Our EZRack rental program allows you to ship products to retailers on our patented EZRacks and we handle all logistics of rack pick up after you ship! Renting EZRacks allows less upfront fixed costs and eliminates the hassle of wooden rack disposal for your retail customers. This program is perfect for finished, pre-finished, or propagative nursery material. EZRacks handle up to 1,800 pounds and can be assembled in less than 3 minutes using only a mallet. You can load and unload a full-size truck in less than 30 minutes with greater “cube out.” We recover from 10,000+ retailers and independent garden centers nationwide, including The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Costco, Menards, Pikes, and Ace Hardware. Contact the EZRack team at sales@ezrack.com to learn more.

EZRack Purchase Program

Save money on skyrocketing wood prices by owning reusable EZRacks, so you can quickly ship when you need to. EZRack’s unique keyhole rivet design locks components together, enabling them to ride securely on standard pallets without fasteners. Racks are available in three types: Heavy Duty (1,800-pound capacity), Light Duty (1,000-pound capacity), and Economy (750-pound capacity). They can be customized by color or size, with smaller sizes being perfect for retail displays. Get an EZRack quote today by calling (877) 977-7225.

Merchandising

Nurseries sell more with our fully kitted retail-ready racks that can be shipped directly to retailers. These work perfectly for your annual seasonal items, such as wreaths or tabletop trees. You can order from three sizes or go custom, with wrap options in plastic and paper corrugate. Products are shipped ready to be displayed, minimizing damage and eliminating the need to remerchandise. EZRacks for merchandising are available to rent or buy. Customers see an average increase in-store merchandise per pallet position by 50-200%, while reducing merchandising costs up to 50%. Contact us at sales@ezrack.com to learn more.

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A University of Vermont study is among the first to explore COVID-19’s impacts on how people value nature and it found that people — who ranged from stuck at home to stressed in essential worker jobs — reported significant increases in outdoor activity during COVID-19, especially among women.

Outdoor activities seeing the largest increases were: watching wildlife (up 64%), gardening (57%), taking photos or doing other art in nature (54%), relaxing alone outside (58%) and making their masked and distanced way on walks (70%).

“These data are like a treasure chest of the pandemic moment: a record of how people have been thinking about their relationship with the rest of the world in a time of great upheaval,” says Rachelle Gould of the University of Vermont, the study’s senior author in a released statement.

Read the entire report here: http://bit.ly/nature_pandemic.

Not everyone experienced more nature equally. Differences were tied to factors including gender, income and employment, and whether people lived in urban or rural areas. Women increased their nature use in more ways than men. Across the six most common nature activities in the study, women were 1.7 (gardening) to 2.9 (walking) times more likely to report increasing their engagement than men. Men were not more likely than women to report increased engagement in any activities.

While the study advances our understanding of gender differences during COVID-19, the researchers plan to inspect this finding further. They wonder if women had a greater need for stress relief during the pandemic, and are potentially more likely than men to turn to nature for that.

“More research is needed, but our preliminary analysis suggests that, during the pandemic, women are more likely than men to report increased importance of values that include mental well-being, beauty, exercise, familiarity with landscape, and fun,” says Gould. “Our next step is to analyze the qualitative data to explore this result more fully.”

Those who lost their jobs during the pandemic also had higher odds of reporting increased gardening, relaxing socially, walking and wildlife watching.

“This suggests that COVID-19 is overturning the idea that nature and its benefits — from stress reduction to social connection — are becoming ‘luxury goods,’” says Diana Hackenburg, a PhD candidate at the Rubenstein School, and a Gund Graduate Fellow.

“This study is a timely snapshot of the central role nature plays in our well-being, and how important access to nature is during challenging, uncertain times like this pandemic,” says Tatiana Gladkikh, a Gund Graduate Fellow. “I hope the results help inform future land management decisions.”

The data resulted from online surveys of over 3,200 people in Vermont during the state’s “Stay safe, stay home” executive order, announced in May 2020.

