Archives for August 2011

EcoSmart Fire works with a number of designers to create and produce environmentally friendly fireplaces for indoor spaces as well as outdoor living areas. This year the company will be showcasing the Stix fireplace designed by Hiroshi Tsunoda at Casual Market. Now based in Barcelona, Hiroshi Tsunoda graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, one of the top design schools in the United States. His recent works have been displayed at the Salone Satellite in Milan and at the design festival, Designersblock in London. As head of Hiroshi Tsunoda Design Studio, he aims to bring practical and functional designs to everyday consumers.

The Stix fireplace provides a contemporary twist on traditional campfires. The outdoor fireplace consists of varying-sized tubular stainless-steel “sticks” that are secured around an efficient three liter burner. Stix is powered by clean-burning, environmentally friendly bioethanol. Bioethanol or simply ethanol, is a renewable energy source produced by fermenting the sugar and starch components of plant by-products. Thus, the Stix outdoor fireplace does not produce smoke, soot or ash. This stylish, elegant fireplace creates the perfect ambiance for a cool summer evening on the beach or backyard patio. The dancing flames have the ability to captivate users for up to eight hours.

The award-winning and innovative Stix outdoor fireplace is a must see at Casual Market this year. For more information about EcoSmart Fire’s bioethanol fireplaces, visit www.ecosmartfire.com.

Indoor furniture collections made for the outdoors. The new Bungalow Collection by Homecrest Outdoor Living puts a luxurious twist on outdoor living spaces. The collection features a slipcover that is applied over a custom designed and engineered aluminum frame. The seat is fitted with a foam core for durability, and then wrapped with a polyester fiber. A water-resistant ticking protects the core material.

The line includes a sofa, loveseat, chat chair, swivel rocker chat chair, and a dining Parson’s chair. The complete collection offers homeowners a stylish, sophisticated outdoor furniture seating area for everyday use or guest entertainment. Bungalow’s slipcover is offered in a large selection of washable, UV protected fabrics for carefree maintenance. Season trends and colors will come and go; with Homecrest Outdoor Living’s Bungalow Collection, homeowners simply have to change the slipcover to stay abreast of color trends!

Retailers, industry trends show dealers and customers are looking for products made in the United States. Homecrest Outdoor Living’s products are made on American soil, offering product customization, quick shipping and safety assurance. Visit the company’s booth at Casual Market to learn more about the Bungalow Collection. To view Homecrest Outdoor Living’s large selection of outdoor furniture visit www.homecrest.com.

The new Euro Bistro Table from Poly-Wood, Inc. will be making an appearance at this year’s Casual Market show. Since 1990, Poly-Wood co-founders and owners Doug Rassi and Mark Phillabaum have been developing outdoor casual furniture made from plastic lumber. Poly-Wood’s plastic lumber is made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), UV-inhibited pigment systems, foaming compounds, and selected process additives. The HDPE primary raw material is derived from bottle waste, such as milk and detergent bottles or other HDPE post industrial material. Since HHPE products are made a with a single, purified polymer they have exceptional resistance to corrosion, oils and fuels as well as insects, fungi, salt spray, and much more. Thus, Poly-Wood Inc.’s outdoor furniture collections are durable, long-lasting and ideal for all-weather environments.

The Euro Bistro Table is beautifully designed and aesthetically pleasing. The table’s aluminum frame is complemented with Poly-Wood slats for a contemporary, eco-friendly design. The frame is available in three different colors while the slats are available in 13 colors. Additionally, the Euro Bistro Table comes in three heights, dining, counter or bar height. The possibilities are endless with this customizable dining set. Retailers, stop by Poly-Wood Inc.’s booth at Casual Market to learn more about the company’s eco-friendly outdoor furniture collections. Also, visit the company’s website at www.polywoodinc.com for more information.

