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.GARDENCOMM NEWS
Renew Your GardenComm Membership Today — Don't Miss Out
Why Should You Renew?
"GardenComm has allowed me to instantly and easily make connections with so many wonderful people in the industry. Instead of endlessly searching for the right contacts, never knowing if your email is received, GardenComm puts all the right people in the same place. I’ve heard it said that people are your best your resources, and GardenComm is certainly the place where all these people come together to learn, connect, and help each other grow.” -Danielle Keeton."
If you haven’t already, renew your membership today! Your board voted to hold the line on dues, keeping them at $125 for regular membership. The dues were scheduled to go up $10 to $135 in 2021. Your organization’s leadership recognizes how challenging 2020 has been and we know that for many of us, funds are tight. We hope you will look at keeping dues at the 2020 level as a commitment to our members’ best interests and a good reason to continue your membership. Click here to login and renew. If you need instructions on how to renew, click here. Please encourage colleagues to join. Reminder! Lapsed members will be removed from the GardenComm Membership Directory when the grace period ends.
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ONE MORE REASON TO RENEW:
National Garden Bureau Now Offering Discounted Memberships to GardenComm Members for 2021
National Garden Bureau welcomes book authors, podcasters and online garden course creators to become members of our organization. Members support the Bureau via dues and those dues provide the resources to send a constant stream of gardening information about you, your product(s) and your services to our community of active and engaged gardeners.
Why Join National Garden Bureau? Becoming a member of National Garden Bureau ensures you the attention and engagement of the gardening community from fresh novices to seasoned professionals. Our audience is ever-expanding from those with a large garden plot to urban gardens of containers, hanging baskets and balconies. We are the link between the garden community and garden influencers and the industry members who make it all happen. Join NGB as we inspire, connect and grow the generations.
$125 yearly dues for authors, podcasters and online course instructors — SPECIAL RATE: $75 for GardenComm members
Click here for the NGB Media Kit.
Click here for membership dues and benefit details.
Click here to sign up as an NGB member
Join now and get 14 months for the price of 12!
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Using Horticultural Therapy Values to Produce Content Your Audience Will Love on February 2
As garden communicators, we are always looking out for potential content that can spark our audience´s attention and add value to their well-being as well. Today, more than ever, our readers, viewers, and listeners are intentionally embracing their gardening and plant activities to cope with a myriad of circumstances; from physical, mental health issues, to the grieving of loved ones, jobs, and normalcy. Adding horticulture therapy knowledge and expertise to your content repertoire will broaden your perspective, topics, and even help you increase your audience. Horticulture therapists and trained professionals in this modality, design and facilitate horticultural activities with the intentional purpose to enhance people´s lives, within different scenarios and populations. Register today by clicking here!
Thank you to our sponsor!
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Make your garden come to life with Sunfinity® Sunflowers that thrive and bloom continuously all season long.
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Call for Speakers Deadline Extended: Submit Your #GardenComm2021 and Webinar Session Ideas Today
GardenComm is seeking proposals for monthly webinars as well as breakout and round table sessions for the 2021 GardenComm Annual Conference and Expo. We invite proposals focused on business, horticulture, photography, publishing, social media, speaking, sustainability and writing that:
- Reflect innovation and cutting edge content
- Target either new, mid-career, or seasoned professionals
- Stimulate and provoke discussion and audience engagement
- Provide diverse approaches for different types of learners
- Present evidence based on or supported by research
- Use multimedia approaches to enhance attendee learning
- Explore issues important to national audiences
The 2021 GardenComm Annual Conference and Expo is an inclusive opportunity for all current and future GardenComm members to engage in exceptional formal and informal learning experiences that support career development, increase individual productivity, and provide innovative insights and solutions to industry challenges. The monthly webinar series offers continuing education throughout the year without the need for travel. Click here to submit!
