Staff \u2014 April 14, 2015<\/p>\n

\nIt\u2019s all about exposure. The more interested people who see your work\u2014your plants, your designs\u2014 the more likely it is you\u2019ll increase your customer and client base. That\u2019s not to say just any old eyeballs will do; you want to reach those people who are likely to buy. In advertising parlance, it\u2019s \u201cqualified.\u201d And participating in a flower and garden show is a good way to reach qualified\u2014interested, invested, eager to spend\u2014prospects.<\/p>\n

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This award-winning installation by West Seattle Nursery features dramatic hardscape elements as well as vertical gardens.<\/strong>Photos courtesy of Northwest Flower & Garden Show<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Growers and landscape pros alike have found a welcome reception at such events, and their presence often is in a cooperative endeavor. For example, at this year\u2019s Chicago Flower & Garden Show at Navy Pier, the display garden called \u201cThe Magic of Gardening\u201d was designed by the folks at Hocus Pocus Groundcovers, a division of Midwest Groundcovers LLC, and built by Leisure Woods Inc., a manufacturer of wooden gazebos. Plants were supplied by Hocus Pocus Groundcovers.<\/p>\n

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Garden installations at The Philadelphia Flower Show\u2014the granddaddy of them all\u2014were viewed by about 250,000 visitors<\/strong>.Photo courtesy of The Philadelphia Flower Show\/Pennsylvania Horticultural Society<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The \u201cGarden of Weeping Wonder\u201d was designed and built by grower Rich\u2019s Foxwillow Pines Nursery. Rich Eyre, who co-owns and operates the business with his wife, Sue, says he\u2019s been exhibiting at the show for more than 20 years, and continues to do so because \u201cmy plants are for \u2018real\u2019 gardeners,\u201d those who seek the unusual and understand the value of unique specimens.<\/p>\n

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Members of the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals created a spectacular garden that evokes the Great Northwest as well as incorporates modern structures.<\/strong>Photo courtesy of Northwest Flower & Garden Show<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s consider some numbers. At this year\u2019s Chicago show, which was still open at press time, management predicted 40,000 visitors. The San Francisco Flower & Garden Show averages about 60,000 visitors. Up in Seattle, the Northwest Flower & Garden Show brings in 75,000 visitors. And this year\u2019s Philadelphia Flower Show, considered the granddaddy of them all, lured 250,000 people to roam the gardens. That\u2019s an awful lot of gardeners, and that\u2019s an awful lot of pocketbooks.<\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s another thought: If you don\u2019t want to undertake such an admittedly large project on your own, collaborate with colleagues. Or sign on to make a presentation. Seminars are usually packed with eager consumers who are looking for advice and can\u2019t wait for the season to begin. You might even get paid to be a speaker. Can\u2019t beat that.<\/p>\n

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Visitors from Germany relax in front of a gas-fueled fire feature, part of a garden installation designed to educate the public about what goes on underground. The shiny path (at lower left) leading to the fire pit is covered with Plexiglas and allows visitors to see the \u201cunderground\u201d gas line. Outside the structure, signage illustrates required distances between plantings and utility lines. The installation was designed and built by Christy Webber Landscapes.<\/strong>Photo courtesy of Sally Benson<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Take a stroll through some of the gardens presented here, and start making plans for next year\u2019s crop of shows. You just might find a little inspiration.<\/p>\n

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The installation titled \u201cTiny House, Big (Little) Garden\u201d illustrates the potential of living large in the tiny house movement. The just-enough-room structure contains sitting room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom, bath and porch\u2014all with hidden storage\u2014while the much larger outdoor space is dominated by ornamental and food-producing garden, as well as a play area for children. Design and construction was achieved admirably by horticulture students at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences.<\/strong>Photos courtesy of Sally Benson<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Staff \u2014 April 14, 2015 It\u2019s all about exposure. The more interested people who see your work\u2014your plants, your designs\u2014 the more likely it is you\u2019ll increase your customer and client base. That\u2019s not to say just any old eyeballs will do; you want to reach those people who are likely to buy. In advertising […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[92,93,16,77],"class_list":["post-601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nursery","tag-chicago-flower-garden-show","tag-growers","tag-landscape","tag-nursery"],"yoast_head":"\n