Down with Silos
By Marvin Miller, AIB President
I have just returned from a long week traveling the California coast from San Diego to San Francisco, looking at the new things breeders are preparing for introduction to the gardening trade over the next year or so. This event, which the horticultural trade refers to as “Spring Trials,” is a tradition that began about 40 years ago by one breeder. Within 10 years it grew into an industry-wide event. Originally, the event provided distributors and their sales forces the opportunity to see what was coming down the pike for introduction from breeders for the following spring. About 15 years ago, the event also began attracting the largest growers, who wanted to see the new introductions for themselves. Soon after, buyers for the largest national chains and even for many regional chains also began to attend. And in the spirit of true cooperation, all of the industry’s breeders picked the same week to showcase their wares for all to see.
Historically, the event was known as “Pack Trials,” because most of the breeding showcased seed annuals and the various companies would trial their new varieties against the market leaders of the same species, using bedding plant packs sown at the same time, as the consistent factor across the trial. Over time, more and more new breeding included vegetatively-propagated materials, and some switched to larger pots or even large planters in which to trial their new releases. Slowly, the term “pack” was replaced with “spring” to be more inclusive. Also, more recently, perennials and shrubs have infiltrated the week’s offerings, and the propagative materials now include not only seeds and cuttings but also tissue-cultured liners, bulbs, roots, and more. The whole event has become more of a marketing opportunity for each company, and with few exceptions, little competitive trialing is shown.
Believe it or not, one of the drivers of these changes has been the consumer and her garden. At some point over the last decade or so, it became apparent to a number of the participating companies that the consumer wanted more for her garden than just the latest marigold, petunia, or pansy. Instead, her focus switched to beauty, and she really didn’t care in which silo the industry wanted to put its creations. The consumer let it be known she was more concerned with garden performance, with disease and insect resistance, with drought tolerance, and with color than whether she was buying annuals or perennials, and she was certainly not concerned with how the plants were propagated. She was open to trying many new things, as long as they delivered on the aforementioned qualities. These traits transcended the industry silos, and the consumer voted with her pocketbook that these traits mattered most!
While she was voting, the consumer has also let it be known that she was interested in a few more issues. She is interested in shopping across retailers, recognizing that she might get better pricing at some places for the basics, but more unique offerings and information on how to grow these plants at others. The consumer has also argued for her concerns about the environment and her time, as well as other matters relating to the costs vs. benefits of the whole gardening enterprise. So the industry is now on notice that the plants it breeds have to be more than just pretty and that they must contribute to the greater good by being easier to produce and care for, by requiring fewer inputs in the way of time, water, and effort.
When possible, these plants also have to perform some heroic activities by making this world a better place. Plants are often called upon to contribute to environmental, economic, and psychological and sociological well-being, all while sequestering carbon, using carbon dioxide, and returning more oxygen to the atmosphere. Plants must indeed be miracle workers!
Breeders have certainly been busy trying to satisfy all of these demands, and the plants they’ve bred have come a long way. Marketers now are beginning to change how plants are sold, and the silos of old are slowly beginning to crumble. Perhaps, plants can serve as an example for others, both inside and outside of the garden, that silos may have a place and a time, but then again they may not, if the greater good is better served without them.
I have just returned from a long week traveling the California coast from San Diego to San Francisco, looking at the new things breeders are preparing for introduction to the gardening trade over the next year or so. This event, which the horticultural trade refers to as “Spring Trials,” is a tradition that began about 40 years ago by one breeder. Within 10 years it grew into an industry-wide event. Originally, the event provided distributors and their sales forces the opportunity to see what was coming down the pike for introduction from breeders for the following spring. About 15 years ago, the event also began attracting the largest growers, who wanted to see the new introductions for themselves. Soon after, buyers for the largest national chains and even for many regional chains also began to attend. And in the spirit of true cooperation, all of the industry’s breeders picked the same week to showcase their wares for all to see. Historically, the event was known as “Pack Trials,” because most of the breeding showcased seed annuals and the various companies would trial their new varieties against the market leaders of the same species, using bedding plant packs sown at the same time, as the consistent factor across the trial. Over time, more and more new breeding included vegetatively-propagated materials, and some switched to larger pots or even large planters in which to trial their new releases. Slowly, the term “pack” was replaced with “spring” to be more inclusive. Also, more recently, perennials and shrubs have infiltrated the week’s offerings, and the propagative materials now include not only seeds and cuttings but also tissue-cultured liners, bulbs, roots, and more. The whole event has become more of a marketing opportunity for each company, and with few exceptions, little competitive trialing is shown.
Believe it or not, one of the drivers of these changes has been the consumer and her garden. At some point over the last decade or so, it became apparent to a number of the participating companies that the consumer wanted more for her garden than just the latest marigold, petunia, or pansy. Instead, her focus switched to beauty, and she really didn’t care in which silo the industry wanted to put its creations. The consumer let it be known she was more concerned with garden performance, with disease and insect resistance, with drought tolerance, and with color than whether she was buying annuals or perennials, and she was certainly not concerned with how the plants were propagated. She was open to trying many new things, as long as they delivered on the aforementioned qualities. These traits transcended the industry silos, and the consumer voted with her pocketbook that these traits mattered most!
While she was voting, the consumer has also let it be known that she was interested in a few more issues. She is interested in shopping across retailers, recognizing that she might get better pricing at some places for the basics, but more unique offerings and information on how to grow these plants at others. The consumer has also argued for her concerns about the environment and her time, as well as other matters relating to the costs vs. benefits of the whole gardening enterprise. So the industry is now on notice that the plants it breeds have to be more than just pretty and that they must contribute to the greater good by being easier to produce and care for, by requiring fewer inputs in the way of time, water, and effort. When possible, these plants also have to perform some heroic activities by making this world a better place. Plants are often called upon to contribute to environmental, economic, and psychological and sociological well-being, all while sequestering carbon, using carbon dioxide, and returning more oxygen to the atmosphere. Plants must indeed be miracle workers!
Breeders have certainly been busy trying to satisfy all of these demands, and the plants they’ve bred have come a long way. Marketers now are beginning to change how plants are sold, and the silos of old are slowly beginning to crumble. Perhaps, plants can serve as an example for others, both inside and outside of the garden, that silos may have a place and a time, but then again they may not, if the greater good is better served without them.
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