Novalis® Plants that Work®

The following FAQ information was provided by the PR people from Novalis:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Novalis®?

Novalis®, an alliance of top annual, perennial and woody ornamental growers who market exclusively to independent garden centers, re-wholesalers and landscape professionals, is making its mark in the green industry and changing gardening for plant lovers from coast to coast. Novalis®, which means “to cultivate new ground” in Latin, is a growing power in the horticultural industry today. A national alliance of wholesale nurseries whose plants are available in almost 2,000 independent garden centers across the country, Novalis® sells distinctive, high-quality plants under its Plants that Work® brand umbrella and provides consistent marketing and merchandising power to its network. This equates to plant solutions for home gardeners everywhere.

Who makes up the Novalis® network of growers?

The nine perennial growers who are currently a part of Novalis® – Armstrong Growers, Carolina Nurseries, The Conard-Pyle Company, Imperial Nurseries, Willoway Nurseries, Greenleaf Nursery Company, Fisher Farms, Hackney Nursery Company, and Windmill Nursery of LA – embody a combined wealth of horticultural wisdom, and between them they have been in business for over 300 years. In brief, these regional powerhouses have found national strength in numbers. The alliance, according to the growers, is about give-and-take, where everyone benefits. The growers share information and production tips, and they find the synergy of the alliance compelling.

In 2008, the Novalis® network will expand to include superior “color” growers in conjunction with the latest plant program, Plants that Work® by Color™. The most impressive expansion to-date of the Plants that Work® line, Novalis®, along with the newest members of the grower consortium, will bring more than 200 varieties of world- class “color” genetics to gardeners. Novalis® will continue to seek additional “color” growers who might have an interest in joining this top-notch network.

All of the Novalis® growers are marked by a compatible approach to business. They share the same high standards, and all Novalis® brand plants must pass the same quality control specifications before being sent to market.

What is Plants that Work®?

The Plants that Work® brand name, which initially was applied to a small percentage of Novalis plants, now includes all of Novalis®’ offerings – which number in the thousands. The Plants that Work® name serves as a clear tell-tale for consumers. The name directly addresses consumers’ primary fear – that plants will not grow or perform well in their gardens – and assures gardeners, homeowners and landscape professionals that the Novalis® plants they purchase will work beautifully in their locales.

Given this way of thinking, Novalis® believes in the importance of an all-encompassing and easy-to-understand brand that capitalizes on multiple sub-brands.

– Continued

For a business and marketing model that worked, Novalis® looked outside the green industry to soft-drink giant, the Coca-Cola Company®, whose mantra is to ‘Think locally; Act locally,’. It encapsulates the idea that regionalized decisions are the best decisions, even for a large company with a national brand. This ‘multi-local’ approach to business flavors everything Novalis® does, from the selection of plant material grown to the way the company is structured. As Coca-Cola® is known as a popular brand name by consumers, the company’s trusted sub-brands include Diet Coke®, Cherry Coke®, Vanilla Coke®, and others. In much the same way, the Novalis® Plants that Work® brand serves as the primary focus for the group’s marketing purposes, and the various plant programs work together as sub-brands to tell the Novalis® story.

Linda Guy, new plant product development director, and Tom Kegley, marketing  irector for Novalis®, are working daily to concentrate these branding efforts in the direction of building positive consumer preferences. In a progressive move for the horticulture industry, it is Novalis®’ objective to guide and support the entire process – from cutting-edge plant discovery and development to imperative end-user branding and marketing.

What plants and plant programs are a part of the Plants that Work® brand?

As many of the year’s popular selections continue to be offered at independent garden centers across the nation, Linda Guy will once again be planning plant exploration excursions around the globe as part of her role with Novalis® to continue augmenting the plant program lists for future Plants that Work® programs and offerings.

Plants that Work® 2008 offerings:

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Plants that Work® Exclusive varieties:
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‘Pink Double Knock Out’® Rose
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Hydrangea ‘Lemon Daddy™’
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Hydrangea ‘Big Daddy’
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Hydrangea ‘Bits of Lace’™
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NEW: The Garden Sensation™ Series – a new line of ornamental shrubs,
including: Philadelphus ‘Snow White Sensation’™ and Weigela ‘Shining
Sensation’™
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NEW: Gaillardia CommotionTM Series – two new vibrant Gaillardia
varieties, including: Gaillardia CommotionTM ‘Frenzy’ and Gaillardia
CommotionTM ‘Tizzy’
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NEW: MysticalTM Series – a new line of four lovely and rust-resistant
varieties of Hypericum, including: Hypericum ‘Mystical Red Star’TM,
Hypericum ‘Mystical Orange’TM, Hypericum ‘Mystical Beauty’™, and
Hypericum ‘Mystical Sweetheart’TM
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Lonicera Edmee Gold ‘Briloni’
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Hydrangea ‘Color Fantasy’®
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‘Empress of China’TM Dogwood
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Acer ‘Shirazz’TM