We anticipate sending acceptance notifications for the 2021 GardenComm Annual Conference and Expo sessions in March 2021. Webinar speakers are scheduled throughout the year. Upon acceptance, speakers will be asked to sign a speaker agreement. As a token of thanks, GardenComm will provide a $200 honorarium for all virtual programs. Conference presenters will receive a complimentary registration for the day of their presentation and may choose one of the following options:
- Complimentary GardenComm membership for the following year
- Complimentary registration for the entire 2021 conference
- An honorarium of $200 for solo presentations, $125 per 2-person panel participant, or $75 per 3-person panel participant.
Please Note: Due to the uncertainty surrounding Covid-19, GardenComm has made the difficult decision to not hold the 2021 GardenComm Annual Conference and Expo in-person. However, the conference is switching to a virtual format. By making this decision earlier than last year, it will give GardenComm time to plan a more robust virtual offering. So, we hope you will consider submitting an application for either a stand-alone webinar, virtual conference education session or a conference round table option. Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to seeing everyone virtually and welcome the day we can again gather safely in person!
Questions? Please contact Maria Zampini, GardenComm Vice President, at maria@upshoothort.com
Deadline to submit is Friday, January 22, 2021
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Call for Entries: 2021 GardenComm Media Awards
GardenComm is calling on garden communicators to submit their best articles, books, photography, and more to the 2021 GardenComm Media Awards, one of the only national online media awards programs recognizing professional accomplishments in the gardening communications industry. Eligible pieces can be submitted through March 30.
Big News about GardenComm Media Awards!
Believe it or not, there’s a silver lining to all those Zoom presentations we’ve been doing. This year, in the GardenComm Media Awards Live Presentation category, you may submit a recording of your most excellent Zoom recordings (or videos made via GoToWebinar, GoogleMeet, etc.) as long as you are visible within the recording. You must appear within the presentation, either full screen, as a thumbnail, or a combination of both. You may not submit a slideshow which you narrate but in which you are not visible.
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Sharing Our Work With Supporters
The Association Outreach Committee (AOC) has developed an online form that helps GardenComm members enter information that can be shared with sponsors, exhibitors and other supporters. The hope is that this will help supporters when they ask what are they getting for their effort. “Help GardenComm spread the word to our wonderful sponsors and vendors about the wonderful work you do,” said Angela Treadwell Palmer, co-chair of the AOC. “We have created a Google Form that is so easy to fill out. It asks simple questions about any products you write or talk about. This way, we can share these metrics with our vendors to prove they are getting an ROI (return on investment) when they exhibit at our Annual Symposium & Expo, sponsor our events or send out samples to our members. The more we can share how we have communicated to our audiences about their products, the better,” she said. Please make a note of the Google Form and remember to jot down the info requested. GardenComm and AOC have made it as easy for you to do this as possible. If we make the effort, we all benefit. The committee will collect the information on a regular basis — perhaps quarterly — and share it with the supporters and others to demonstrate what GardenComm members do to promote their products, services and other information.
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Virtual First Timers Meeting
Looking for a fresh start to your GardenComm membership? The Membership Committee hosts a special event just for you! Virtual First Timers Meetings are one-hour Zoom calls to introduce yourself, learn about maximizing your GardenComm membership, and make some first connections that will benefit you now and throughout your career. This meeting format welcomes new members and members ready to refresh, as well as a few of our seasoned communicators and Regional Directors who will help guide you to the benefits of membership that suit you best. Choose from 2 dates this winter, Tuesday, January 19th or Monday, February 1st, both gatherings at 7 pm EST on Zoom. Register for either session HERE and you will be sent the Zoom link. Hope to see you!
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Sponsor an Upcoming Virtual Program
Our Sponsorship Opportunities include benefits to engage and attract GardenComm's professional member communicators in the green industry including book authors, bloggers, staff editors, syndicated columnists, freelance writers, photographers, speakers, landscape designers, television and radio personalities, consultants, publishers, extension service agents and more. No other organization in the green industry has as much contact with the buying public as GardenComm members.
We can customize packages to meet your budget from $250 or above. Click here to view our packages or contact us at info@gardencomm.org for more information.
