Gardening: It’s Not Your Mother’s Pastime

Kudos to Scotts Miracle-Gro. I’d read about the company’s new advertising campaign aimed at attracting new gardeners, but I hadn’t seen any of the TV commercials until last night. I was sitting on the couch checking e-mail with the TV on for background noise when the song, “You Sexy Thing” (I believe In Miracles) caught my attention. Without realizing it, I started tapping my foot (and singing along a little bit. I’m not too proud to admit it.) I looked up at the TV to see what was going on.

So, what was going on? An attractive Gen X couple (the casting was no accident, I’m sure) was gallivanting around their proliferously blooming front yard, laughing and smiling, thanks, of course, to Scotts Miracle-Gro.

The ad caught my attention. Unlike the company’s past advertisements, this one focuses on the end product – the enjoyment you get out of having a beautiful garden. It’s not so much geared toward the already avid gardener. This ad says, “See, gardening’s awesome, right? Why not try it?”

I know at least one person disagrees with me, though. I came across this article on Brand Week’s Web site. The anonymous writer had this to say about one of the commercials: “The casting, the car, the house and all the minor elements of the spot are a direct lift from the research and jammed into a 30-second spot—which is why it all feels so labored.”

The writer goes even further: “The line in the middle of the spot, ‘Time to feed your dreams,’ triggers a weedier problem for me. Aside from being a cliché, its timing is exceptionally poor. These days, for so many people, the American dream of homeownership is turning into a nightmare. Something about the contrived joy in this spot makes me imagine that maybe this couple's adjustable-rate mortgage just kicked in, they can't afford the payments anymore and now they're desperately trying to create curb appeal and sell the house before they go upside-down.”

Maybe this person is looking a little more deeply into the message than I am. Or maybe I’m just less of a cynic. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see if the ads do anything for Scotts, and in turn, for our industry.

"So Much Is Given. So Little Is Asked."

If you visit the Tree Jewelry Web site, you'll feel immediately guilty. The first words you see are, "So much is given. So little is asked."

What are they taking about? Trees, of course. Your trees. The ones you've taken for granted all these years. It's time you show them how much you appreciate them. And what better way to do that than with tree jewelry?

"Surprise that oak, that maple, that honey locust," the Web site urges. "Drape a gleaming stainless steel necklace around your precious."

The marine hardware beads are fitted on extremely durable marine line, which is touted as lasting forever.

Check it out. You never know what the next big thing might be.

Gardening Tools For Mom

I was glancing through the May issue of This Old House magazine this morning and came across a great idea. In a section called "Toolbox," the magazine lists what it considers to be "kitchen-drawer essentials" – convenient, easy-to-use devices that mean Mom won't have to go out to the garage every time she needs a tool. The photo accompanying the feature shows a kitchen drawer filled with tools. Lying next to the drawer is a small bouquet of tulips wrapped in a yellow ribbon.

Marketing tools as Mother's Day gifts isn't something you see every day. But why not? If hardware stores can do it with screw drivers and hammers, then you can certainly do it with gardening tools.

People come in droves to your store Mother's Day weekend to buy flowers for Mom, so why not capture some add-on sales by dedicating a prominent display in your store to "Gardening Tools For Mom"? There are plenty of companies out there offering gardening tools and gloves designed specially for women, including pink tools for breast cancer awareness, ergonomic tools to fit a woman's hand, gloves created to be comfortable for women and much more.

And I definitely think a nice trowel and some gardening gloves will be an easier sell than a hammer and nails.