We have many women in the horticulture industry, but do we still have a problem with where women are in the industry? This week, Bridget and her guest Leslie Halleck recap some of the conversations in and out-of the luncheon at Cultivate21 hosted by AmericanHort and Syngenta (thanks to them both!).

With summer coming to a close and schools back in session, it's time to turn our attention to fall decorating! The Pantone company released their fall 2021 colors earlier this year and now is the time to take a look at them and plan some fall displays. Consumers will be primed to see these colors in digital and print media, so incorporating them into your displays (and selling plants with those flower colors) will be easier. It's also a great time to think about the fall decorating package(s). Consider offering them in regular, super, and premium (three price points) to boost sales of the intermediate offering.

Are you effectively managing your digital media? Bridget's guest this week is Katie Elzer-Peters owner of The Garden of Words, LLC. Bridget and Katie discuss some of the challenges and strategies to handling your digital media.

Marketing Munchies this week features Leslie Halleck (Halleck Horticulture) with her new book release "Tiny Plants: Discover the Joys of Growing and Collecting Itty-Bitty Houseplants." This BIG plant trend for small plants is just beginning to grow. Bridget and Leslie chat about the aesthetics of decorating with these gems and how plant collections could be a part of your retail space.

Earth Day is April 22 this year. Are you ready with your marketing strategy? First, consider the ways your company is environmentally-friendly. Can you document pesticide or water reductions? This is great stuff for your website or social media. How will you promote planting and what will you contribute to planting? Give some thought to your Earth Day marketing this spring!

The National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture is a great resource for retailers to leverage their marketing. I've spoken many times about the need to communicate the benefits of plants, and the folks at NICH have some great, free infographics for you to download and use online or in the retail space. The bright folks at NICH did the hard work for you, so this is a great place to leverage your marketing efforts on indoor foliage plants, pollinator plants, and much more.

Foliage plants are selling well in most areas of the country, but marketing them is still essential. Take a cue from some online foliage plant retailers to organize your foliage plant department. Marketing plant benefits is really important for this category as well.

What safety protocols will you enforce this spring? Health officials are still recommending social distancing, handwashing and sanitizing, and wearing masks. Enforcing mask wearing can be difficult, but is your choice (in many areas). How do you have that tough conversation about wearing a mask (if you're going to enforce it)? Listen for some tips about that this week.

As you tweak your production and advertising schedules, now is a good time to consider the 4 S's that you should be communicating this spring: Safety, Shop early, Sales? Forget ‘em, and Stay Social. Bridget discusses these important concepts this week to help you stay one step ahead of the important conversations you should be having with customers this spring.

Social isolation created a lot of boredom last year. Many new customers purchased plants to help change their scenery. Recent research funded by the Horticultural Research Institute and conducted at Michigan State University showed that younger people were more prone to boredom compared to older people. With restrictions still in place in most areas, you can and should position some plants to help alleviate some boredom. Plant subscriptions might have their moment soon. Positioning new vegetable and herb cultivars might help people get out of their food rut, too.