The gardening industry is starting out 2014 on a strong note; this year has been dubbed the year of mindfulness. In fact, mindfulness is named one of the top ten trends that will shape the world this year.

People are growing weary of being constantly connected to their digital screens.

They want a way to detox, to unwind and rediscover peace, and this movement is spreading quickly.

Happiness is being redefined, and gardening fits into the mindfulness movement perfectly.

Read on to learn why and how mindfulness is shaping 2014, and how your garden business can take hold of this movement.

Welcome back y'all! Just like that the holiday season has come and gone, another year has passed and best of all, we're back in business.  

Is this the year you're going to make a marketing splash?  We have a lot to offer you and your garden business in 2014.

First off, Trending Thursday will be sticking around. Throughout November and December, the global consumer trends and lawn and garden industry trends were covered in a post each Thursday.

Starting next Thursday, a specific garden and home trend outlined in the 2014 Garden Trends Report will be delved deeper into each Trending Thursday.

Before we march forward, however, we wanted to take a second to recap the biggest garden consumer and industry trends.

When deciding to partner with a PR firm, your garden business is making a big investment.

Signing a yearly or multi-year contract is the most common practice for PR firms, which means you need to be completely ready for the commitment.

One way to make sure you maximize your partnership with your PR firm is to prep and ask tough questions about communication, price, and expectations before you begin.

Get the most out of your partnership with a PR firm by using these 4 tips to get the biggest bang for your buck.

Holiday-themed campaigns and real-time marketing are a big trend right now.

And, this year, spooky flowers and garden accessories are hot, too. They're popping up everywhere, from Urban Gardens to Sunset magazine.

It's a natural fit though. Halloween is about things that go bump in the night, and what better decorations than those that are ALIVE! 

Below are 9 garden plants and products that will add something unexpected to your Halloween décor this year for a unique, spooky twist on the typical.  Because we know- you’re anything but typical.

Today's Garden Center is showcasing Garden Media Group's six major consumer shifts along with several lower level trends that will impact garden purchases in its 2014 Garden Trends Report.

The overall theme, the report says, is finding balance. Each Thursday GROW! will now showcase and delve into a new garden trend of 2014.

Be sure to download the 2014 Trends Report to learn the details and forces behind each trend--and how your business can integrate the 2014 garden trends to grow your business.

Content marketing is the future of the industry.

Instead of telling you what to do and what to know, content marketing inspires you to listen by providing your target audience with information they're craving in an arary of formats.

Content marketing connects instead of isolating. Typical advertising and marketing can actually have an adverse effect on your target audience. By bombarding them with irrelevant information, you isolate them from your brand while content marketing connects by answering key questions on their own time.

Below discover why content marketing, also known as inbound marketing, is the future of the industry as we know it. 

In the gardening world, the print catalog has always been a standby.

But, they're expensive and often sent to a broad list of people, who frankly throw it in the trash. 

Instead for your garden brand to gain true, meaningful traction, you need to provide interesting content to the people who crave it.

Enter the new digital, social catalog of 2013--and beyond. Read on to discover how you can create your own innovative, green catalog.

This week, I'm at Hubspot's Inbound Marketing Conference in Boston and am loving every second of it! Don't worry, I'll share more knowledge and content marketing wisdom when I return.

But, I could not wait to share Seth Godin's insights on how "we are all inbound now." As you probably guessed, seeing and hearing "America's Greatest Marketer" was absolutely amazing!

So amazing in fact that I could not wait to run back and blog about it--in typical content marketing fashion!

Read on to discover Seth Godin's tips and tricks for navigating the world of marketing that he shared at Inbound 2013!

With the amount of time we spend thinking about all things gardening and marketing, it's easy to forget one of the most integral aspects of success in a business: you.

As the leader of a successful business, I know you take work home with you -especially during the busiest season of the year.

For gardeners, early spring is the time when flowers, seeds, soils, and chic containers are flying off the shelf.

Well, we think it's time to take a brief mental break from sales increases.

In order for your garden business to be successful, you need to learn the importance of self-care.