Cross Fertilization

The Perfect Hosts

Buyers from across the country headed west for the first-ever Southern California Plant Tour Days, held for three days in late February. Like organizers of one very, very big block party, the nursery owners opened up their doors, set out the snacks and gave visitors a tour of the place.

Platters of finger sandwiches emptied as quickly as order forms filled up. At least 120 new customers purchased $283,000 between the mid-February tour and the end of April. Existing customers who attended are projected to increase their purchases by $2,060,000. Overall, participating nurseries reported that they expect a sales boost of $3,520,000, thanks to the tour. "Going into this, we thought ‘ maybe we’ll get about 50 people and that will be good," says Kister, who served as the event chairperson. "But 300 people? Obviously, our customers were just waiting for this to happen."

The turnout is only part of the reason greenhouse owners are celebrating.

The participants, many of whom compete for the same business, teamed up to promote the event, reach potential attendees and help one another prepare. That’s 22 different schedules, work styles, agendas, customer lists, budgets, and personalities coming together. "It was common knowledge that the growers in Southern California are fiercely independent and rarely cooperated," Kister explains, emphasizing the past tense. "So we had some fears to calm, doubts to erase … we had some work to do"

But that’s all history now. Here’s how "history" was made.

- Floral Management, October 200

Amanda Temple is the managing editor of Floral Management. Email: atemple@safnow.org