Hort & Culture Blog

Hort Post

A regular e-communication from Horticultural Marketing and Printing

September 28, 2016

Custom Containers

As an independent retailer one of your advantages is your ability to customize your merchandise. Customized mixed containers or baskets will give your customers a chance to purchase items not found at large retailers. You can also utilize small or local vendors of pottery and other crafts to give planters a unique look that is not available elsewhere. Because they are your creations, these unique, custom items cannot be price shopped elsewhere; you will be able to price them according to their perceived value. Another benefit to this line of products is immediate purchases. Help your customers realize that once these are gone, they’re gone, so if the item appeals to them, they should buy it now.  (Source: Green Profit Magazine)

Static electricity control

The paper in your office printer is susceptible to static electricity. Static electricity causes the paper inside your printer to stick together and jam in the printer's rollers and other components. Low humidity and the transfer of electrical charges from your fingertips to the paper causes static to form between the sheets of paper inside your printer.

Static electricity increases during the winter months. For static control in work areas, use anti-static mats on floors and work surfaces, and have staff wear anti-static wrist bands, heel straps or conductive shoes. Using an anti-static spray on surfaces may also be helpful. For more serious and constant issues with static use a static eliminator. Static eliminators come in different shapes and sizes for different applications; they can help remove static from either the media, the person or both.

TITAN 4 thermal transfer printer

We are pleased to introduce our newest addition to our family of printers, the budget-friendly TITAN 4 thermal-transfer printer. This new model will produce strip tags, light pot stakes, pressure-sensitive sticker labels and 4 x 5" signs. It’s easy to use, lightweight and portable, if you need to print in multiple locations. Label feeding and sensor adjustments are easy and the external label mount assembly accommodates OnSyte labels with 3" cores. Check it out on line or give us a call for more information.

Large Sold Tags

Our Large SOLD tags are just the thing to clearly mark items that have already been purchased. Made from .015 weatherproof long lasting red vinyl; they are printed SOLD on front and space for Customer Name, Address, Phone, and Deposit on back. They are available strung, wired, or unstrung. Tags are 5” W x 2.5” H; sold in packages of 100.

Enter SOLDTAGSOCT16 in the shopping cart window to receive 10% off your purchase of Large Sold Tags.

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www.hortmp.com

or give us a call

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Hort Post

A regular e-communication from Horticultural Marketing and Printing

September 15, 2016

Customer Service

One of the major reasons that customer shop at family owned or independent retailers is the level of customer service that they receive. Make sure that your staff realizes that the customer is the reason that they get to collect their paychecks and that it is top priority to take care of them. Set clear expectations that all employees stop what they are doing to engage customers, and then hire secret shoppers to ensure that those expectations are being met. Customers should be greeted upon entering the store. If a customer obviously needs help, staff should come to their aid. Let staff members know that it’s ok to not know the answer to a question; they should go find someone who does know the answer and listen with the customer and learn.  (Source: Green Profit Magazine)

Print ribbon care

It’s always great to have extra ribbons for your printer on hand but you could have print quality issues if the ribbon is more than two years old. Over time the components that make up the ribbon start to break down, and you could start to see flaking text, ink not adhering to the media, or other issues. Store your extra supplies in cool, dry environment to maximize the lifespan of your supplies.

Cardboard Shopping Trays

This new and exclusive product is sure to enhance the retail experience. Made of 1/8" cardboard, our trays ship flat but assemble in seconds. They're strong enough to hold 1-gallon pots or more. The base is 11" by 16" and will hold 12 bedding plants in 3.5" pots. Side walls are 2" high. Each bundle of 50 trays comes with assembly instructions. Trays can also be custom printed with your name and logo. For details, call (800) 433-8247.

Santa Christmas Tree Tags

These charming Santa tags come in 2 different styles; one for living trees and one for real (cut) trees. Our Santa tags are made of tough weatherproof vinyl with a tear-off pricing area. Care instructions for each type of tree on the back. Size: 3 1/2 x 4 3/4". 100 per package. Choose from wired, strung, or unstrung.

Enter SANTATAGSSEPT16 in the shopping cart window to receive 10% off your purchase of either of our Santa Christmas Tree Tags.

