“Growing Through COVID-19,” the full-length documentary featuring the emotional and financial whirlwind that shook Russell’s Garden Center (Wayland, Massachusetts) and staff during Spring 2020, is making its world debut at the Boston Film Festival today. I mentioned production of and fundraising for the movie several times last year, and I’m thrilled that the movie will finally be available for your viewing pleasure.

The movie showcases what you likely went through yourself during the early part of the COVID pandemic—shifting from financial uncertainty, bewilderment and bereavement to unprecedented demand, on-the-fly working conditions and pivots to make business and life work. After the dust cleared, what was for certain was the love and support shown by and to family, friends and customers. That’s Elizabeth Russell-Skehan, Russell’s Garden Center President and the film’s producer, hopes the film communicates to its viewers.

“What we hope people take away from the movie is how therapeutic it is and how much happiness people experience when they add plants to their living spaces both inside and out,” Elizabeth wrote to me in an email about the premiere. “We also hope that viewers realize how important it is to support all small businesses, as they provide valuable in-person information and a happy creative place for their community to gather.”

Elizabeth’s daughter, Genevieve Skehan, is the film’s director. She said that it’s so important to make the public aware of the struggles that small businesses had been going through even prior to the pandemic and how many of them coped with that period of worldwide uncertainty.

“I think our goal with ‘Growing Through COVID-19’ is to give a real, behind-the-scenes look at the struggle small business owners, such as the owners of Russells, undergo,” Genevieve wrote.

"Ironically, the rise of the Internet was not only a threat to small business, but also gardening as a hobby purely because people were spending so much less time outside. COVID-19, as brutal as it was, forced us to stay local and at home. Suddenly all you have are your neighbors, your small businesses and your home. ‘Growing Through COVID-19’ is an unexpected look at what the pandemic did to make us feel more grounded and how it shifted our perspective to getting outside more and to really think local. We're hoping ‘Growing Through COVID-19’ can offer some positive reflection on a tough time.”

Thanks to pivots that many other industries made, many of the films at the Boston Film Festival are streaming online so everyone everywhere can see them. “Growing” will be available to view virtually from September 22-26 only. To view a trailer and purchase tickets (available now) click HERE or visit growingthroughcovid19.com. I got mine and am just waiting to pop the popcorn!

Now that it's officially fall, it’s time (even a bit beyond time) to start thinking about 2023. To help get your brainwaves in future-strategizing mode, I’ll share some tips from SmarBrief for where these four marketing pros believe your marketing efforts will be best focused.

Be nimble. So says Tiffany Froy, VP of Marketing for PureRED. Pivot your marketing plans as consumers find their way through a minefield of inflation, supply chain snafus and general uncertainty. Leave space and budget within your plan to keep up with any last-minute changes.

Prioritize shopper marketing. Teresa Aprile, CEO and co-founder of Brandcrush, says this strategy focuses on getting through to a consumer where it matters most—at the point of purchase, whether that's an online or offline experience. Your in-store and online marketing efforts must be aligned. Customers are paying attention to all of it.

Podcasts! Brittany Bearden of Otter PR says they will become an increasingly important part of any media strategy. Did you know the podcast listener group has grown by about 30% in the last three years? Count me among them. Not only that, these podcasts attract niche audiences, which means if your topic aligns with the topic of the podcast, all the listeners are interested in either you as a guest on the show or as an advertiser on the show. From my own experience, I’ve noticed an increase in the number of local ads bookending some podcasts, like grocery stores and such. Could be a good venue!

Lastly, and a topic I’m still not even 100% on board with, is the metaverse. With regard to marketing, Ginger Shrimp, Global Content Lead for SAP SE, says this alternate world is all about the how the user experiences it and that could be a thousand different ways. The metaverse will be experiencing much more traffic in the coming years. What will that space mean for your business?

Where's your marketing strategy headed for 2023? Drop me a note about where you emphasis will be: ewells@ballpublishing.com.

Garden Media Group has come out with their 2023 Garden Trends Report, and all signs point to “resilience” and “access” as being the key words for consumers in the coming years. They've powered through COVID, they’ve survived shortages and shipping situations—and they're feeling empowered to take on whatever 2023 has for them. What can they take on next?

Over the next few weeks, I’ll go over each of the report’s seven trends, beginning with these three:

The Tesla Effect. The world is becoming electrified and battery-powered. It’s not just fancy cars, either. Lawn equipment no longer has to be gas-powered to be powerful. I’ve used the new Stihl battery-powered equipment—it’s powerful! Cutting down on gas-powered equipment is how consumers can become empowered to change the plight of the planet. Are these tools perfect? No! But neither was the Model T. Consumers are themselves empowering companies to explore innovation through their purchases. Together, we’ll get from okay to better to perfect.

Greek is in! This one took me by surprise. I didn’t realize Greek Revival design is ... well ... being revived. Not just in home décor (think Corinthian columns, busts, etc.), but also in garden design. Maybe because Greek-styled gardens have a wealth of heat-and drought-tolerant plants, as well as stones, terracotta, statuary and other elements that look fabulous without all the inputs and maintenance. Sign me up! Summer droughts are leaving me with a brown lawn.

Terracotta. The 2023 Garden Trends Report Color of the Year.

