The “Year of the” promotion is ready to help growers, garden retailers (both online and brick-and-mortar) and garden communicators encourage consumers to discover and embrace four plant classes.
Promotional marketing materials for the four 2019 “Year of the” classes are now available on National Garden Bureau’s website: www.ngb.org.
Each year National Garden Bureau (NGB), the non-profit organization that promotes gardening on behalf of the horticulture industry and its members, encourages the use of selected plants for its “Year of the” program.
For 2019, they are:
- Annuals: Year of the Snapdragon
- A nostalgic plant that has been updated for today’s garden.
- Vegetables/edibles: Year of the Pumpkin
- A wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors make this a very fun class to promote.
- Perennials: Year of the Salvia nemorosa
- Commonly known as Woodland Sage and is a great food source for pollinators.
- Bulbs: Year of the Dahlia
- Highlighted in cooperation with the American Dahlia Society, a respected organization that helped make the NGB dahlia photo library the most extensive in “Year of” history.
The National Garden Bureau members and Board of Directors select plant classes that consumers can grow successfully. Each “Year of the” choice is easy to grow, genetically diverse and includes lots of new varieties—all traits that will help consumers and their gardens flourish.
Promotional materials
To help retailers and educators spread the word and the use of this program, NGB offers free promotional materials. Click on each link above to find the following downloadable materials for each crop:
- A fun and interesting Fact Sheet
- A multitude of photos from members
- Watercolor logos
- A PowerPoint presentation
- A printable flyer
- An 8x10 sign
- A 5x7 sign
- “Did You Know” Fun Facts
- Posters are available for a nominal fee
Promotion works
NGB began the “Year of the” programs in the early 1980s. Over time, this program has generated tremendous consumer and industry publicity. The entire industry—breeders, brokers, seed companies, growers, nurseries and garden centers—are urged to highlight these flowers and plants when planning their 2019 marketing.
Publicity of the 2019 “Year of the” choices began in August 2018 at the GWA Annual Meeting. Publicity direct to the consumer will begin in January 2019. Visit the National Garden Bureau website to download photos, logos, fact sheets and much more. These tools will help the home garden industry encourage gardening with these specific classes.
Join the NGB Social Media community, now over 70,000 strong. Follow NGB on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram and share the posts throughout all of 2019.
For more information about this program and/or membership in National Garden Bureau, please email Diane Blazek