Shop our website to see our full line of products

www.hortmp.com

or give us a call

1-800-433-8247

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Hort Post

A regular e-communication from Horticultural Marketing and Printing

August 17, 2016

Annuals in the garden

New gardeners can struggle with the definition of annuals vs. perennials. They can also be confused on how to mix annual and perennials in the landscape. One of the best ways to help a novice gardener achieve a lush garden is to help them expand their plant palette by selecting seasonal annuals to interplant with their existing perennials and shrubs. For example, planting pockets of annuals like pentas, begonias, and caladiums will provide great color throughout the warm season when many other plants are taking a break from the heat. Annuals can provide great transition and maintain visual interest from winter into spring and summer into fall when perennials and shrubs may not yet be putting on their best show. 

Printer maintenance

Now that we’ve made it through the busy spring and summer season, it’s a good idea to perform some routine maintenance on your printer. These tips will help you keep your printer in good working condition. Make sure your sensor is adjusted correctly, and clean your print head if it has gotten dusty. We recommend cleaning thermal transfer print heads after every roll with our Thermpen Cleaning Pens. If you are getting no paper or paper jam errors clean your feed rollers with a piece of clean cotton and isopropyl alcohol and clean your media sensor with a blast of canned air.

Contact us with any questions

OnSyteXTRA 5 Printer

The industry's best and most-relied-upon thermal transfer printer. The XTRA-5 has a 5-inch print head and an extended frame to accommodate labels up to 9 inches wide. It also has a near-edge print head making it perfect for thicker nursery labels (including pot stakes!). Prints 300 DPI images for high-resolution barcodes and graphics.

Biodegradeable Marking Ribbon and Barricade Tape 

Our biodegradable marking ribbon is made of non-woven cellulose material derived from wood pulp. This material is non-toxic to humans, animals, and the environment. Complete degradation will occur outdoors in six to twenty-four months, depending upon environmental and climactic conditions. Marking ribbon is 1” x 100’, barricade tape is 3”x 150’.

Enter BIORIBBONAUG16 in the shopping cart window to receive 10% off your purchase of biodegradable marking ribbon and barricade tape.

Shop our website to see our full line of products

www.hortmp.com

or give us a call

1-800-433-8247

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Hort Post

A regular e-communication from Horticultural Marketing and Printing

August 3, 2016

Freshen up containers for fall

Containers often look tired at the end of summer, but some of the plants may still be in good shape or just needing a cleanup or quick trim. One way to drive sales in fall is to offer a class on how to refresh containers to get them ready for fall.  Teach gardeners how to assess the overall health of each plant, explain which plants should be replaced if their blooming season is over, and how to determine which plants can be kept and cleaned up. Have a good selection of both shade and sun fall color, and don’t be shy about using perennials with colorful foliage such as Heuchera or great fall bloomers like Aster for seasonal interest.

Customers care about pollinators

As consumers we regularly read about the importance of pollinators, pollinator decline, and information about pollinator health. A recent Michigan State University study found that consumers valued ornamental plants labeled with insect management practices such as “bee-friendly” or “grown using best insect management to protect pollinators” over plants labeled with eco-friendly practices such as “grown using recycled/recaptured water”. Consumers were willing to pay more for plants labeled “bee-friendly insect management”, despite the fact that more than 30% of consumers were confused by the “bee-friendly” labeling. These consumers thought that the label referred to the plant’s food source quality rather that the pest management practices. Promoting pollinators and the practices that protect them can be a win-win for your business and the environment. Source: Michigan State University Extension 

SOLO 4 PLUS thermal transfer printer

This 4-inch thermal transfer printer produces 203-dpi images, perfect for both logos and bar codes. It prints strip tags, hang tags, pressure sensitive labels and pot stakes up to .012" thick at and 2-6 inches per second.  A solid printer with years of proven performance in the nursery industry.  Can be used stand-alone, without a computer.

The Solo 4 features standard parallel, serial and USB ports. It accepts any standard PS2 keyboard for stand-alone use. Includes 2 MB Flash plus 2 MB DRAM Memory. Pre-loaded with label templates and comes equipped with Q-Label label design software. 2-year warranty and free technical support. Check it out on line or give us a call for more information.

Trellis Pyramid Caps

These soft rubber caps hold 3 bamboo stakes firmly in place to form a perfect pyramid trellis. The cap holes are tapered to securely hold varying thicknesses of bamboo stakes up to 6’ tall. 1,000 per package

Enter TRPYRCAPAUG16 in the shopping cart window to receive 10% off your purchase of Trellis Pyramid Caps.

