At the time of writing memories of last year’s record-breaking scorcher of a summer are fading into the realm of legend, with rainy days more the order of the day.
On rainy days like this it is all too easy to forget that the changing climate often spells drought conditions for many parts of the country, as summers get hotter and drier for longer periods of time.
Whilst more sun is welcome in parts of Europe, other regions are becoming uncomfortably hot and the increasing risk of drought poses a challenge for gardeners, who rely on regular rainfall to keep plants and flowers alive and looking their best.
It is crucial, therefore, for garden centres, nurseries and other horticultural retailers, to educate their customers and steer them in the direction of plants that are able to withstand long spells of peak summer heat.
Let your customers know that they can drought-proof decorative garden borders and outside containers by focusing on plants that are able to tolerate hot, dry weather. This does not mean they need to compromise on style: Enter the pelargonium, a flowering beauty of South African origin which has drought in its DNA and is a bona fide sun worshipper.
The experts at Pelargonium for Europe explain how to optimise plant sales in the warmer seasons to come.
With their spectacular flowers and fragrant foliage, pelargoniums are the classic go-to plant for many gardeners and ideal for tempting new gardeners. Not only are they easy to care for and impervious to many bugs and diseases, pelargoniums flower abundantly for months at a time, offering a sure-fire route to garden satisfaction and happy customers.
As well as being a simple route to show-stopping flower beds, pelargoniums are the ideal plant for outdoor containers and hanging baskets, or sunny, well-ventilated conservatories. This means there are plenty of ways they can be merchandised in store, especially when you account for the many different varieties and colour combinations available in this plant species.
Help consumers navigate the often-overwhelming choice of plants and flowers with PfE’s dedicated point of sale materials, which include banners, posters, flags and flyers, all to help you direct their attention to this key summer seller. They’re easy to download and print for the PfE website: https://www.pelargonium-trade.com/resources-uk
Remember as well that consumers are more likely to engage with a brand or product that is visible throughout the shop floor and has a story they can relate to. Nobody wants their garden to shrivel up if they dare take a week-long or fortnight holiday, so remind them of the extra benefits that drought-tolerant plants can bring. Easy care pelargoniums have a high convenience factor that will appeal to time poor customers.
Make sure your customers understand that they should wait until the danger of frost has passed before planting pelargoniums outside. They will only need moderate watering throughout early spring and autumn when the temperature is low. In midsummer, they need regular good watering, and the frequency of watering depends on the size of the plant and the pot or balcony box. The smaller the volume of soil per plant, the more often you need to water.
A balanced liquid fertiliser given every 10-14 days in spring will help pelargoniums grow strong roots and leaves. Gardeners should then switch to a potassium-rich liquid feed when flowers are forming, to encourage bountiful and beauteous blooms.
Upright and bushy, the Zonal variety is ideal for bedding displays or containers placed in full sun, offering clusters of single or double flowers in a large variety of colours such as red, salmon, pink or white.
If you want to upsell flowering pelargoniums with planters, focus on the Regal and Angel varieties, both of which flower sooner than the Zonal and work exceptionally well as indoor pot plants or in outdoor containers.
For tempting hanging baskets highlight Ivy leaved pelargoniums, whose fleshy leaves will cascade down the sides of baskets and will flower prolifically for months, looking their beautiful best long after other summer baskets have past their peak.
You can also inform fashion-conscious gardeners, that pelargoniums hit the bullseye with two big 2023 trends: Pantone Colour of the year, Viva Magenta – the staple colour of many pelargonium varieties and Mediterranean outdoor style. The same style will help bring your social media accounts to life, tempting would-be consumers with the bold colours and photogenic appeal of pelargoniums.