What Problem are you Solving?

Tolumnia Orchids

 

                                    What problem are you solving?

 

Business theory tells you that successful enterprises only exist if they solve a problem.

 

Commercial horticulture produces flowers that gardeners want to buy.  What is the problem that is being solved?  Homeowners want colorful plants to add to their landscape.  Home decorators want colorful houseplants to soften the room.  Weddings overflow with cut flower arrangements.  Traditional funerals have flower arrangements in memory of a good life.

 

We are in the business of growing unique houseplants in small pots.  The trend is graduating from green foliage to small flowering houseplants.

 

Small and flowering is a very difficult category.  Leading the list are Mini Violets or mini-Cyclamen or dwarf Crown of Thorns.

 

Orchids are now common at grocery stores.  Phalaenopsis are spectacular with long lasting flowers at affordable prices.  A worldwide supply line evolved to bring Orchids out of the exotic hobby/collector world and into the home market.  For twenty dollars or less than a large pizza, you can get a Phalaenopsis Orchid for everyday enjoyment.  Treat yourself, please buy one often.

Hiding in plain sight is a very miniature Orchid called Tolumnia.  This durable plant grows and flowers in 2”-3” pots.  I had a few 50 years ago and was fascinated by their wiry flower spikes that open with colorful, cute little flowers.

 

They are hidden in the Orchid hobby world due to limited supply.  But I’ve found a quantity to import and offer for sale to our Independent Garden Centers.

 

The problem is:  I need a small flowering houseplant.

 

The answer is:  Tolumnia.  It is a long-lasting flowering houseplant which happens to be an Orchid.

Anticipation for Orchid Flowering ...

Tolumnia in Spike on Windowsill

 

          Orchids are very exotic.  They are big and flashy or small and cute.

           Orchids take a long time to grow and flower. 

             Tolumnia were formerly a part of the more common genus, Oncidium, and now have their own Genus.

              This one on my windowsill has a spike moving toward opening colorful flowers.

                This wonder of nature requires a lot of waiting.

                Anticipation. 

             

Hope and Joy

Hope in America

             There is Hope and Joy in America!

 

A cheery Flower is all you need

Sinningia 'Prudence Risley' on the Windowsill

 

            We sell thousands of plants every week of the year.

 

            I often wonder where they all go ?

 

            Luckily, for us and our garden center customers, the final buyer likes plants.

 

            Sometimes, they just want a cheery flower with color to make their day.

The Problem with Sports is...

Begonia 'Painted Lizard' is a Winner

 

The problem with sports is that half of the teams lose at every contest.  A 50% failure rate is not good so each team must convince themselves that they are better and will win, despite the odds.

 

            Sports are perfect metaphors for describing business and life. 

 

            The Summer Olympics prove that the best athletes in the world still lose to the top three medal winners.

 

            The phenomenon of  ‘Winner takes all’ is especially cruel.  Second place gets to try harder next time.

 

            The theory of the ‘long tail’ of sales has given the non-blockbusters hope.  In movies, records and books, the top best seller gets the profit, but the remaining lower ranking digital creations may get a few sales.

 

            But physical products like plants are limited to the 2-3 best varieties due to limited greenhouse space. 

 

            New and different plants create excitement in garden centers, but only the winners show up next year.

 

            So, what is the conclusion based on sports metaphors.

 

            Keep introducing new plants.  If they prove to be different enough, you win.

Crown of Thorns 'White Lightning' - Still very rare!

                                            Crown of Thorns - 'White Lightning'
 

                Why is Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia) ‘White Lightning’ so rare?

 

            ‘White Lightning’ is an exceptionally good plant.  Highly variegated green and white, with red flowers, it likes sun and tolerates being dry.

 

            It’s the perfect houseplant for a south or west window, which seems too bright for shady foliage houseplants.

 

            But why so rare and expensive?

 

            A Florida succulent/ cactus wholesale grower has a lock on the tissue culture supply.  It grows slowly, taking months to get to a nice 4” pot size.

 

            Like many rare plants, it takes someone to champion the plant.

 

            I’ve been watching Crown of Thorns for 50 years and know ‘White Lightning’ is worth the effort.

 

            We sell them through our 100 Independent Garden Centers and internet sellers.

Find them here:      http://www.garysspecialtyplants.com/locations.html

            Call your Garden Center to see if they have any in stock.  Ask them to get one for you.  They live for years and are a decorative houseplant.  It can be grown outside in summer, if you like.

Begonia amphioxus grows on Windowsills!

Begonia amphioxus on my windowsill

Begonia amphioxus grows on windowsills!

 

This rare Begonia species is tougher than first thought.

 

            If you find this cute Begonia for sale on the internet, the seller may warn you that it must be grown in terrarium – high humidity conditions.

 

            This is wrong.  It does not.

 

I’ve proven conclusively that it will grow on your windowsill without any additional humidity.

 

Once considered very rare, now it is a commercial plant with limited production.

 

This story is to stamp out the myth that Begonia amphioxus is a needy, soft species what can only live in a terrarium, which few indoor gardeners want to deal with.

 

We have propagated and sold thousands of ‘Spotted Lizards’ into Independent Garden Centers on the East coast.  It holds up just fine.

 

How did the myth get started?  An unrooted cutting requires higher humidity while rooting.  Then they are weaned off mist and hardened off for sale.  Many internet sellers do not acclimate young plants, so warn you to immediately move them into terrariums.

 

Great advice, if you’re building a terrarium.

 

But for the rest of us, find acclimated plants that are ready for your windowsill.  They will thrive there.

 

Customers who sell our Begonia amphioxus by retail mail order are:

 

Hirt’s Gardens (hirts.com)

My Garden Channel (mygardenchannel.com)

 

Retail garden centers are found on our locator map:

 

garysspecialtyplants.com/locations.html