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POWER CIRCLES 2021 — All for One and One For All
Power circles are gatherings of three to ten GardenComm members who share the same goals and agree to meet regularly to help each other out and spur each other on. They are a member benefit of our organization, and not open to non-members. Power Circles are NOT webinars, run by a leader or expert. These are more like study groups, where all members are responsible for planning and the growth of the group at large. Every Power Circle member agrees to take responsibility for the planning and facilitating of at least one meeting. The person responsible for that meeting will decide the subject of the day and if there will be a guest speaker. The facilitator of each meeting will also be sure that all members have a chance to speak and be heard. A power circle will only be formed if one member agrees to be the facilitator for at least the first meeting, and agrees to the power circle guidelines. As facilitator, that member will poll members to find the best time and day to meet, then inform everyone about the first meeting. The first meeting is usually a time for introductions and to clarify the goals for each participant. Some groups find that it’s easiest to have one person be the coordinator for sending out emails and reminding the group of future meetings. That person is not responsible for providing continual content, however, nor is that person expected to be a group expert on the topic.
Time zones can be a problem for meetings. If some who sign up for a Power Circle can’t meet when the majority of people are available, a second group on the same topic will be formed, calling for others in that time zone to join. Note that it’s best to only be in one Power Circle at a time, so pick one and save other areas of interest for the future. Some groups meet for a few months and are finished, while others continue on for a year or more.
Groups forming in January of 2021:
• Finding My Why and How: A power circle for members wanting to clarify the focus of their garden communications and plan for taking that passion into a business plan.
• Getting A Garden Book Published: This group is for members who are planning or working on a book about plants or gardens. It’s a group that will support each other through the process of refining visions, writing a proposal, and either submitting to publishers or self-publishing.
• From Non-Fiction to Fiction: Many garden writers are either writing novels or planning to do so. This power circle is for those who have either written a novel and are ready to take the next step, or for those who are finishing a work of fiction.
• Speaking In 2021…And Beyond: This power circle is for those who want to expand their speaking business, both virtually and in-person once the pandemic is over. Topics covered could be self-promotion, speaking skills, presenting virtually, and more.
• Content Marketing: If you’re interested in providing content for horticultural businesses or institutions, this power circle is for you.
• Increasing Income From Garden Communications: This is a group that will help each other explore how to earn more money from their garden communications. Members might be in need of broadening what they do, or focusing on a specialty more intently in order to raise their income.
• Garden Photography: A power circle for those interested in improving their skills and finding ways to market their work.
• Marketing Your Brand: Whether you are promoting a book, blog, or business, you need to promote your brand. This group is for those interested in doing a better job with marketing, be it on social networks, local media or beyond.
If you don’t see your area of interest here, you can suggest a topic as new Power Circles can be formed throughout the year. To sign up for a power circle (we recommend that you only join one at a time) go here. To see more guidelines and best practices click here. For information or help, contact Kathy Jentz: kathyjentz@gmail.com or C.L. Fornari clfornari@yahoo.com for assistance or information.
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January Networking Events
Region 4 Connect Meeting: Representing Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee & Virginia
January 21, 2021 at 7 PM Eastern
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Help Us Help You! Share GardenComm Events with Your Readers.
GardenComm has virtual events lined up well into 2021 thanks to our Education Committee led by Maria Zampini and Kim Toscano. As a non-profit, GardenComm relies on events like this to fund member programs, benefits and operations. We would appreciate you sharing events with your newsletter subscribers to increase attendance, attract sponsors and spread the GardenComm love. Please find details here or contact us at info@gardencomm.org to receive additional graphics, events details and links to register to include in your outgoing newsletters.
Thank you for partnering and supporting GardenComm.
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Support Plant a Row
Support Plant a Row and help make a difference in your community. Click here for more information.
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.HORTICULTURE
How a new partnership aims to boost youth interest in gardening
Greenhouse Grower
KidsGardening and National Garden Bureau (NGB) have created a working partnership to help grow and sustain an even more robust interest in gardening among children.
By collaborating, these two non-profit organizations have doubled the number of consumers, families, and educators their materials and messages will reach.
