Some plants are meant to be in a hanging basket and some are not. A good rule of thumb is that if the plant doesn’t hang, don’t hang the plant. For instance, I’ve seen many a mum hanging basket that have no right being elevated, poor things.

I thought I felt the same way about hibiscus. It’s a shrub after all, so how’s it going to cascade to my (admittedly high) standards for a hanging basket? But Mickey Young of Aris Horticulture turned my attitude around when it comes to hanging hibiscus.

I met up with Mickey at January’s TPIE where she showed me this Tropical Tradewinds Calypso Fire hibiscus. To me, it’s a true hanging basket item: The foliage cascades, it’s dense and it’s long enough to cover the pot. And it has the all-important symmetrical look to it. And those flowers? What you see are actually hang tags, but I hear the Calypso Fire flowers are a brilliant and fiery red, perhaps a bit smaller than your average hibiscus flower.

If you’re already looking for tropical items for summer sales, this could be a moneymaker for you.  

Just when you thought succulents couldn’t come in any more colors, shapes and combinations, Proven Winners comes out with a new line of them—many of which have not been available in commercial quantities in North America until now. Their brand-new line of Coral Creations includes more than 30 different varieties selected by Chris Hansen of Garden Solutions. Along with being one of the happiest guys I know in horticulture, Chris has a superb eye for what will become a hit with consumers. He’s the same guy who is behind the Chick Charms sempervivums, and those are cool!

Not only does Chris choose varieties that appeal to consumers, but he also picks them so they are grower-friendly, too. The five succulent recipes in the Coral Creations line are all chosen for fast finish times, compatibility within the recipe and striking colors.

Now, to get the best a grower can out of the program, Proven Winners suggested producing these February-August when days are longer and light levels are naturally higher. They’ll finish in eight to nine weeks in spring in northern climates and even faster in the South. Coral Creations is available via Four Star Greenhouse, Pleasant View Gardens and Garden Solutions in the U.S. Our Canadian friends can find them at Nordic Nurseries and Ed Sobkowich Greenhouses.  

Color is what attracts customers, after all. From the whitest orchids to the darkest alocasia and all the colorful tropicals in between, color counts when it comes to presenting products that appeal to both the eyes and emotions of the consumer. And the more you know about color hits and misses, the better you’ll be able to meet consumers’ desires.

FNGLA members are invited to take part in a free Produce Marketing Association webinar that is all about color trends. “Trends in Color & What They Mean for Your Business will feature the VP of color authority Pantone Color Institute, Laurie Pressman, as she details what the future holds for color.

This webinar takes place April 5 at 2 p.m. Eastern and will NOT be recorded. FNGLA members have one shot at this webinar. Register HERE and put it on your calendars!  

It’s scholarship application season, and the Southern Nursery Association has monies available for southeast horticultural students. SNA’s Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund is offering 12 scholarships in the amount of $1,500, totaling $18,000. These scholarships are available for students who are residents of the 16 southern states that make up the SNA, which includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. It’s good to note that attendance at an institution within these states is not mandatory—you just have to be a resident there.

The deadline for application is May 27, and the final selections will be determined by August 1. Other requirements and eligibility information (GPA, etc.) can be found on the fund’s WEBSITE. Get on it!  

The ties between houseplants and Millennials have been documented once again, this time in the New York Times’ real estate section from earlier this month. The majority of the article is all stuff we’ve heard before, with mention of Millennials’ eye toward maintaining health and wellness, clean air, a friendly and welcome environment—at both home and work (with examples from the Etsy and TEDTalk HQs), yada yada.

But what really got my attention was when it came to the real estate tie-in. Luxury rental buildings, such as the ARC in Long Island City, are offering residents access to a 1,100 sq.ft. glass greenhouse at the complex where they can plant and grow on their own. Also mentioned in the article are the complex DIY self-watering systems that renters are creating to irrigate their growing houseplant collections.

I’m not sure about you, but I’m seeing at least a half-dozen entrepreneurial ideas that could arise from this piece alone. Who out there will benefit most? Let’s hope it’s us in the hort industry.