Pollinator Week (June 16 – 22)

From the bees buzzing in your garden to the butterflies fluttering through meadows and fields, pollinators are nature's essential workers. As they transfer pollen between flowers, they enable plant reproduction, impacting everything from our food supply to the vibrant landscapes we cherish.

Pollinator Week is the perfect time for your garden business to recognize these tiny, unsung heroes that play a vital role in the reproduction of plants that provide us with many things, like coffee, chocolate, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. The economic value of pollination services is estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars globally.

But that’s not all. Native plants are more than a buzzword. More people than ever are looking for plants, education, and tools to create backyard habitats. 

Read on to learn more about Pollinator Week and how to incorporate facts and tips into your content for June.

The 2024 Garden Trends emphasize the undeniable allure of the darker side of the botanical world. When it comes to captivating an audience and sparking curiosity, few things hold intrigue quite like spooky plants.

Besides being a year-round social media trend, these fascinating specimens can be the secret ingredient for this particular season when crafting social media posts, sparking compelling article topics, and increasing engagement. With Halloween just around the corner, now is the perfect time to create your very own goth garden.

Read more to learn about some of our favorite spooky plants and how to use them in your marketing.

In the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics, staying up-to-date on the latest trends and technologies is crucial. This is why we attended a recent webinar hosted by Meltwater, a global provider of media intelligence and social analytics. 

This exclusive webinar explored cutting-edge advancements in AI and shared tips on achieving success using new innovations. We learned valuable insights to transform our approach and discover how Generative AI revolutionizes marketing.

By automating content creation, optimizing customer targeting, and delivering personalized campaigns, AI can almost be seen as a silver bullet. We advise you to proceed with caution and take extra steps to ensure accuracy, originality, and ethical reliability. AI can be used for writing, data analytics, and other practical applications. 

The webinar was led by Lindsay Herbert, Author of Digital Transformation and Global Chief Innovation Officer at IBM Garage, and Guillaume Decugis, Meltwater's VP of Consumer Insights. 

Keep reading to learn how to integrate AI into your workspace seamlessly.

Great Grow Along (GGA), an annual ten-day virtual festival, aims to connect and inspire gardeners with influencers worldwide while educating them on cutting-edge content. The 2023 festival, which ran in March, featured sixty+ educational sessions and virtual garden tours. A record-breaking 56k people logged in to see the speakers and chat with the community.

This event is for gardeners of all experience levels and is free for live streaming during the event. Every day of the festival is packed with expert education, practical advice, and creative inspiration from industry leaders and top influencers.

Now that the event has passed, viewers can subscribe for an on-demand session here.

Catchy names for each day, such as Wildlife Wednesday and Sustainability Sunday, aim to bring attention to the topics covered. Big-named brands like Park® Seed, Sunset® Plant Collection, and Garden For Wildlife™ sponsor the event to keep the content current and free of charge for viewers. 

Whether this was your first year attending or your third, everyone left the event with a wealth of information about various gardening topics. Sessions presented ranged from water-wise plantings to supporting hummingbird species and creating a healthy gardening ecosystem.
 
One of the festival's creators, LaManda Joy, believes the world would be better with more gardeners. "I am thrilled to empower individuals to reach new heights in their gardening journey," says Joy. "This festival allows us to share our expertise and advice and puts education at the forefront, giving new gardeners the confidence and tools they need to succeed."

Read on to learn more about the Great Grow Along and highlights from a few sessions!