive PANTS “Best of Show” Booth Award.

August 6, 2007 – Bridgeton, NJ – Overdevest Nurseries, LP, founder of the Garden Splendor® plant brand, announced today it has been awarded the Pennsylvania Allied Nursery Trade Show’s (PANTS) “Best of Show” booth award.

The Overdevest Nurseries, LP/ Garden Splendor® booth was chosen from over 600 exhibitors occupying 1,100 booths and representing a variety of horticultural products and services geared toward garden centers and professional landscapers.

By developing an innovative, creative and low-cost way to display its plant products, Overdevest Nurseries, LP/ Garden Splendor® built a booth which can be replicated and recreated to merchandise its products at the garden center retail level, both indoors and outdoors.

PANTS was held in Atlantic City, NJ from July 24-26 and organized by the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association (PLNA). PLNA is the leading trade association representing Pennsylvania‘s $5.6 billion green industry. Founded in 1904, its 750 members include production nurseries, garden centers, landscape designers, landscape maintenance firms, arborists, interiorscape firms, florists and other private sector companies in the northeast.

More on Garden Splendor®

Garden Splendor® Plants Worth Remembering™ is a premium plant collection that includes more than 500 varieties of perennials, ornamental grasses, patio plants, trees, shrubs and vines. The Garden Splendor® concept successfully merges the efforts of some of the most respected independent garden centers in the country with one of the East Coast’s leading nursery growers to bring quality, innovation and reliability to gardeners of the region.

PHOTO: Overdevest Nurseries, LP/ Garden Splendor® receiving its “Best of Show” booth award at PANTS, which is publishable for your readers. From left to right is David Wilson, director of marketing for Overdevest Nurseries, LP/Garden Splendor®; Peter Kyne, chair of the PANTS committee and vice president of Eisler Nurseries, Inc.; Ed Overdevest, president of Overdevest Nurseries, LP/ Garden Splendor® ; Gail Overdevest, vice president of Overdevest Nurseries, LP; and Donna Stemberger, director of sales for Overdevest Nurseries, LP.

– Sally

The annual Southern Nursery Association’s horticulture industry trade show begins this week at the Georgia World Congress Center, Building C. On Thursday, August 9th, I’ll be a participating as a panelist for SNA’s Forum 2007 Media Day Lunch along with several other industry, garden writer experts. I’ve been asked to speak and discuss new/ social media and blogging as it relates to “Trends in Garden Communications”. I’m looking forward to hearing the thoughts and ideas of the other panelists and sharing a few of my own!

Media Day starts at 9 a.m. in room C105-106 with a coffee welcome session and a Regional GWA business meeting. At 9:30, the media will visit the trade show floor to view all the exhibits, see new products and speak with SNA Forum 2007 attendees and exhibitors. The panel discussion will begin at 11:30 and lunch will be served after the panel discussion at 12:30 p.m., followed by another visit to the trade show floor.

The participating panelists are:

Pam Beck, Freelance Garden Writer and Photographer

Bob Polomski, Clemson University Extension Horticulturist

Felder Rushing, Horticulture Magazine Contributing Editor

Linda Askey, Former Southern Living Garden Editor

Walter Reeves, Radio/TV/Newspaper Host and Gardening Expert

Randy Hunter, Agility Marketing

Sally Credille, Eberly Public Relations

SNA Media Day is produced in cooperation with the Garden Writers Association (GWA) and is sponsored by Carolina Nurseries (founding grower of the Novalis consortium/ Plants that Work brand) and McCorkle Nurseries.

Hope to see you there!

– Sally

This week marks another year with the Southern Nursery Association’s annual horticulture industry trade show. Eberly PR will be on hand to support clients and mingle with media and industry representatives this Thursday-Saturday at the Georgia World Congress Center, Building C.

On Thursday, August 9th, I’ll be a participating as a panelist for SNA’s Forum 2007 Media Day Lunch along with several other industry garden writer experts. I’ve been asked to speak and discuss new/ social media and blogging as it relates to “Trends in Garden Communications”.

Media Day will begin at 9 a.m. in room C105-106 with a coffee welcome session and a GWA business meeting. At 9:30, the media will visit the trade show floor to view all the exhibits, see new products and speak with SNA Forum 2007 attendees and exhibitors. The panel discussion will begin at 11:30 and lunch will be served after the panel discussion at 12:30 p.m., followed by another visit to the trade show floor.

The participating panelists are:

Pam Beck, Freelance Garden Writer and Photographer

Bob Polomski, Clemson University Extension Horticulturist

Felder Rushing, Horticulture Magazine Contributing Editor

Linda Askey, Former Southern Living Garden Editor

Walter Reeves, Radio/TV/Newspaper Host and Gardening Expert

Randy Hunter, Agility Marketing

Sally Credille, Eberly Public Relations

SNA Media Day is produced in cooperation with the Garden Writers Association (GWA) and is sponsored by Carolina Nurseries and McCorkle Nurseries.

In a few short weeks, Don Eberly will be speaking at Ball Publishing/ Green Profit magazine’s Retail Experience in Cleveland, OH (September 8th and 9th) and has prepared an excellent presentation for garden center retailers entitled “Marketing & PR: Getting It Right”. As a green industry public relations and marketing specialist, Don will show garden center owners, managers and employees how to create successful PR campaigns, draw up an effective advertising budget, and plan and promote the garden center’s business in a rapidly changing world of media and consumer relations. Be sure to check it out at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday the 8th if you’ll be in town for “the experience”.

We look forward to seeing you at both of these industry events!

– Sally

Well, what can I say? It was a GREAT show. I had hoped to update/ post happenings and news each day while there, but as you can see (now two weeks past post-show), that didn’t happen. But, because I waited, I’ve got some great photos to share! Let’s do a visual re-cap of OFA 2007. Go!