Blogger of the week: The Greenhouse Worker

This week's blog is The Greenhouse Worker, written by Andrea Scott. There are just a few posts, but it looks like this is a continuation from a previous blog, so hopefully we'll be hearing a lot more from Andrea about her corner of floriculture.

Her most recent post has images of some impressive combination planters for fall, but in the blog she also gives her impressions of varieties and products and shares some growing tips. I love reading "This is my own opinion and by no means reflects the company I work for" or similar. It means someone is saying something honest and interesting. (She was talking about Scotts vs. TerraCycle.)

You can also follow Andrea's microblog on Twitter here.

Blogger Of The Week: Steppin' Out With The Stepables Lady

Steppin' Out With The Stepables Lady is showing the industry how blogging is done. Frances Hopkins of Stepables is the blogger and is the perfect personality for blogging -- fun, interesting and upbeat. She tells us about her philosophy on plants ("I took some drawing classes in college. I was decent, but horticulture came calling and I guess I turned in the charcoal for a pair of pruning shears") and shares a little about herself ("I wanted to train wild animals too…but got bit by a lion".) And photos!

I just heard in a lecture on managment the other day that the number one factor that clouds employees' feelings about a job isn't the work, but their co-workers. I think the same can be said about the supplier/customer relationship. If your customers feel like they know and like you, they'll stay your customers. A blog is the perfect way to keep that relationship strong.

See Steppin' Out With The Stepables Lady at http://www.stepables.com/blogs/fran/

Blogger of the week: Parks Brothers' Blog

You can use a blog to communicate anything. Park Brothers Greenhouses of Van Buren, Arkansas, is using its blog to communicate availabilities to customers. Visit the site, at http://parksbros.wordpress.com and find photos of varieties.

Jason Parks tells me he started the blog last year but really started promoting it this spring. Retail customers, or anyone, can post comments on availabilities and variety selection. And we get to see how you can transport three pies during a flood.

Blog of the week: Wal-Mart's Check Out

Check Out is a blog written by Wal-Mart associates. Described as "dedicated to bringing you the latest in gadgets, green, gaming, and more," Check Out is divided by consumer category, including Lawn & Garden.

Blogger Marvin Deshommes is back for the spring, his latest post on hardgoods supply -- patio furniture and grills. We want to hear about what's up with live goods!We'll stay tuned to see what's up at the mass merchandiser.

Blogger of the week: Making Cents Of Green Industry Economics

With the economy volatile as it is and the R word being whispered more than any of us would like, Charlie Hall at the Ellison Chair at Texas A&M wants to talk about how the economy is affecting the floriculture industry.

His new blog is called Making Cents Of Green Industry Economics. A few recent posts address the effect of the stimulus package being considered by Congress (“If checks are received by mid-to-late May or early June, there may be opportunity for such spending to occur in lawn and garden retail outlets.”) and recession resistance (“differentiation – that is, specializing by product, services offered, customer type, or geographic area.”)

To get in on the conversation, visit http://ellisonchair.blogspot.com/.

Blogger Of The Week: The Blogging Nurseryman

Good Monday morning! What better way to start it off than with the Blogging Nurseryman, this week's Blogger of the Week. Trey Pitsenberger, the Blogging Nurseryman himself, keeps us up to date on his Golden Gecko Garden Center in Garden Valley, Calif., as well as the issues on his mind through his blog. Plant guarantees and citizen journalism are just a few of the topics on his mind recently.

Fall is a good time for retailers to take a look back at what's worked and what hasn't -- and it's a great time for growers to hear that stuff, too. And just look at his profile picture and you can see how much fun Trey is having!

Blogger Of The Week: Albert's Greenhouse

Albert's Greenhouse is a blog by a serious greenhouse grower. Albert Huntington has a 96 square foot greenhouse he calls a hobby greenhouse, but he explains his setup's glazings, heating and ventilation, air circulation, nutrition and pest control here. In his blog, Albert shares thoughts on interesting, tropical varieties.

There's also some great insight on marketing and retailing from a gardener's perspective. (But somebody had the idea to produce the tree and market it, all with the knowledge that it's totally unsuited for any climate we can provide it.) We'll be reading, Albert.

Blogger Of The Week: Growing Up

This week's blogger is Larry and everyone at Growing Up by Sherwood Greenhouses in Regina, Saskatchewan. I really like the personal feel of this blog and of how it covers a little bit of everything -- fruit, vegetable and ornamental crops, news, fun stuff and opinion.

I look forward to hearing more about a greenhouse renovation and what's going on up there north of the border. Check out all the links on the right, too. Good job, Sherwood Greenhouses!

Blogger Of The Week: Ask A Grower

For my next greenhouse blogger, I select Ask A Grower. I like this blog because the blogger is really dedicated to keeping us up to date on his poinsettia crop.

It's like High Noon -- or a more modern real-time comparison, 24 (which I'm a bigger fan of, anyway). I'm watching this grower's production progress. And there's a pretty good back and forth volley on the Ask A Grower forum.

Blogger Of The Week: Transatlantic Plantsman

This might be a tall order to fill, but my goal is to find one new blog per week written by a grower or industry personality.

This week, it's the Transatlantic Plantsman. Lots of nice information on varieties. There's also a nice section here on how to keep track of all the blogs you want to read.

Do you have a blog? You can see your site here. Let me know about it. Leave me a comment or e-mail me at satambascio@meistermedia.com.

Tears For Beauty

I stopped over at Takao Nursery's blog yesterday ... they have a YouTube clip from a reality talent show where this guy brings the audience to tears with his beautiful opera performance. It is great, and Danny emailed me asking, "Can you imagine if our industry could evoke that kind of emotions with our plants?"

What a great question. I mean, the product itself does evoke those kinds of emotions sometimes (weddings, botanical gardens), but the average consumer just isn't feeling it. Why is that?