Shop our website to see our full line of products

www.hortmp.com

or give us a call

1-800-433-8247

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Horticulture Marketing and Printing - 3210 Innovative Way – Mesquite, TX 75149

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Hort Post

July 20, 2016

The industry-best color printer, just $229 per month

Printing color tags and signs has now become more affordable than ever with the industry-best UVPLUS printer from Horticultural Marketing and Printing. Ask about our financing option with monthly payments as low as $229 per month. The UVPLUS offers unchallenged fade resistance on full-color plant tags, signs, pot stakes, banners and brochures. Also ask about our new TagXpress Plus software package, which includes access to our extensive plant photo library. Order in July and received a free set of toners (a $946 value).

Fresh monochromatic displays

One hot design trend that translates well to container plantings is the monochromatic look. This idea starts with selecting a single color and expanding the range of tints and shades within that color. This concept might give you the opportunity to sell some otherwise slow moving pottery. Imagine a dark blue container with pale blue woodland phlox and dusty blue hosta, or a bright yellow container full of golden coreopsis with yellow bidens cascading down.  Even brown containers could be used to highlight the rich colors of heuchera or loropetalum, and white or off white pots would be great filled with daisies for sunny locations or gardenias in shady gardens.

Blackboard Stakes

Use with white Posterman Pens or chalk for eye-catching pricing or labeling. Posterman Pens are waterproof, but wash off with household cleaner. Plastic base fits all size stakes, Fasten stakes to bench or place beneath flats or pots. Available in 2 sizes: 6 x 4 x 21”; 8 x 5 x 28”. Purchase in packages of 25.

Enter BBSTAKEAUG16 in the shopping cart window to receive 10% off your purchase of Blackboard Stakes or Bases.

Shop our website to see our full line of products

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or give us a call

1-800-433-8247

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Hort Post

A regular e-communication from Horticultural Marketing and Printing

July 6, 2016

Retail Therapy

According to Ebates recent Spring Shopping Survey, almost everyone (96% of adults and 95% of teens) engages in “retail therapy” as a mood booster. For adults, 56% say that clothing purchases make them happiest, followed by books, music, and movies (42%); travel (40%); tech/electronics (38%); and home décor (33%). Teens got the best pick-me-up from clothing (68%); tech/electronics (51%); books, music, and movies (43%); travel (22%); and home décor (17%).  While we know that plants make garden center customers happy, it’s good to realize that clothing, books and home décor (indoor or outdoor) will also pique their interests. Keeping all your profit centers fresh and up to date will help you maximize sales. Source: Green Profit Magazine

Protecting yourself from ransomware

Ransomware is a type if malicious software (malware) designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid. Here are some ways that you can fight off becoming infected with ransom ware. Install software updates. Malware commonly invades your computer via outdated software applications. Keep your applications and operating system up to date and safer. Use Windows User Access Control. If you’re using Windows, User Access Control (UAC) will inform you when a program makes a change that requires administrator level permission. UAC works by adjusting the permissions level of your user account based on the current tasks. So, if you’re reading email or creating documents you will have the permissions of a standard user even if you are logged in as an administrator. Be skeptical. Don’t click on any emails or attachments that you don’t recognize, and avoid suspicious websites. Most malware infections come from user actions, so if you’re not sure, don’t do it. Source: itnews.com

Custom, Print-on-Demand Billboards

With our new UDesign technology, you can personalize your 7 x 5” and 11 x 7” billboard signs and promote your brand name along with your plants. You can choose from over 10,000 plant varieties -- over 4 times more than were available on the traditional billboards.

The completely customizable billboards allow you to:

• Add your company name and logo

• Add retail pricing and container size

• Edit plant descriptions

• Choose from 7”x 5” or 11”x 7” signs

• Select from 3 different templates for each size

• Select theme color or add your own background photo

• Add tie-in products.

Marking Flags

Solid color marking flags are ideal for above ground marking. The flags come in 2 sizes; 2.5 x 3.5” or 4x5” on a 21” wire staff. Sold in bundles of 100. The 4x5” flags can be custom printed with your own name and/or logo. The imprint area is 3.5x4.5”; there is an additional setup fee and a minimum order of 1000 flags.

Enter MARKINGFLAGSJULY16 in the shopping cart window to receive 10% off your purchase of non-customized Marking Flags.

