While I prepare to head north for a weekend trip to Vermont (where the forecast is 2 to 3 ft. of snow and blizzard conditions), I can understand why folks who can do spend their winters in sunny and warm South Florida, where I spent this past week at the Tropical Plant International Expo. I felt a tad guilty when, while gazing at the yachts parked along the Intercoastal, I shivered in a 60F breeze. Karma will find me on Sunday as I dig out my car.

TPIE had a lot to offer in the way of tropical vibes. The towering royal palms, the cascading orchids, the pots upon pots of bromeliads and so on that populated the booths are the obvious ones, of course. But I found my favorite taste of the tropics in a retail item that just shouted—or I should say, cawed—that jungle vibe.

It’s the Bird Planter from Polar Business Solutions. Cute, isn’t it? I spoke to co-founders Donald Murray and Shibu Varughese, who were thrilled at being at their first industry trade show. These friends worked together as a nurse and physical therapist, and decided to combine efforts and make something colorful to go in the garden. They designed it to be sturdy, non-collapsing, easy to package and easy to assemble. Retailers can sell the kits or sell them already potted up ready to hang. There are two parrot body colors (lime green and red) and Shibu told me they have some other items in the works.

Now, something like this isn’t for everyone. I can see this being fun for tropical/fun-themed restaurant patios or maybe in nursery schools, as well as for homeowners who are Parrotheads or just lovers of fun. Ever since they released this colorful parrot planter—last January, I believe—they say it’s been hard to stay stocked. Get yours for spring now. Find them at BirdPlanter.com.

My next “Oh my goodness, what a great idea!” pick was one of the items that received a Cool New Products Award from The Garden Center Group’s team of floor-scouring retailers.

It’s the LED Terrarium from Flori-Design. The terrarium lights up under the cloche, giving it a low and attractive glow. The plants are planted in a shallow dish. How long do the battery-operated lights last? Flori-Design’s Gail Cash said she’s not sure—they haven’t gone out yet! This would be a lovely nighttime décor item for a living or bedroom. Display in a box so customers can really see the lights!

Let’s not forget about the tropical plants; that’s the show’s focus, after all. Tons of gorgeous new plants filled the show, but just two won show awards.

Winning the Most Unusual Single Plant Specimen award, as determined by the show’s judges, was the new Anthurium Livium from Anthura. It’s unusual in its degree of highlighted venation; that is, its veins look like they’ve been painted several hues lighter—almost white—than the rest of the reddish spadix.

Never been done before in anthurium and Anthura claims this is the "next generation of anthuriums," so they must have more in the pipeline. Livium also won the Favorite New Flowering Plant award, which is voted on by show attendees. (It got my vote.)

For several days I'd been under the impression that the Favorite New Foliage Plant was Aglaonema White Caps from Costa Farms. But after reading Chris Beytes’ Acres Online just now I realized I'd received faulty information. I can see why. The actual winner was Costa’s White Aspen Dracaena. Variegated houseplants are a big deal on social media nowadays, so this wide-leafed cream-and-green variety is sure to be a hit. (I may have voted for this one, too!)

You need places to display all these plants and products at retail, correct? TPIE had exhibitors covering that, too.

Avery Imports won a Cool New Product Award for its wooden shelving stand. Rather than having flat shelves, it had rectangular windowbox-like containers. A tri-fold design means it folds mostly flat when not in use. These could be used either as display pieces or sold to customers who could pot it up with cascading plants to use as a summertime privacy screen.

At the Broward Design Center booth, I spotted angular-shaped trees with branches that had been converted into flat disc-shaped shelves. They have several colors available—natural wood and ones that have been blow torched to created darker colors (the last photo). No two are the same! Indoors or out, they’re the perfect thing to help create a jungly looking plant display, whether for yourself or your customers.

Penang Nursery consistently creates memorable booth displays each year—and usually bring home one of the show’s 13 booth awards. This year, they won TPIE’s top booth award, Best of Show.

They went for an art exhibit theme this year, with stark white walls and framed “paintings,” which were shadow boxes filled with a collection of their offerings. Every art exhibit has one masterpiece and Penang’s was a large, many foot by many foot, framed work of plant art. I even heard someone inquire about its price!

The attention to theme carried over into other details such as quotes about the intersection of art and plants. Nice touch.

Think you could recreate this at retail?  

Not all shopping happens at trade shows, as you know. Jen Polanz has some breaking news from the gift market world she’d like to share:

In bids to continue to remain a relevant stop for retailers, both Dallas Market Center and International Market Centers (IMC) had big announcements this month.

Dallas Market Center announced the World Floral Expo, an international floral business trade show, would be held in Dallas March 20-22 in the Market Hall where international flower growers and floral suppliers will display their products. The show has previously been held in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Chicago.

“Complementing this temporary trade event at Market Hall is the 600,000 sq. ft. of permanent showrooms at Dallas Market Center dedicated to floral and holiday products,” notes the media release on the expo. “World Floral Expo attendees are invited to visit the open-daily permanent showrooms during their time at the World Floral Expo.” More about the expo can be found at hppexhibitions.com/wfe/.

Meanwhile, IMC, which runs AmericasMart in Atlanta, High Point Market in North Carolina and World Market Center Las Vegas, announced a three-year, $280 million investment into new initiatives for those markets.

“Elements of the plan, which will be implemented over the next six to 24 months on all three campuses, include category enrichment and extension, launch of new verticals, strategic remerchandising of existing resources, digital and mobile platform enhancements and physical improvements in arrival areas and public spaces,” says the release sent to media.

The enhancements are in response to three months of industry research and outreach, and hope to increase buyer traffic, enhance off-market traffic at open daily venues, improve the experiences for buyers and “create best-in-class digital platforms to connect buyers and sellers more effectively and efficiently both at and in-between markets.”

Part of that initiative is a new, 315,000 sq. ft. addition to the World Market Center Las Vegas, which will feature 110,000 net sq. ft. of rentable temporary exhibit space. Construction is expected to be completed June 2020.

Thanks, JP! 

We got word from a local New Jersey news organization that Fairfield Garden Center in Fairfield is closing after 52 years. The long-time neighborhood retailer was established back in 1967 by the Fernicola family, and was not only a popular place for home and garden goods, but also a community favorite for its events, such as the Tunnel of Terror and the Christmas Ice Caverns. It had also been a stop on any industry garden center tour traveling through the season.

According to the news article, the Fernicola family saw declining traffic over the years. Online competitors along with stiff local competition took its toll. Although Fairfield Garden Center is closing, their popular Christmas Ice Caverns may carry on, the news outlet suggests. They’re just in need of a new venue.

Best wishes as you move on to the next adventure, Fernicolas! 

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