Fire tables are going to be a hot new trend at this year’s Casual Market. The Oriflamme Fire Table from Designing Fire, Inc. will be one of the show’s highlights. Portable and easy to assemble, this self-contained natural gas fire table sits at coffee table height to maximize heat and seating comfort. Easily a conversation piece, the Oriflamme Fire Table is a focal point for any backyard, patio or resort setting.

Made in the U.S., the fire table provides up to 60,000 BTU’s of heat with a burn time of 10-12 hours. The flames and heat are easy to adjust and control, perfect for a cool spring evening or a cold winter night. Most notably, Designing Fire’s environmentally friendly fire table does not leave behind soot, ashes or ember. The Oriflamme Fire Table can be customized to suit buyer preferences. Available in square or round tops in granite or Tuscan, buyers have a choice of seven different burner designs and 24 colors of artistic glass for a more personal flare.

Retailers, the Oriflamme Fire Table is ideal for customers looking to add a bit of warmth and ambiance to outdoor spaces. Stop by Designing Fire’s booth at Casual Market to learn more about the company’s natural gas fire table. For additional information, visit the company’s website at www.designingfire.com.

Among the collection is Caravita’s most innovative cantilever umbrella, Belvedere. Structural and sleek, the umbrella features a distinctive folding mechanism. Closed, it stands upright and saves space with a middle mast shape. With the smooth opening lever, the shade can be opened and closed with a single arm movement. Additionally, Belvedere can be customized with more than 200 powder finishes and hundreds of solution-dyed acrylic awning fabrics to select from.

This unique umbrella can also shift from modern to classic with a few simple design details. From a traditional design of flowing or attached valances, to venting details like wind roofs and hoods the Belvedere can be designed to fit any outdoor living space. Base and in-ground applications make umbrellas versatile by being portable or permanent.

Caravita’s shades are built to last and distributed through a network of specialty retailers worldwide. Retailers, media members and outdoor space designers and can view all 7 collections of umbrellas and pavilions at this year’s show. Principal Michael Caravita said he’s looking forward to meeting with existing and new retailers at Casual Market and getting a pulse on the marketplace. It will also be an opportunity to uncover new trends. One prominent trend today relates to accessories, he explained, such as heating and lighting options being incorporated into shade products.

This fall, Caravita’s 2012 catalog will be released with more images, specification details and luxury accessories. The company’s website is another excellent resource, which allows users to compare shades, view design details, find upcoming events, and more. See for yourself, at www.michaelcaravita.com.

Currently, the three best-selling Patio Renaissance collections are their latest: Catalina, Monterey and Naples, which launched last year. Catalina and Monterey are deep-seating, all-weather wicker collections, while Naples features tubular aluminum frames finished to look like wood. The Catalina line includes a sectional, club chair, swivel rocker, sofa, love seat, round ottoman, and more. It also features a natural look with fibers that are textured in both shape and color.

Patio Renaissance is a relatively young company but it’s already making a big impact. Gradually, the company has expanded its reach across the country and has grown from offering six furniture groups to about 20. The parent company, Sunlord Leisure Products, has been producing custom furniture out of its vast manufacturing facility in China since 1992. To learn more about Patio Renaissance products as well as the company itself, visit http://www.patiorenaissance.com/.

Groovystuff, a wholesale manufacturer and supplier of traditional, rustic home furnishings, will be exhibiting at Casual Market in the fall. A Dallas-based company, Groovystuff is committed to sustainable manufacturing and environmental accountability. Founded in 1998 by Chris Bruning and Jeff Singleton, the company designs, produces and distributes unique reclaimed teakwood home furnishings for indoor and outdoor spaces.

This year, Groovystuff will be showcasing a new product collection from Appalachian State University student Michelle Walbert, in collaboration with Chris Bruning. The Deschutes bench, made from reclaimed teak from Thailand, was specially designed for Casual Market. Featuring large, sturdy I-beams and sustainable outdoor teak flooring, the Deschutes bench has all the appeal for a rural, country setting. The sustainable harvested teak flooring makes up the Deschutes frame and horizontal flats, while the dramatic I-beams run the length of the bench. A flat, lacquer finish softens the two-tone teak bench for an elegant, eco-friendly indoor / outdoor piece.