Shop our website to see our full line of products

www.hortmp.com

or give us a call

1-800-433-8247

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Horticulture Marketing and Printing - 3210 Innovative Way – Mesquite, TX 75149

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Hort Post

A regular e-communication from Horticultural Marketing and Printing

June 22, 2016

Shopping Habits

A study of 300 shoppers ages 18-55 showed that 57% of consumers still make most of their purchases in store. Customers said that they ‘valued interaction with knowledgeable store associates and the ability to try products before buying’ as the main reasons for visiting brick and mortar stores. However, nearly a third of shoppers visited retailer websites to evaluate their purchases; while another 22% used exclusively online stores to research products that were purchased at retail locations. Even in these days of online shopping, keeping your sales staff up-to -date and well versed on your store inventory will improve your customers’ overall shopping experience and satisfaction.  (Source: Green Profit Magazine)

Retail / Wholesale Pricing

Many nurseries sell to both retail and wholesale customers. When that’s the case, you’re always going to have two different price points for each plant you sell. 

In addition to putting the retail price on the tag, it’s handy to have the wholesale price too. That way your wholesale customers can shop without constantly asking your staff, “How much is this? How much is that?”

By coding your wholesale pricing, you allow your landscapers to shop with less assistance. An easy code for customers to understand is putting the wholesale price at the end of a series of numbers. For instance, something that would wholesale for $10.99 could be coded 246981099. Cultivating both retail and wholesale customers will help your merchandise turns and allow you to have the freshest products possible.

Annual & Perennial Designer Tags

Colorfully distinguish annuals from perennials in your garden center. Choose from sun exposure color coded or single no-sun-exposure pot stakes. Actual size is 5/8” x 5” made of .020 Styrene.

Enter ANNPERDESIGNERTAGSJULY16 in the shopping cart window to receive 10% off your purchase of Annual or Perennial Designer Tags.

Classified Signs

The flexible, easy way to sign trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers, annuals, and perennials. Sizes: 5x4,5x7,7x5,11x7, and 7x11. Made of .015 weatherproof vinyl; sold in packages of 25.

Shop our website to see our full line of products

www.hortmp.com

or give us a call

1-800-433-8247

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Hort Post

A regular e-communication from Horticultural Marketing and Printing

June 8, 2016

Millennial Moms

Nearly half (46%) of millennial women (age 22-34) are mothers. Understanding their shopping habits can benefit your bottom line. Of these millennial moms 92% of millennial moms want to their purchases to support charities or larger causes. Almost three-quarters (71%) of young moms work outside the home. These moms also spend time and money on DIY projects and crafts at home. Social media sites like Pinterest are the likely drivers of the inspiration for these projects, and savvy advertisers for craft, home and décor products will increase brand awareness by using visual, interactive marketing to reach out and engage these millennial moms’ interests. (Source: Green Profit Magazine)

Add your PO number to your tags to assist with tracking

By placing the PO number on tags, you will be able to tell which plants were on a specific order. This will help you track orders if plants come in diseased or infested, and may also assist your vendor in following up on infestation in the field. You can also include the PO date on the tag. However, while it’s handy to look at a plant and know how long it’s been on your yard, you don’t want customers to look at a tag and say, “Holy cow, this tree is old enough to vote!” One solution is to put the date in code. A simple way is to add one digit in front and in back of the date. For instance, the date April 15, 2014 would be 50415149. Most customers without spy training wouldn’t decipher that.

OnSyteXTRA 5 Printer

The industry's best and most-relied-upon thermal transfer printer. The XTRA-5 has a 5-inch print head and an extended frame to accommodate labels up to 9 inches wide. It also has a near-edge print head making it perfect for thicker nursery labels (including pot stakes!). Prints 300 DPI images for high-resolution barcodes and graphics.

Clear Pressure Sensitive Labels

Our newest innovation in sticker labels lets you custom price products without sacrificing good looks. Smaller sizes are perfect for pricing and barcoding custom and classic tags. They go on clean and look much more attractive than a white sticker.

The larger sticker is perfect for labeling colored pots. Now you don't have to worry about the white labels being a distraction. Please realize that barcodes cannot be read against all container colors.

Enter PSCLEARLABELJUNE16 in the shopping cart window to receive 10% off your purchase of Clear Pressure Sensitive Labels.

