ECPR friends and fans – we are so thrilled to announce that on March 6, our client, Historical Concepts, is releasing its first book – Coming Home: The Southern Vernacular House.

ECPR friends and fans, Terra Nova Nurseries’ plant guru and recent guest expert on “The Martha Stewart Show,” Dan Heims, will be speaking at this year’s Kansas City Garden Symposium. Dan is set to speak on two separate occasions, Friday, February 17, 2012 and Saturday, February 18, 2012. If you’re attending the event, don’t forget to mark the dates on your calendar!

Beginning at 6:00 p.m. EST on February 17 at Brio Tuscan Grill, Dan will educate gardeners about “New Perennials from Around the World,” at the pre-symposium banquet. In his talk, Dan will share information about worldly plants with amazing colors, extraordinary foliage and varied flower forms.

Additionally, show goers will not want to miss out on Dan Heims’ second speaking event at 12:45 p.m. EST on February 18. Heims’ “Garden Gems” session topic is sure to be an audience favorite. He will discuss the latest and most exciting perennials, tropicals and woodies in today’s market. Known for traveling the world to gain insights about international plant trends and new introductions, Dan will reveal several of his top plant secrets to attendees.

To learn more about Dan Heims and Terra Nurseries, visit the company’s website at www.terranovanurseries.com.

ECPR friends and fans, we strongly suggest you watch this powerful video about how our current industrial globalized system of food production is affecting climate change. So, what’s the solution? Backyard gardeners are encouraged to grow edible gardens to create a more sustainable world. We’d love to hear from you; what steps are you taking to help protect the environment from climate change? Please post your comments in the appropriate section below.

Jeff Speck

Riverlite – Expanded Clay Lightweight Aggregate

Our client, Big River Industries, has recently launched a new brand name called Riverlite, which is being implemented to consolidate three previous brands, Gravelite, Livlite, and Arkalite. Having worked with the great personnel at Big River Industries for several years, our team at ECPR is publicizing the new brand in a series of online and print articles.

Big River Industries’ new branding initiative is designed to showcase the company’s expanded clay lightweight aggregate spanning six applications, including Masonry, Concrete, Geotechnical, Asphalt, Horticulture, and Storm Water Management.

A marketing campaign is being executed to communicate information about the new brand and the products that come under its auspices. The promotion is intended to make the information easy to access for engineers, architects, contractors, landscapers, urban planners, and storm water management professionals. Elements of the campaign will include a new logo, advertisements, tradeshow signage, website enhancements, and a press campaign.

To learn more about Big River Industries’ new Riverlite brand, click here to read the full article on Citybiz Atlanta’s news website. Our thanks to the editors at Citybiz Atlanta for utilizing our press content.

There are many architecture styles. In our work at Eberly & Collard Public Relations, we have the great pleasure of being exposed to many of them. Our work with professionals who specialize in the conceptualization and creation of homes, commercial buildings, urban sites, and public spaces has afforded us a unique view of design and architecture, to be sure. As a result, our publicity work and writing projects have provided us with insights regarding structural design.

Ranging from Gothic to Modern, the last few centuries have produced some amazing and unique architectural characteristics. For our friends and fans in the industry, or those who are simply fascinated with the different styles of architecture, the ECPR team has uncovered the history behind a small selection of popular building methods.

Gothic:

First modeled after Romanesque architecture, Gothic architecture flourished during the Renaissance period. Key characteristics include pointed arches, ribbed vaults and flying buttresses. A good example of this style of architecture is the Sagrada Familia located in Barcelona, Spain, or the infamous Roman Catholic Church, Notre-Dame de Reims in Paris. The term “Gothic” dates as far back as 1530, where Giorgio Vasari, an Italian painter, writer historian and architect, used the term to describe culture that was considered rude and barbaric. Common materials used to build Gothic architecture are limestone, red sandstone, Purbeck marble, brick, and stone. Gothic style puts emphasis on verticality and light, and is achieved by implementing vaulted ceilings, columns, large windows, and intricate detailing.

