Speaking of color
1 Mar, 2006 By: Heather Pittinger LDB SolutionsWhen it comes to color, it's better to show than tell customers about it
In this business, there's really no such thing as "too much" color in a landscape — although the array of choices available today can be daunting during the design process. Jessie Atchison, industry communications manager for west Chicago-based Ball Horticultural Co., notes there has been a trend in recent years toward dark, bold colors, like deep red or purple, as well as vivid hues such as yellow, orange and fuchsia. While pastels are still popular, she says, the deeper, more regal shades seem to give a sense of fun or luxury.
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"Also, more annuals are being introduced that are grown for their foliage, not their flowers — so colors like silver, burgundy, rose and black can be brought into the design without relying on the plants being in bloom," Atchison adds.
 COLOR choices can be daunting to clients if they're not presented well. Tomake the decisions easier, show samples of color usage from past projects, websites or magazines. Make sure you have a reliable supply of the latest colorful flowers and plants so that you can provide the latest and greatest varieties to your cients. |
Barb Terrell, Ball's landscape program manager, points out that there are more mixes of impatiens, pansies, petunias and other annuals available today that offer a uniform flowering time and size across all colors.
"You can provide a multi-color look without worrying about certain colors flowering later than others, or some plants being shorter or taller than others," she says.
Container plantings continue to be popular for adding splashes of color to entryways and other spaces where large beds aren't practical. Atchison notes that they're also good for customers wanting to experiment with color because they are easy to move, change or switch out: "Annuals are ready-made for these situations," she says.
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Shades of marketing
Changing out plants throughout the seasons, offering an array of color palettes in the process, is a great way to not only stay in contact with customers but establish repeat business, says Terrell.
"If you've already had a successful mixed or mono planting and can show that to your customer, it's easy to demonstrate how you can change the look to fit their needs by using different colors," she explains. "If you've had success with impatiens, for example, there's a huge range of colors, flower forms, plant habits and even foliage colors within impatiens that you can use to change the look. You can also use photos from websites or other sources to demonstrate good use of color to your customer."
In addition to using outside art sources, Atchison recommends taking photos of your accounts and building a portfolio to give both new and existing customers ideas of what's possible on their property. Organizing the photos with similar color families can help a customer who likes the color yellow, for example, see several variations on the color theme and realize what all is available to them in their area.
It's important to be able to deliver on the look, however. Terrell advises establishing a relationship with a good wholesale grower so you can preorder and guarantee the availability of the best varieties for your area's climate.
"It's so much easier to recommend colors or plant varieties to your customers if you have an established supply," she says. "That way, you know you can follow through on your re-commendations, and your customers will appreciate that they'll know exactly what they're getting."
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