Shop our website to see our full line of products

www.hortmp.com

or give us a call

1-800-433-8247

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Horticulture Marketing and Printing - 3210 Innovative Way – Mesquite, TX 75149

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Hort Post

A regular e-communication from Horticultural Marketing and Printing

May 26, 2016

Let your printer help reconcile deliveries

It’s always best practice to tag plants at the exact moment they’re coming off the vendor’s truck. Print the tags for the upcoming day’s deliveries so you’ll be ready when the trucks arrive. As we all know, counting plants is one of the hardest tasks human beings have ever attempted. If you tag plants as they come off the truck, you have a safety net. If the truck is empty and you still have tags in your hand, you know you got shorted. You then inform your vendor and you don’t pay for plants you didn’t receive. By using this simple practice, your label printer can help save you money and time.

Software upgrades: Why they’re important.

You’ve heard, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” With the interconnectivity of computer operating systems, internet browsers, cloud services and business software, you may rethink that. As older systems are no longer supported by upgraded software, you could experience a gap in workflow if all your software isn’t kept up to date. When you receive notice that software updates are available (or needed) check if your business-essential software is compatible. If it is, go ahead and upgrade. If it isn’t, look into what it will take to upgrade. Keeping all your software current will maintain the stability and efficiency of your business.

Custom, Print-on-Demand Billboards

With our new UDesign technology, you can personalize your 7 x 5” and 11 x 7” billboard signs and promote your BRAND NAME® along with your plants. You can choose from over 10,000 plant varieties -- over 4 times more than were available on the traditional billboards.

The completely customizable billboards allow you to:

• Add your company name and logo

• Add retail pricing and container size

• Edit plant descriptions

   • Choose from 7”x 5” or 11”x 7” signs

   • Select from 3 different templates for each size

   • Select theme color or add your own background photo

  • Add tie-in products.

Galvanized Sign Holders for your personalized Billboards

Our most popular sign holders feature proven galvanized steel construction for years of reliable use. Use our 11 x 7” and 7 x 5” galvanized sign holders on either 18” or 30” stakes to display your custom billboard signs. Our sign holders feature faces that are flanged on all 4 sides to keep signs from blowing out.

Enter GALFORUDESIGNJUNE16 in the shopping cart window to receive 10% off your purchase of Galvanized Sign Holders.

Shop our website to see our full line of products

www.hortmp.com

or give us a call

1-800-433-8247

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Horticulture Marketing and Printing - 3210 Innovative Way – Mesquite, TX 75149

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Hort Post

A regular e-communication from Horticultural Marketing and Printing

May 13, 2016

Motivating Staff

As we move through the spring season, many of you are looking for ways to motivate your staff. Common material perks are bonuses and free food, but these don’t always drive long-term satisfaction and wellbeing among employees. Here are three suggestions for other ways to increase staff satisfaction and subsequently productivity. Inspiration: Use customer testimonials to remind staff how their work is improving people’s lives. Announcing profit based charitable donations can also have a positive impact. Kindness: It’s easy to get wrapped up in the business of business. Stopping to ask staff how they are doing personally and really listening to the answer can go a long way to fostering good relationships. Self-care: Reduce staff job stress by finding ways to encourage exercise and work breaks, and respect stricter boundaries between work and home. Source: Green Profit Magazine

Add vendor codes to your tags and prevent loss

If you’re printing your own tags using OnSyte label printers, consider adding a vendor code in addition to plant name, your logo, pricing, etc., to your tags. By knowing the source of all your green inventory, you’ll be in much better shape should issues arise. If a block of plants becomes infested with pests or disease, a quick look at the vendor code can tell you exactly where they came from, and you can approach your suppliers about the issue. Try using a three-letter code for each vendor (example: VHN for VanHoodenpyle Nursery) and put it in the corner. Your customers will likely never notice it, or care if they do.

Waterproof, Flexible Keyboard

 This keyboard is designed for use in dirty, wet agricultural applications. Perfect for use with the Solo 4 printer. Compatible with Windows 10, connects via USB or the included serial bus. Weatherproof, flexible and washable. Impervious to dust, dirt and moisture.

Fully Adjustable Sign Holders

 Lightweight, adjustable sign holders adjust to fit any sign. Adjustable stake can be raised or lowered to any desired height. Includes stake, base and face. Can be used free standing or secured with screws to any surface. Comes in white. Consider this for use with our Billboards, laser printable signs and sold signs. Packages of 25

 Enter ADJSIGNHOLDERMAY16 in the shopping cart window to receive 10% off your purchase of a package of Adjustable Sign Holders.

Shop our website to see our full line of products

www.hortmp.com

or give us a call

1-800-433-8247

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Horticulture Marketing and Printing - 3210 Innovative Way – Mesquite, TX 75149

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