Armed with this type of information, green industry marketers can help growers, retailers and landscape companies provide positive campaigns aimed at keeping consumers interested in plants, both indoor and outdoor, even after the pandemic diminishes.

Now in its 20th year, Garden Media Group has released the 2021 Garden Trends Report. Its theme: The great reset.

In it, Garden Media Group observes, “This is truly the closest shared experience we as a world will ever have, connected to everyone, whether next door or across the globe. We’ll see many changes, but one overarching shift will shape many of them — collective action. And it’s not just the global community that is connecting; the magnifying glass is on communities banding together more than ever. You may have seen this in your community, whether online or in real life. But the shift in community collective is real and it is powerful.

“What’s more, gardens are tools for building more resilient and connected communities and neighborhoods. We're seeing neighbors getting to know each other and helping each other and being available. And a good healthy, garden is full of diversity.”

Trends are valuable when it comes to plant, product or service selection. The following is a portion of what GMG predicts will influence consumers and help the industry with strategic planning. To download the entire report, visit gardenmediagroup.com.

Broadacre cities

One hundred years ago, famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed a settlement called Broadacre City. These were super grids of 1-acre+ family homesteads designed to help communities thrive.

Today, the coronavirus is challenging the assumption that Americans must stay physically tethered to high-cost small-space cities to access the best work opportunities. Yes, there was already an exodus from high-priced big cities to more affordable midsize ones, but COVID-19 sped it up.

New York City’s three largest commercial tenants — JP Morgan, Barclays and Morgan Stanley — said it’s unlikely all their employees will return to offices.

Google axed deals for two million square feet of urban office space.

Facebook and Twitter are telling employees they can work remotely forever.

In fact, many newly remote workers prefer somewhere closer to family or fresh air.

If enough remote workers vote with their feet, Broadacre-type cities such as Usonia, New York or Civano, Arizona — with emphasis on community — will be more critical. And they will change our cities and industry.

Workers will get out more during the workday, so public spaces — parks and trails — will become an integral part of daily life, not just after work or on weekends.

Downtown areas will beautify their streets and stores will need interiorscaping to make their space more inviting.

Cultural experiences that allow for freedom of movement, particularly those outdoors — will benefit from increased demand upon reopening.

People will want entertainment and experiences in those outdoor spaces.

There will be even greater demand for houseplants and home office plants, whether people are setting the stage for virtual meeting backdrops or just wanting to improve concentration.

Backyard aficionado

More than half of American adults are spending two additional hours a day outside during quarantine than before the outbreak began.

Research shows we picked up 16 million new gardeners during COVID-19, many of whom are under 35.

These new customers will not stay unless we find ways to make them.

Gardening will become part of their everyday lives, school curriculums and psyche. We need to develop products and bundle items to make gardening easier.

This new gardener is ripe for education, from simple plant lists or Facebook consulting services to new gardeners to install and provide care.

This new gardener cares about growing food.

Edible-garden influencers have seen up to 400% growth on their channels and are being inundated with questions.

Adobe Stock

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Timothy Hammond of Big City Gardener would receive one message every few days from a follower. He now receives dozens of questions a day from new gardeners seeking basic tips. He gained 10k followers in 6 weeks.

The new gardener is interested in reducing the lawn. There is a return to the backyard — and it’s not just about the lawn. According to a recent National Garden Bureau survey, 67% of respondents 35 and under shared that, while they want some green lawn, they also desire the rest of their yard planted with a wide variety of other plants.

Landscape architects are seeing families change their lawn preferences, according to a recent poll by the National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife initiative. NWF’s Garden for Wildlife initiative encourages Americans to design gardens with food, water, and shelter for wild animals.

Most importantly, they’re interested in reducing stress and increasing health and wellness. Simple ways to incorporate wellness from the comfort of the home or nearby outdoor spaces have taken over as essential practices to maintain connections, release newfound stress, and recuperate some semblance of normalcy.