Notre – Dame, Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

Neoclassic:

Neoclassic architecture was developed in the mid-18th century. Derived from classic Greek architecture, neoclassic embodies baroque tendencies and was considered to be evocative and picturesque. Key characteristics include planar qualities, columns, wall and ceiling engravings, and geometrical shapes. Some notable examples of neoclassic architecture are the United States Capitol Building, Jefferson Memorial and the White House. In the United States, the neoclassical period emerged during the American Revolution, as a rebellious response to Britain’s dominance and desire to construct a new world.

U.S. Capitol Building, Photo Courtesy of  Wikipedia

Vernacular:

Vernacular architecture uses locally available resources, materials and traditions to construct homes and buildings in a given region. Several components influence vernacular styles, including climate, culture and environment. These styles can range from typical southern homes in the South to log cabins in mountainous areas. The term vernacular architecture was used during the 1800’s and has since become an economic globalization phenomenon.

The Battery, Photo Courtesy of Historic Tours of Charleston

Modern:

Some say modern architecture began during the early 20th century to keep up with technological advances and the modernization of societies. This style of architecture was adopted by world-renowned architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Kahn. Notable distinctions include simplicity, horizontal and vertical lines, use of steel, concrete and glass. This style of building has straightforward forms without ornamental structures to them. Some examples include the Kaufman House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and the Seagram Building in New York City.

Fallingwater, Photo Courtesy of  wright-house.com

While we only listed four types of architecture styles in this post, there are hundreds of different styles and methods still being built today. Friends and fans, do you have a favorite architecture style? If so, please feel free to add your comments below.

The 2012 Florida Citrus Show is just around the corner. Taking place at the Havert L. Fenn Center in Ft. Pierce, Fl, the show runs from January 25 – 26. The Florida Citrus Show is considered to be the premier show for citrus growers and packers. And, show goers will have the opportunity to learn about the latest information on production trends and grove management practices. In addition, the show will offer sessions on produce marketing tips as well as insect and disease management.

Photo courtesy of www.citrusshow.com

Indoor and outdoor exhibits will allow attendees to experience new and exciting products, equipment and service innovations. A number of educational seminars will take place throughout the show’s duration, such as a long-range outlook on the citrus industry; citrus health management; as well as challenges and opportunities in the agriculture industry.

This year’s Florida Citrus Show, organized by Florida Grower magazine, University of Florida’s Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences and the Indian River Citrus League, is sure to have a positive outlook. If you’re attending the event, and want to learn more, visit the Florida Citrus Show’s website at www.citrusshow.com.

Our client, Terra Nova Nurseries, was recently featured in the November / December issue of Indiana Gardening magazine. The article featured a selection of heuchera plants that were chosen to complement Snow Fountains, a weeping cherry tree. Our team worked with the writer to help secure this media coverage for Terra Nova Nurseries, and it’s just one example of many.

At ECPR, one of our goals is to actively communicate, establish and secure media relations for our clients. This includes byline articles, feature stories, press releases, brand / product mentions, photo shoots, radio and television interviews, media tours and much more. Our company thrives on gaining brand recognition for our clients, through regional, national and international media outlets and channels. With our specialty being the home, garden and design industries, ECPR has, over the years, established strong relationships with media members in these specific fields. Thus, our knowledge, in combination with our large database of editors, writers, publishers, bloggers, social media contacts, etc, ensures our clients we are supremely qualified to effectively help market products and brands to their customers or clients.

To view the thumbnails of the feature article in Indiana Gardening magazine, see below. Click on each image to enlarge it. Also, please feel free to visit our website at www.eberlycollardpr.com to learn more about our traditional public relations services as well as our social media services.

NOTE: To read the full article, follow these easy steps:
1. Select (left-click) each image one at a time; the image will appear somewhat larger on your screen.
2. Right-click on the image.
3. Last, select “View Image,” and you will be able to zoom in by clicking on the image with the magnifying glass.

Have you noticed that Twitter recently revamped its website, making it easier for new users to navigate their way through the site? The previous, rudimentary design layout now features a sleek design, and makes for easy use. Each profile now presents a “Facebook” style timeline, which includes recent tweets and accessible information such as followers, images, lists, and favorite pages.

The “Home” page provides all the old features, with a few new and improved updates. For example, each tweet in the news feed can now be opened, allowing you to view the intimate details of the tweet, including those who have re-tweeted the post. Also, at the top left corner, users will see two more new features, the @Connect and #Discover tabs. The @Connect tab allows users to view all interactions, mentions, follows for an account. Thus, making it easier to communicate with and follow new and existing users. The #Discover tab enables users to view trending Twitter topics in a whole new way, based on a user’s connections, location and language.

