Wright Scoop Launches Book, the ABCs of Greening Communications

Based on interviews, distribution of an Industry survey, workshop participation and column commentary, Glen Allen VA based The Wright Scoop – Sylvia Hoehns Wright, nationally recognized eco-advocate, has launched a book, the ABCs of Greening Communications.

 

The ABCs of Greening Communications -

     Supplied by some of the best Industry marketers, the Wright Scoop’s newly launched book, The ABCs of Greening Communications, provides a step-by-step process which outlines strategies proven to avoid loss of market share while placing emphasis on ‘how to’ communicate eco-sustainability of products and services. Defined in its simple terms – ‘eco-sustainability’ is a frugal use of limited resources which decrease product/service expenses, increase profit; and result in earth-friendly activities which provide for present-day lifestyles without sacrificing the eco future of others.

Project Back Ground -

     Solicited as a workshop instructor for the National League of Cities conference held in Washington DC, when Wright challenged attendees – congressmen, city mayors, county managers, city/county planners and educators -  to identify ‘greening’ in their communities, no one could identify his/her community’s eco-leaders, a response that should be viewed by all as a wake-up call for USA Industries. For, in present-day global markets, goods and services are not simply sold; they are identified through niche - ‘organic’ - presence. The owner and/or manufacturer - is as much a part of a product’s image as the good or service, itself! So, through gathering Industry data through interviews, distribution of an Industry survey and ongoing interactive columns, the Wright Scoop – Sylvia Hoehns Wright researched and has launched a book – The ABCs of Greening Communications – which explores the relationship of "planet" vs. people, product/service and profit as a critical factor which impacts products and services, not simply eco-sustainable but leading edge branded images more easily identified by consumers.

     The 4th in a series of publications, Wright’s book, the ABCs of Greening Communications is published to inspire all to create an eco-legacy of C A R E - conservation, accountability, recovery and eco-efficiency! Initially, published in paper print as a college level text ABCs of Green Industry Communications, Wright edited her publication to challenge biz communities to become members of Capitalism 24902, a global village committed to ensuring the foundation of an eco-sustainable future.

                                                                                  Industry Comments

 “Tools of communication, they're tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their user.” Bill Gates

 “As a former educator, I’ve observed as Wright emphasizes, an image – brand must be relevant, avoid loss of market share through attrition, while placing emphasis on eco, greening, aspects of the product or service provided." - Leonard O. Morrow, PhD, retired botanist and horticulturist

“Nurturing and brimming with accomplishment, Sylvia seamlessly brings people together to showcase their best talents.” Nicole M. Bouchard, Editor-in-Chief The Write Place At the Write Time

“Ideas abound in ABCs of Green Industry Communications as Sylvia Wright profiles some of the best marketers and communicators in the business, bringing fresh takes and new approaches to attracting and engaging customers.” – Bill Calkins, business manager at Ball Horticultural Company in West Chicago, Illinois

 About the Wright Scoop -

     A former career strategies columnist for the Greater Richmond Partnership’s Work magazine (WM), Wright has broaden the scope of her communications research to include arts/literary and the Green Industry. As a communications personality, she has appeared on WTVR Channel 6 TV, FM 97.3 Inspiration Corner, WCVE PBS Richmond Channel 23 TV and Channel 35 TV Author’s Review. She is published by The Office, Data Management, Your Computer Career, Green Profit and Today’s Garden Center magazines, Richmond Times Dispatch and Mid-Atlantic Grower newspapers, and VA BBB & Information Executive newsletters; and has blog for Build Green TV and VA’s Plant More Plants program.

Wright has taught communications for the Virginia Community College system and provided speeches and workshops for national and international conferences such as the All Cities Congressional City Conference held in DC and PLANET’s Green Industry Conference held at Louisville, Kentucky.  A graduate in BS Management of Communication Systems at VA Commonwealth University (VCU) and participate in MS Special Studies at VCU, Wright is a graduate of the VA Natural Resource Leadership Institute program sponsored by UVA and VA Tech.

Recommended as a workshop instructor by Richmond Information Systems Educators (RISE), when Wright shared her strategies with the VA Housing Development Authority, her topic was described “right on target with our objective of improving communications within our department.”

To view details of Wright’s eco emphasis on ‘place’ link to her book Eco-legacy – a millennium woman’s heritage; plants, Landscape Gardening with CARE and products, Grow Green Market Share with CARE at Sylvia’s book store, http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/syhwright . Or for other details, visit web site www.TheWrightScoop.com  or follow Wright’s activities through facebook group The Wright Scoop or twitter ID WrightScoop.

Side Bar: Product Details – The ABCs of Greening Communications

ISBN9781329991101, CopyrightSylvia Hoehns Wright (Standard Copyright License), Edition First Edition, Publisher LuLu.com, Published March 30, 2016 Language

Put the G back into HGTV

“Who took the ‘G’,” queried Robert Hendrickson of the Garden Group, “out of HGTV?” Reality is it is time for all to get real – collectively, Industry or consumer, accept responsible for the declining focus on greening America’s landscape.

While the Green Industry as a whole is recognized to fail as effective marketers, the lack of advertising, marketing and/or public relations is most certainly not the only culprit in this situation. So, as Hendrickson emphasizes, a recovery strategy is to identify and implement ‘hooks’ that attract American public interest.

As an eco-advocate, communications specialist and person committed to ‘digging in the dirt’ annually I evaluate home and garden media trends. As a result of research, let me share a few observations. First, the ‘G’ has not disappeared from all regional HGTV. A highlight of my annual Nags Head North Carolina vacation is during the blistering heat of mid-afternoon, I curl up with an ice tea and watch the regional horticulture and garden programming which is sponsored by North Carolina’s state universities. On the other hand, although my home state of Virginia boasts two such schools, my area’s HGTV does not offer similar programming. So, a question is what enables successful HGTV in some versus other regions?