Adobe Stock

Design abundance

Claudia West, ASLA and co-author of “Planting in a Post Wild World,” explains that nature doesn’t live “out there” anymore, because “out there” is gone.

Nature lives in our backyards, in our developments and parking lots or rooftop gardens — or it doesn’t live.

“I truly believe that wildness and nature is a renewable resource and that every single plant we put in the ground can make a difference,” West says. “If you don’t know it, you don’t care for it, and you don’t protect it.”

Source: Garden Media Group

Photo courtesy of WestRock

Over the last 20 years, the plant tag has gone from a way for the grower to label the product to a way for the consumer to gather information on the product. Tags and labels are now about consumer information, why the consumer should buy that product, care and pricing at the point of purchase.

Rick Vulgamott, national director of sales for the horticulture division of WestRock, says tags and labels excel in their role as a silent salesperson.

“One way to help make sure the customer feels a little more comfortable about buying the product is to support their buying decision with features and ‘why buys’ right there at eye level on the plant,” he says.

Bob Lovejoy, president of Hip Labels, shares a story from a recent meeting with the manager of a South Carolina garden center that purchases tags from his company.

“She said, ‘Bob, when we’re busy; 90% of the customers in here don’t get to see somebody face to face. And the plants with tags sell much better, much easier. If there’s no tag on it, people just walk away from it. They don’t know what to do with it.’ So at least in that one situation, the retailer realizes how much value a tag adds to the sales process.”

Lovejoy says that branded tags are playing a huge role in the tags and labels industry — much more than they were 10 years ago. And the reason that’s changed is the consumers themselves are more receptive to branding. Millennials that “finally got up the guts to go to a garden center” are not as price-driven as earlier generations.

“They’re not going to buy a plant for a dollar or two,” he says. “They’re going to buy the plant that looks the best. It has the best instructions and that bodes very well for the branded products.”

In addition to its standard hang tags and stake tags, Hip Labels makes custom pot wraps that are popular with branded plants.

The essential info

What should be on a tag? There are a few things that can help that plant sell itself. Instead of simple care requirements, you want to give the consumer reasons to buy that plant. If it attracts butterflies, or it’s drought-tolerant or deer-resistant, put that on the tag.

Vulgamott says at WestRock, they’ve moved away from information about what not to do. Opt for information that entices the consumer to make a purchase, not warnings that will make them think caring for this plant will be too challenging, which end up driving them to spend their money on something else.

Icons are easily-recognizable images used to present care information: for example, full sun, or shade. They can also be used to detail how much water a plant needs or what its size and shape will be at maturity. WestRock uses icons on almost every tag or label they produce, Vulgamott says.

“It’s our version of a plant emoji,” he says. “People recognize emojis; they therefore recognize icons. Space is limited on a tag or label. So we really have to concisely put the appropriate information on there that the consumer feels comfortable with and will see quickly.”

Tags and labels are just one part of WestRock’s business. The company manufactures POP, along with corrugated packaging, which includes shippers, displays and adhesives all in-house. The point-of-purchase material provides helpful info that sells more plants.

The new gardeners who purchased plants online during the COVID-19 pandemic will need help keeping their purchases alive, and that’s where the tag comes in.

“Our customers are shipping plants to people who can’t spell plant,” Lovejoy says. “They have no idea what they’re buying. They want to have to have it in their apartment or condo, just because it’s cool.”

Lovejoy says these online purchases should be accompanied by not only an informational tag, but growers and retailers should use it as an opportunity to talk about the company plant was purchased from and why you should buy your next plant from them, too.

Innovations in automation

The printing and application of tags and labels is all on the grower’s shoulders. Typically, a retailer will direct the grower to use a label or tags in conjunction with labels. It used to be common to use a tag to convey information to the consumer and a blank white adhesive label with black print to communicate the UPC and price point. They were separate items applied separately.

As labor became a bigger issue, growers needed to find a way to minimize the number of touches to the plant. At the same time, retailers wanted all the information on one component.