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'Horticulture can cover the growing demands for local produce in urban areas'
Horti Daily
Urban horticulture is not expected to replace traditional dominant food systems in feeding the world. But it can cover the growing demands of locally available, nutritious, sustainable and fresh produce in urban areas. The Greenhouse Horticulture and Flower Bulbs Business Unit of Wageningen University & Research is working on a decision support framework for cultivation system, crops and production planning of urban growing.
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New garden mums and alternatives for a spectacular fall finale in 2021
Greenhouse Grower
Despite their perennial nature, garden mums have become a popular seasonal decoration in the fall alongside cornstalks and pumpkins, and market demand for them remains strong. Best of all, there are lots of possibilities to choose from, whether it’s the traditional oranges, pinks, and yellows, or tri-colored novelties and multi-shade varieties.
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.JOURNALISM
Threats against journalists feel more dangerous in 2021
Crosscut
Most journalists do their best to stay out of the way of the story they are trying to tell. We are not the news; we are the messengers. But there are occasions when the world tilts a little too far and staying in the background is just not possible.
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New report outlines COVID-era proposals to save journalism
Columbia Journalism Review
Dozens of plans to help save journalism have emerged since the covid-19 pandemic decimated media outlets globally. Many of these initiatives involve increased support from foundations and discussion about how media business models can adapt to the current crisis. But desperate times require flexibility and innovation, and we are seeing a surprising number of proposals that break from past practices.
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Trump, tech and TV have throttled press freedom, journalists say
Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump emboldened other leaders to quash press freedom, his message amplified by tech platforms and a mainstream media which did not know how to respond, three leading journalists and campaigners said. CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Maria Ressa, who heads a Philippine news website known for its scrutiny of President Rodrigo Duterte, and Sonny Swe, CEO of Frontier Myanmar, told a Reuters Next panel that press freedom had deteriorated sharply.
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.BUSINESS
Pivoting during the pandemic: How these businesses succeeded
Entrepreneur
Even in the best of times, business leaders know that they will have to adapt their companies. That’s just the natural response to changing markets. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has presented a new, particularly cutthroat kind of pivot-or-die test. Executives and entrepreneurs who want their businesses to survive and thrive in the future can benefit from looking at some key examples of how other companies are adapting well through the virus crisis.
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Business starts enjoyed their best year ever amid COVID-19
Crain's New York Business
The surge of U.S. business formations in the back half of 2020 has been one of the pandemic’s many surprises.
After cratering by 30% in the weeks following the March lockdowns, paperwork filed by prospective businesses started growing in June and finished the year ahead of 2019’s tally by almost a quarter, according to a U.S. Census Bureau analysis of federal tax documents.
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Most small business owners remain optimistic going into 2021
Small Business Trends
A new survey by Capital One Business reveals small business owners are cautiously optimistic. And many are looking for a return to more favorable business conditions come 2021.
According to the survey conducted from November to December 2020, about 53% of small business owners report their business financial position is the same or better than the pre-COVID-19 period.
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.SOCIAL MEDIA
New research shows that 71% of Americans now get news content via social platforms
Social Media Today
After last week's Capitol riots, the focus has once again turned to social media, and the role it plays in communicating critical information, and balancing the need for accuracy in such messaging with people's freedom to be able to share whatever they choose.
Which, as we're all now well aware, is a difficult balance to strike, but with more and more people relying on social platforms to keep them up to date on the latest happenings in the world, it's now an unquestionably critical consideration.
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Has the pandemic changed how you use social media?
BuzzFeed News
If your digital screentime has skyrocketed during lockdown, you’re not alone. Ever since it became dangerous to gather with loved ones out in the physical world, millions of people around the globe have been forced to do most of their socializing online.
That’d led to strains on friendships. In 2020, Instagram became more politicized than ever before, as celebrities, corporations, and ordinary people alike navigated whether, and what, to post about things like Black Lives Matter during the George Floyd protests.
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News use across social media platforms in 2020
Pew Research Center
As social media companies struggle to deal with misleading information on their platforms about the election, the COVID-19 pandemic and more, a large portion of Americans continue to rely on these sites for news.
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