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Containers

Terra cotta, I hardly knew ye... When it comes to the evolution of containers, I can barely... well, contain myself. Of the hundreds of non-plant items you've marketed through the years, few categories have blossomed, as it were, like the planter. Once called on merely to hold things green and colorful, containers now rival the plants they carry in their ability to attract attention or make a statement.

From the elegant to the whimsical, from the stately to the eclectic, today's planters are more parts art than science... and, in some cases, such as the Garden Pendant Collection from Duchess Designs, they're both. These attractive, hanging planters feature a built-in water reservoir for self-watering. A great source for information on decorative containers — and for gardening advice in general — is GardenGuides. The link listed here offers "Eight Rules for Creative Container Gardening," and GardenGuides has many other practical ideas that can help you and your customer show off plants better. For your D-I-Y customers (or, if you're a D-I-Yer yourself), consider Powell's Books, which offers a selection of publications on the subject (enter "decorative containers" or "decorative planters" in the search box).

Extra! Extra! - Stationery and CDs

I'm a big believer in "Plus One” marketing — that is, the notion that whatever it is the customer has in her shopping cart, there's always one more thing that can be added. This kind of thinking inspired kiosks and endcaps and P-O-P display materials and... well, frankly, much of what you now market that you didn't even think about selling a decade ago.

Two items to recently join the list of "extras" are stationery and CD's. Both are natural garden center partners, when you think about it. Plant-friendly cards can warm a heart as easily as... well, plants. And what sight isn't enhanced by sound? My current favorite company to do the plant card thing does the plant card thing — literally. Bloomin' Flower Cards actually contain seeds in the paper. When the card has been read, it can be planted, and in a matter of weeks, a new flower will emerge. If topiary is more your fancy, I recommend the topiary-design card sets from Michelle Masters. And let's not forget those aforementioned sounds. Here's a great nature CD site that pays you for recommending it. Simply click on the link and then go to the Affiliates section for more information.