National Pollinator Garden Network Provides Tips to Educate Consumers
The National Pollinator Garden Network is gearing up for a big push to promote the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge that encourages Americans to plant and register 1 million pollinator gardens by the end of 2016.
With the gardening season right around the corner, now is the time for garden centers and nurseries to plan how they can spread the message about the importance and benefits of pollinator-friendly plants. Jen Schamber and Tammy Behm of Greenscape Gardens in St. Louis, Missouri shared five ways garden retailers can grow customer awareness and take action for pollinators’ benefit.
#1: Look at existing programs in your area. Greenscape Gardens turned to the Grow Native!, a native plant marketing and education program of the Missouri Prairie Foundation. With an existing program, the work of researching plants and providing consumer educational information has already been done.
#2: Ask your grower network to put pollinator-friendly plants into production. Consumers are driving the demand for pollinator garden plants of all sorts — annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees and vines. Communication is key. Growers have a huge opportunity to listen to what consumers and retailers are demanding and to provide it.
#3: Relate pollinators to vegetable and berry gardening. Use point-of-purchase signage, customer communications and staff interactions to educate gardeners on the importance of including pollinator-friendly plants along with veggies and berries. Cross-merchandise pollinator plants with the edibles to drive the point home.
#4: Team with community partners. Pairing with the local wildlife or native plant society, for instance, creates two outlets through which to tell the pollinator story and spread the message beyond the retailer’s established customer base. A good place to look for a community partner is within the National Pollinator Garden Network, whose member organizations often have local chapters. Also look to local libraries and youth programs for a partnership opportunity to spread the message to children.
#5: Spend a little, get a lot in return. Greenscape Gardens spreads the word about pollinator plants by giving away a free sample plant with any purchase. “It raises your authenticity in telling the pollinator story,” Schamber says. “In this consumer market we have to give a little bit to gain the consumers’ trust.” Demonstrating that your company is “walking the walk” also gives community partners assurance of your commitment to the cause —and will give them even more reason to share your story.
For more information or tojoin the cause visit www.millionpollinatorgardens.org.
Learn more about Greenscape Garden’s techniques for telling the pollinator story in the AmericanHort webinar, “Bee Savvy: The Business Opportunities Behind Pollinator Awareness.”
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