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Plants that Work® by Color™ – The most impressive expansion to date of the Plants that Work® line, brings world-class genetics to gardeners in a rainbow of color and form. In spring of 2008, retailers will have new and unique options for year-round color, choosing from more than 200 varieties that make spectacular beds, borders and containers.
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Plants that Work® in Nooks & Crannies™ – A new program with a comprehensive mix of small-stature varieties for compact spaces and special applications with over 200 selections presented in convenient 8-pack carrying trays.
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Plants that Work® – Bring on the Heat™ – This reliable, striking collection of perennials and shrubs from Plants that Work® is back for 2008. Performance-rated for thriving in the hot areas of gardens and patios, Bring on the Heat™ now encompasses 40 plants.
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Plants that Work® – In the Shade™ – This robust and dependable collection of plants has returned with best-of-breeding offerings that have beautiful mixtures of texture and color for shade areas. The program consists of nearly 35 cutting-edge shade-lovers.
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Bamboo – A new program from Novalis® Plants that Work®, offering clumping and running varieties. Seven selections are offered through this collection of stunning bamboo, such as hedging bamboo for a touch of the Orient, clump-forming varieties for coastal areas and colder regions, and lovely timber bamboo for screening.
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Twice as Nice™ Daylily Collection – Novalis®’ award-winning collection of repeat blooming Hemerocallis still remains a well-loved favorite of gardeners and landscape professionals for outdoor rooms. It has been expanded to include two dozen daylilies in a vivid color spectrum.
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Oriental x Trumpet Hybrid Lilies – This collection continues to represent a breakthrough in great garden lilies. With new colors and enhanced garden performance, Oriental x Trumpet lilies have thick latex-like petals and a soft fragrance. They flower in late spring to summer, adding dimensions of height and color to a space.
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Evison TM / Poulsen® Garden Series Clematis – The series of clematis returns with free-flowering habits and large, open flowers. Working in various garden locations and offering USDA Zone 4 hardiness, these clematis varieties grow well in conjunction with shrubs and other climbers, or as container plants on the patio.

Despite these impressive programs and collections, Novalis® is not resting on its “baylaurels.” Instead, Novalis® is looking to bring more growers into its alliance, add new retail partners and alliances with landscape professionals, and introduce more remarkable plants it finds around the world.

Where can Plants that Work® be found?

Novalis® Plants that Work® can be found in almost 2,000 independent garden centers and through many re-wholesalers across the country. Homeowners can easily find the closest retail location, plant growing requirements and brand information by visiting the Novalis® Web site at www.plantsthatwork.com. Landscape professionals and other industry representatives can access additional information on the brand and consortium at www.novalis.com.

How does Novalis® work with independent retailers and re-wholesalers?

Novalis® not only sells exclusively to independent garden centers and re-wholesalers, but it makes a commitment to work with them from A to Z. From national marketing campaigning and point-of-purchase merchandising to assuring that a shopper can pickup a plant and have success with it in the garden, Novalis® is there for its partners. Novalis® works to give independent retailers exactly what they need by conducting market research and focus groups. The results are carefully analyzed and used to improve upon the ways in which the plant programs are developed and messaged. Novalis®’ extensive market research shows that people purchase products, especially plants, when they are familiar with the brand name, and they have a high level of trust in the brand.

Novalis® offers independent retailers and landscape professionals proprietary plants that are not available in the “Big Boxes.” They supply eye-catching display stands, helpful plant care literature, point-of-purchase materials, and educational plant tags that give consumers the needed confidence to purchase a plant.

How does Novalis® make important marketing decisions for its brand?

Research shows that consumers buy plant material when they feel confident they are buying the right plant for the right place at the right time. Gardeners also purchase more plants when care instructions and regional growing tips are available, and they tend to seek out new and improved plant varieties they have read about or seen advertised.

For Novalis®, this translates to placing a great deal of effort into careful marketing decisions surrounding how the plants will be presented to consumers in print and, of course, at the garden center level. Through consistent plant information-sharing and education, Novalis® hopes to make the plant-finding and -buying experience easier and more enjoyable for consumers across the country.

For 2008, support for the independent retailers translates into a roll-out of new consumer advertisements in national and regional gardening magazines, strategic public / media relations programs that allow for valuable interfacing with garden editors and writers, and the invariable use of light-green nursery pots branded with the Novalis® Plants that Work® logo.

What sets Plants that Work® apart from other brands?

The efforts of all Novalis® growers would be fruitless without premium plants. The task always at hand is selecting and growing robust, value-added plants that measure up to the most challenging conditions and can command top-dollar in the marketplace. Through the following, Novalis® strives to bring vigorous but distinctive and sought-after plants to the marketplace:

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Vigorous, high-quality selections that homeowners and landscape professionals
ask for by name.
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Genetic research and testing, plant trials, market studies, and focus groups
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A regionalized approach to growing that meets the needs of the local-area plant-buyers throughout the nation
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Plant programs broken down by various growing conditions and applications for the garden

Notes to Editors, Reporters, and Writers:

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Media contact for all purposes: Eberly Public Relations, 404-574-2900.
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Please contact Don Eberly, doneberly@eberlypr.com, or Sally Credille, sallycredille@eberlypr.com, directly for use of this information, interviews, additional images, fact-checking, or any other reason.
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Please see the CD with this FAQ and media kit containing high-resolution, Associated Press-ready photo images with corresponding captions and plant profiles of select Novalis plants, all part of Plants that Work®.
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Additional information, interviews, individual plant profiles, article angles, feature stories, and supplemental high-resolution / Associated Press-ready images may be obtained by directly contacting Eberly Public Relations.
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This information can be published in its entirety or in part by contacting Eberly Public Relations.
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Thank you!