“Everybody’s having labor problems and labor costs are just getting out of hand,” says Tony Cook, CEO of Great Lakes Label, the owners and creators of the Label Gator brand of products.

Cook says he’s seen facilities with 50 people applying labels by hand. When it comes to tagging, it’s not abnormal to see eight or nine people per production line handling tagging to keep up with run rates of the other equipment.

The biggest complaint he hears from growers is a lack of labor to tag plants during the production process. And handling the inventory in the tag room is quite a job itself.

“Those (tags) don’t just get to the line themselves,” Cook says. “So they create a make-work program where people are running around trying to get the right tags to the right line.”

There’s also the minimum order question. Many growers have pallets and pallets of boxes of different tags that they can’t use.

“Every grower has at least a 30% obsolescence rate in tags because they have to buy a minimum of a thousand of everything,” Cook says. “They throw away so many tags at the end of the year.”

Lovejoy agrees and says the trends he’s seeing are that growers want to make more frequent orders with smaller amounts. It has forced his company to examine its production methods.

“Shorter runs, quicker turnaround is the way the world is going,” he says. “Not just with tags and labels, but in general, but it’s certainly spilling over into our world.”

Big-box retailers are trimming SKUs, but Lovejoy believes garden centers are adding more in a bid to differentiate themselves. He also says people are getting smart when it comes to inventory. Printer trade practices have allowed for shipping plus or minus 10% on an order. That means if a grower ordered 1,000 tags for a particular plant, the printer could (and usually would) send 1,100. When you multiply that by 400 SKUs, you begin to see how this becomes a logistical problem.

“Over time, inventory gets to be a real issue for growers,” “I have seen tag rooms with hundreds of thousands of dollars of excess inventory that wasn’t ordered, and growers just keep it because they paid for it,” he says. “But when you go towards smaller orders and more frequent orders, you can get away from that type of ordering and just order what you need.”

Labels are growing in popularity due in part to these labor issues. and several companies manufacture machines that can automate the application process. Some growers opt for machines that can print and apply labels in-line to containers. Some prefer to print separately, in a room away from the containers and growing media lines.

WestRock manufactures a line of applicators called RockLine. Label options include partially-printed, fully-printed or print-on-demand labels.

“We know the challenges they have with just-in-time inventory and last-minute requests,” Vulgamott says. “And so we just try to give them the flexibility to execute properly. We can put together the best system in the world, but if we don’t make it easy for the grower to execute, it’s worthless.”

Tony Cook, CEO of Great Lakes Label, has noticed a shift from growers using apply-only machines to those that print and apply. The flexibility of on-demand variable-printing is a great help to growers that sell many different varieties.

“The tag is more than double the price of the label and it can’t be automated,” he says. “So it’s very labor intensive and it’s static information printed on the tag. You have to have an inventory of every single SKU that you sell. But with the label, you may be able to use one label for hundreds of different SKU numbers and variable-print the data on demand as you’re applying the label automatically.”

Cook says another reason businesses are moving away from tags and toward labels is in part because of the recent advances in label printing techniques. From a hot stamp to a cold foil metallic to embossing and tactile coatings that have raised bumps you can feel.

Tags hold a lot of information but can be expensive and require a lot of labor. To fit more info on a label, Label Gator developed expanded content labels that have a hinge on one side and peel open.

And for growers whose retailers still want a tag but with the other advantages of a label, Label Gator created the Lagit, a label with a built-in, peel-off tag. The Lagit can be printed on a Label Gator machine or ordered from the company.

Not every grower will want to invest in a machine to automate this process, and there are other options. Lovejoy says one of the biggest growth areas of his business is digital printing and production. Also, for the last 18 months, Hip Labels has been testing alternative materials for tags and labels, paper-based and non-petroleum-based plastics options. Lovejoy expects this work to play a key role in the company’s future, and believes younger more environmentally-conscious consumers will respond well to the new materials.

This article originally ran in the December 2020 issue of Greenhouse Management magazine.