So why the redesign? ECPR has its own take on why Twitter revamped its social networking site. The new Twitter seems to look a lot like Facebook’s Timeline. And, with other social media channels, such as LinkedIn, becoming more popular, Twitter’s redesign comes at the right time. The new design seems to entice users to “tweet” from Twitter, rather than from third-party sites like HootSuite. In addition, the new design could be related to a user’s eye movements. Twitter designers may have strategically placed items in locations where users focus their attention the most, including the top left of a page, as well as photos within tweets (which are now viewable directly in the news feed). Also, along with the new features, Twitter has launched “brand pages” for companies who are advertisers. In creating these “brand pages,” Twitter is making an effort to increase revenue through advertisers.

What do you think of the new Twitter; is it more user-friendly, or simply a way for Twitter to increase profits from advertisers? Please post your comments below, we would be happy to learn your thoughts on the new Twitter.

Poinsettias are a national phenomenon during the holiday season, but the history of these plants is not commonly known by consumers. In this blog post, the ECPR team will uncover the history of Poinsettias. Given the fact we have written about and publicized thousands of plants over the years, we thought a look at the story behind Poinsettias would be quite appropriate for our blog. We hope our friends and fans find the history of these holiday plants as fascinating as we do!

Poinsettias originate from the most southern regions of Mexico and Central America. Ancient Aztecs first discovered the plant species blooming in tropical highlands one winter, and named it Cuetlaxochitl, which means “flower that grows in residues or soil,” in the Aztec language of Nahuatl. Originally, the red leaves of Poinsettias were used to dye clothing and produce a form of cosmetics, while the milky-white sap was used to help reduce fever temperatures.

Photo courtesy of Foxcrawl.com

Poinsettias were first thought to be associated with Christmas back in 16th century Mexico. It is believed that a young girl, too poor to afford a gift for the celebration of Christ’s birthday, gathered weeds from the side of the road and placed them in front of her church altar. The crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds into beautiful poinsettias. Later, during the 17th century, Franciscan priests, who resided near Taxco, located in the Mexican state of Guerrero, were said to have used full blooming Poinsettias as part of the nativity precession. The star-shaped leaf pattern is thought to have symbolized the Star of Bethlehem, and the red leaves were said to represent the blood sacrifice though the crucifixion of Jesus.

In 1828, Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US Ambassador to Mexico, discovered the crimson-red plants while visiting the Taxco region. Enraptured by its beauty, Poinsett sent clippings of the plant back to his home in Charleston, SC. He then began propagating them in his greenhouses and sending samples to his friends. In 1833, German botanist, Wilenow gave the plant its botanical name of Euphorbia pulcherrima. It was in 1937 when the plant had been renamed to Poinsettia by William Hickling Prescott, wishing to honor Dr. Poinsett. Today, many professional growers cultivate Poinsettias, making them widely available to retailers and their consumers almost everywhere. Consider purchasing these beautiful plants this season for their gorgeous appeal as well as to support the growers who make them accessible.

The World of Concrete show is just around the corner. Set to take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center from January 24 – 27, 2012, the show is the industry’s only annual international event dedicated to commercial concrete and masonry construction suppliers. With more than 1,300 companies exhibiting at the show, approximately 50,000 attendees will be in search of the newest products and technologies on display. Industry professionals such as commercial contractors, concrete contractors, construction managers, designers and specifiers, general contractors, masonry contractors, residential contractors, precast/prestressed producers, architects, and more will be roaming the 50,000 square-foot showroom this year.

In addition to new product displays, a number of educational seminars, demonstrations, competitions and special events will take place throughout the duration of the show. Show goers will have the opportunity to learn how to lay concrete floors, repair concrete and measure performance and productivity as well as learn about how to use social media channels to customize marketing strategies. To view the full schedule of events and seminars taking place at this year’s show, click here.

The unlimited number of networking opportunities and educational experiences enables exhibitors and industry professionals to strengthen connections and capitalize on new trends for 2012. For those of you who are attending World of Concrete, visit the show’s website at www.worldofconcrete.com for detailed show information, travel and lodging suggestions and floor plans.