There are just so many ways to incorporate Terracotta’s warmth, joy and optimism into home and garden décor. Actual terracotta, for one. Earth-colored accessories such as rugs, pillows and accents, for another. Then there are all those deep rust orange-colored flowers that come to mind—some zinnias, some echinaceas. And I'm sure there’s a heuchera or two (or a dozen) with this color foliage.

Terracotta is a great choice and has so much for us to work with. What are your plans to highlight this color? Or are you going to pass? Drop me a NOTE about it.

If Terracotta is nostalgic, you’ll think Sherwin-Williams’ pick for Color of the Year for 2023 is also a harkening back to former times. The color is Redend Point and it’s default tagline is, “It’s if beige could blush.”

Sue Wadden, color marketing director at Sherwin-Williams, says, “It’s a pink-undertone that is warm and earthy, and it has a certain softness and soothing quality that is really unique.

"We know neutrals have reigned supreme for the past 10 years, but now we’re seeing different interpretations of these hues. People are embracing neutral versions of greens, blues, browns—all hues that help us feel grounded. And we felt that Redend Point really broadcasts how color can be not only grounding, but nurturing, reassuring and familiar.”

For a great visual description delving into the psychology of this color, Elle Décor had a nice ARTICLE about it, including examples of rooms painted in this color (it’s a little overwhelming for my taste).

Redend Point is one of the many colors Sherwin-Williams includes in its 2023 ColorMix Forecast named the Terra Collection. I am loving all of these colors included in this mix—40 colors across four different palettes. See all the colors and their natural inspirations in THIS VIDEO. And your favorite is ...?

Speaking of 2023, you can now register for the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Tradeshow (MANTS), taking place January 11-13, 2023, at its ol’ stomping grounds, the Baltimore Convention Center. One of the largest private trade shows in the horticulture industry, it’s well-known for its focus on exhibitors and buyers. You’re there to do business! And MANTS offers plenty of opportunities to do that very thing through three days of trade show, networking events and open time for last-minute connections.

Get in on the early bird pricing for attendees at $20 per person through December 2. It’ll jump to $30 after that date. Either way it’s a great price for admission to all three days of the show.

Need a hotel? You can do so through the only official hotel reservation agency, Visit Baltimore Housing Bureau. Discounted rates are available at nine downtown hotels, all within walking distance of the Baltimore Convention Center.

For more details on MANTS and how to register, visit www.MANTS.com.

But before 2023 comes, we have a long and intense selling season to get through. Christmas will be here before you know it. I haven't heard what the predictions are for the Christmas tree supply this year. Last year’s shortages are a lesson in getting orders in on time, selling early and educating your customers on how best to keep the tree going through the season.

AmericanHort sent out a resource a few weeks ago that I thought I’d share. It’s a link to the “Real Christmas Tree Board” retail locator. Retailers such as yourselves who offer real Christmas trees for sale can sign up for a free listing on the Real Christmas Tree Board’s consumer-facing retailer locator tool. This tool is useful if perhaps the tree guy on the corner lot has lost his spot to a new condo or commercial building and local folks don’t know where to look next. Or perhaps someone just moved to town and aren't sure where to go. Be sure they know. Head over to HERE and sign up.

If the name of that organization doesn’t sound familiar, it’s because it shouldn’t—at least not yet. The Real Christmas Tree Board is the new name of the Christmas Tree Promotion Board, a name change that happened earlier this year.

In addition to stocking up on trees, perhaps stock up on books you know are of interest to your customers. Houseplants and tropicals continue to be hot. A soon-to-be-released book pairing the topic of houseplants/tropicals and with home décor projects may be the season’s must-have gift for plant fans of any age.

Following the success of their previous book “How to Raise a Plant,” “How to Plant a Room” by Morgan Doane and Erin Harding helps a plant parent take their plants to the next step as elements of home décor. The book is filled with planting projects and styling ideas, such as creating mounted wall gardens, an air plant mobile and attractive living “shelfscapes.”

“How to Plant a Room” will be published by Laurence King Publishing in October. Find out how to order copies HERE.

Seed Your Future’s (SYF) new Green Career Week initiative is designed to help you—with the emphasis on you—to reach the next generation of horticultural professionals. During the week of October 3-7, this national Green Career Week campaign will increase awareness about green industry careers and help build relationships with local high schools.

Having real-life, industry professionals available to students goes such a long way in exposing them to the benefits and fulfillment that working in the green industry offers. Put aside for a second the latest frustrating customer or the incorrect delivery or the tardy employee. You love what you do—encourage some young folks to feel that same sort of accomplishment you feel when you see how you’ve helped to beautify your community.

Green Career Week encourages you to connect with your local high school to showcase the possibilities available to them at your business. Having a designated week gives our industry a bullhorn (or is it an echo chamber?) that will help amplify the “green careers are totally exciting” message.

Okay, this is the plan: Head over to the Green Career Week Portal to register that your business is participating. This site gives you ideas and resources for your event, as well as helps SYF track participants and promote the campaign. Next, contact a local high school and propose a visit to the school or a class, or perhaps a class can visit your location. You’ll find that SYF has all the resources to help with the planning, even photo releases.

To amplify the Green Career Week message even more, do be sure to contact your local media about what you’re doing while also posting the news and visits to your social media. If all goes as it should, you may begin a young person’s future career as a part-time employee next season.

And do keep us posted on your success, too. We want to hear how it goes for you.