The product selection of the Garden Plant of the Month for 2018 has been completed in collaboration with the product specialists from Royal FloraHolland.
"We are letting you know which plants we will be putting in the spotlight next year, how the list of plants was produced, how we will be promoting them, and how you can link in with this campaign on the shop floor," said Royal FloraHolland.
These are the 12 garden plants that we will be paying extra attention to in 2018. The consumer names or grouped plants are given in brackets.
January Camelia
February Willows (Salix)
March Ivy (Hedera)
April Petunia
May Vegetables (Pepper =Capsicum annuum); tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum);
June Climbing fruit (raspberry; blackberry; blueberry, grape)
July Olive tree
August Shrub speedwell (Veronica)
September Garden palms (Yucca, Cordyline, Phoenix)
October Firethorn (Pyracantha)
November Skimmia
December Helleborus
This selection has been produced in collaboration with Royal FloraHolland, and has been assessed by various plant experts, growers and exporters. The selection criteria include:
Plants may be promoted once every three years
A plant or group of plants must fit with the current trends
A plant or group of plants must be widely available and commercially interesting for the entire supply chain
Promotion of the Garden Plant of the Month As usual every year, the Flower Council of Holland will again be responsible for promoting the Garden Plant of the Month campaign in 2018. We do this with respect to both the trade press and consumers through regular PR, our online platforms, and associated social media channels.
We will be making a small change to the consumer promotion with effect from 2018: we will no longer be pinning the promotion to one month, but will cluster multiple products over a longer period. This means that the dossiers will be more seasonal, so that we can also add aspects such as trends. This approach also means that the products can be promoted for a longer period.
The garden plant promotion will involve rolling content, the use of the Balcony and Terrace Plant 2018, garden trends and the seasonal dossiers.
Join in! You can download free photographic material, posters and banners from our website flowercouncil.co.uk. This will enable you to draw extra attention to the Garden Plant of the Month on the shopfloor. You can also use the images in your own promotional material, such as on your social media channels, website, and in your newsletters.