Targeting Generations X and Y, the Deschutes bench is one of Groovystuff’s new products for retailers. The collection aims to bridge the design trend gap between emerging young adults and established consumers. Show goers won’t want to miss out seeing this company’s booth (8-4046) at Casual Market. Visit Groovystuff’s website at www.groovystuff.com to view additional outdoor and indoor pieces.

For several years, the German flower breeder-producer, Dümmen, has taken the guesswork out of combination plantings with its RED FOX Confetti Garden. Released in 2007, and introduced to growers for the 2008 spring season, Confetti Garden products contain two or three skillfully selected varieties of up to three genera. The norm is verbena, petunia and calibrachoa. Each combination is coordinated for color, timing and growth to ensure growers can offer plants that bloom beautifully and consistently. An ongoing brand standard, Confetti Garden takes the guesswork out of creating combinations.

Beautiful and easy to grow, Purple Cleopatra blooms from May until frost.

New variety introductions and genera have helped Confetti Garden capture the interest of growers and retailers year after year. The company offers 29 different mixes in the North American market. The largest sellers are two of the original mixes, Purple Cleopatra and Hot Pink Jazz, both featuring Dummen-bred Aloha calibrachoa, Empress verbena and Sweetunia or Potunia petunias. Some of the new mixes for the 2012 growing season include Water Wonders and Elegance.

How are the mixes available to growers, you ask? RED FOX Confetti Garden products are offered in rooted or un-rooted cuttings. Rooted cuttings are prepped by Dümmen rooting station partners regionally, and then shipped to growers as Confetti Garden liners in trays. Un-rooted cuttings are shipped directly to growers who prefer rooting their own cuttings; these arrive in a “Confetti in a Box” package, with all un-rooted cuttings and tags ready for sticking.

Most of the cuttings are produced in Dümmen’s owned and operated “Las Mercedes” farm in El Salvador. Dümmen USA also offers growers a True Grower Guarantee to offer more confidence in planning their seasons, something of importance in today’s economy where there is no room for error. The guarantee is notable in that it promises Confetti Garden’s rooted cuttings with all three genera rooted in the delivered liner.

Water Wonders includes an elegant trio of blue, white and pink flowers and is a new mix for the 2012 growing season.

Dümmen has built an international reputation during its 40-year history as a grower and producer of quality young plants. At the core of consumer accessibility, Confetti Garden mixes aren’t difficult to find. They can be found at many independent garden centers, general merchandisers or grocery stores that sell plants as well as mass merchant retailers. To learn more about Confetti Garden products, visit the company’s website at www.dummenusa.com.

More than 1,000 vendors and the who’s who of the garden world! Where, you ask? It’s the Independent Garden Center Show in Chicago, Aug. 17-19. The 5th annual trade show for independent garden center owners and their employees draws thousands under one roof for tours, seminars, a trade show, and serious networking.

This year, attendees can look forward to the newly extended trade show hours as well as the debut of the IGC University Educational Conference— a garden center seminar program, featuring 40-plus actionable ideas for profit in seven focused tracks. Apple iPhone users will also be able to download an IGC App, which includes buying resources, a real-time floor plan and personalized conference agenda.

 Growers, retailers and media members headed to the show, there’s a good chance you’ll see ECPR’s own Jeff Collard. He’ll be visiting with exhibitors and industry leaders to survey the latest trends and must-have products for the 2011 gardening season. As our vice-president and co-owner, he will also be reporting his findings on new products and industry trends to our media contacts who may not be in attendance via our social media channels. So be sure to check back for updates and coverage of IGC 2011. And, if you are an exhibitor and have a new product release you’d like Jeff to consider for possible inclusion to one of our articles or social media channels, you can reach him at jcollard@eberlycollardpr.com.