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FRANKFORT,
Ky. — A Louisville garden center has won the top prize
in the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's Retail Garden
Center Display Contest.
| The
winning entry in the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's
Retail Garden Center Display Contest. |
Boone
Gardiner Garden Center was awarded the $1,000 top prize.
Two garden centers each took home second-place awards
of $550, and three garden centers each won $300 for
third place. Participating businesses were challenged
to use Kentucky-grown plant material to create attractive,
imaginative displays that promote the Kentucky Proud
marketing program.
“The
top six awards represent Kentucky garden centers from
Rowan County to Calloway County,” Agriculture Commissioner
Richie Farmer said. “All the participants are to be
commended for their creativity and their dedication
to using Kentucky Proud nursery plants.
“Kentucky
Proud plants are likely to do better because they are
better suited to Kentucky's soil and climate. We encourage
consumers to look for the Kentucky Proud logo at their
local garden centers.”
The
Boone Gardiner display was based on the theme “Kentucky
Color” in response to consumer demand for colorful plants
during the spring. The plants were grown by garden center
staff as well as Star Farms of Shelbyville and Earl
Thieneman Greenhouses in Louisville.
“Many
customers have said that they have seen the Kentucky
Proud commercial campaign and have been very receptive
to our efforts to market local horticultural products,”
the garden center wrote in a letter that accompanied
its entry. “Our customers are pleasantly surprised when
they discover that Kentucky grows so many flowering
plants.”
The
second-place awards went to Beans to Blossoms in Murray
and Allyson's Greenhouse in Berry. Hillcrest Nursery
in Richmond, Kentucky Rain Greenhouse and Nursery in
Clearfield, and Wilson's Nursery in Frankfort took third
place.
The
$3,000 prize money was funded by a grant from the Kentucky
Horticulture Council.
The
Kentucky Department of Agriculture's Office for Agriculture
Marketing and Product Promotion judged the 20 entries.
Michael Judge, executive director of the KDA marketing
office, supervised the judging, and marketing specialist
Kelly Ludwig tallied the votes. Photos of each participant's
display were mounted and identified only by number for
judging.
Entries
were judged on the basis of use of Kentucky-grown plant
material (50 percent), promotional efforts to sell Kentucky
Proud (30 percent), the variety of plants featured (10
percent) and creativity (10 percent).
Participating
garden centers were required to showcase their displays
for at least 10 consecutive days during May. They each
received a free Kentucky Proud banner and signage for
use in the displays. They submitted pictures of their
displays and a written summary that included the Kentucky-grown
items they used and where they came from.
For
more information about the Kentucky Proud marketing
campaign, call the Office for Agriculture Marketing
and Product Promotion at (502) 564-4983.
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