It took awhile but brands are now an integral part of the horticulture industry. In addition to having their own breeding program, successful brands attract other breeders and bring the best genetics together under one umbrella. Learn how to evaluate brands and the plants within those brands to determine the best fit for your region of the country and your client base.
Hydrangeas are the darling of the flowering shrub market in North America and Europe. The enthusiasm for this genus has fostered an explosion of choices in H. macrophylla, H. paniculata and H. arborescens in the past five years. For many industry professionals, the choices can be daunting with little guidance on what constitutes a good landscape plant. Take a look behind the scenes at the dizzying state of hydrangea breeding, introduction and marketing as Natalia shares some of her insights from trips and meetings with prolific breeders and hydrangea growers nationally and internationally. She will also provide guidelines for what to look for when choosing hydrangeas for landscape use.
Natalia joined Bailey Nurseries in 2013 as the Brand and Business Development Manager. She is responsible for managing Bailey Nurseries consumer brands including Endless Summer® hydrangeas, First Editions® shrubs and trees and Easy Elegance® roses. In her role as Brand Manager, Natalia utilizes a unique mix of experience in product development, market intelligence, consumer and trade marketing communications, sales and business management. She works with 60+ growers in the US and Canada and 13 international grower who are licensed to grow Bailey’s branded products. On the business development side she is always looking for opportunities to expand relationships and programs for the brands she manages.
Natalia started her career at Powell Gardens, a public botanic garden near Kansas City, has worked in publishing and advertising, owned her own garden center, helped launch the Grow Native! program and is a published garden book author. Prior to moving to the woody ornamental side of the business, she worked on the annual and perennial side of horticulture at Syngenta and Sakata. Natalia has lived and gardened in Zones 5b-8a. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture at the University of Missouri and did her graduate work at the University of Georgia. She currently lives and gardens in Lawrence, KS and travels extensively.