 

From a print media perspective, as part of my 2016 ‘dig in the dirt’ promotional planning, I reviewed the content of well-known consumer home and garden magazines; and as a matter of fact, discover a blaringly lack of garden products and services advertisement. I also identified many of these publications contain little or no feature articles on the topic of landscape gardens. On the other hand, I identified while American consumer focus magazines lacked the ‘G’ in home and garden, it remains relevant and healthy in Canada, British and other shared countries markets. So, the next question is because media solicits input from reader audience topics of interest, why is there a downturn of gardening interest in the USA?

And a third equally important question is there appears to be a disappearing ‘G’ in home and garden show participation. In fact, I noticed a significant absence of Industry presence in one of central Virginia’s main spring events, the MAC Home & Garden Show. Yet, again on the other hand, a focus on gardening appears to not only survive but thrive in the Philadelphia Flower Show. So, another question is what makes this style show work for some regions and not for others?

To answer these questions, for 2016, I’ve issued a challenge to all - Industry, communities, homeowners and consumers alike - to get real – become people who CARE, have a perspective of eco conservation, accountability, recovery and efficiency. In fact, through columns, blogs and/or media releases during the months of November and December challenged all to focus on the concept of eco-thankfulness and gift-giving, enabling the green of America’s landscape. During January and February, I shared landscape gardening tips and strategies which appear to work-well; and, in March as ‘women in history’ month, issued a challenge to all to identify and celebrate the impact of their community eco-women. Why?

As Industry personality Tony Avent owner of Plant Delights Nursery located in Raleigh, North Carolina, says, “the most misunderstood and overlooked component of business success is communication, a form of communication that establishes a brand of product” – in this case the ‘G’ of home and garden. So, as Robert Hendrickson of the Garden Group emphasizes, let’s identify what ‘hooks’ the American public. Whether the focus is ‘growing green – planet or profit’, in the long-run everyone benefits from eco healthy communities. For the year of 2016, let’s work together; and, perhaps, through extended effort to ‘get real’, a result will be communications which provides useful eco theories, strategies, public relations and advertisement that works-well for all, puts the ‘G’ back into home and garden! For additional tips and strategies, visit web site www.The Wright Scoop.com.
 

Spring Forward, more than a time change

Across the Nation, clock time moves forward to accommodate yet another daylight savings year. And, while people are reminded to check safety alarms for workable batteries, it is also time to think early Spring gardening chores. As Ashwood Gardens & Nursery staff says, “Are you ready-set-to-grow?”

time to ready box gardens for cool season planting

Communities, nation-wide, are tired of talking about the gray cold days of winter. So, let's think positive - the worst is over and now we can get down to gardening! How? Most buy-local nurseries such as Ashwood have good selections of cool season vegetable plants; and, because there is so much to do, Ashwood Nursery provides for their customers a ‘March to Do List’.

Similarly, central Virginia gardeners have options of visiting other equally qualified buy-local nursery

 

sites such as Sneeds Nursery and Lavender Fields Farm. Still, it is the Ashwood staff who reminds us “Don't forget our feathered friends!” Their site has locally made sturdy cedar bluebird boxes; and in fact, provide handouts that list the best choices of seeds and planting materials. Now open with spring hours - Mon.-Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-5, and Sun. 12-5. These hours are good thru June.

So, across the Nation as we are reminded to ‘Spring forward’, be aware it is also time to be ‘ready-set-to-grow. Identify and visit your community buy-local nurseries. Why? ‘Spring forward’ is more than simply a time change.

March To Do List – recommended by Ashwood Nursery

 

• It's time to mulch and edge your garden beds and fertilize your existing plants. We like to use any of the Espoma fertilizers (Plant-tone, Holly-tone, Rose-tone) because they are slow release and won’t harm your plants.

• Cut back hybrid tea and repeat blooming roses before the buds break. Wait to prune one time blooming roses until after they have bloomed. Crape myrtles, butterfly bush, group C and group B clematis should also be pruned in late winter/early spring.

• Cut back liriope and ornamental grasses before new growth begins.

• Prune early spring flowering shrubs such as forsythia, quince, winter honeysuckle and winter jasmine immediately after the flowers fade.

• Divide and transplant perennials if needed.

• Plant pansies, violas and primroses for early spring color in the landscape.

• Apply vole deterrent such as imustgarden’s Mole and Vole Repellent. Go to www.imustgarden.com/repel-moles-voles/ to read about voles and how to apply affectively the granular repellent.

• Get a jump start on spring. Check your seed packets to find out how long it takes the different varieties to sprout. Mark the last frost date (April 20th) on the calendar and count back the number of weeks needed for sprouting. This is the date you should sow your seeds indoors.

• If you haven’t done so already, remove dead fronds from your asparagus plants.

• Refer to “Fruit Tree Spray Program” for pest and fungus control.

• Plant early vegetables such as onion sets, rhubarb, asparagus, lettuce, spinach, kale and potatoes. Plant peas when the soil temperature is around 45 or 50 degrees. If planted too early, they may rot. Some recommend 6 weeks before last frost date.

At War with the Geese

Although visiting geese can be a nuisance, they presently have crossed the line of my patience. For once again, the geese and I are at war!

Over the years, as more and more wildlife moved into my property, the area became a sanctuary for the American eagle, other eagles and hawks, owl and numerous varieties of birds as well as raccoon, fox and other small furry creatures. In fact, I was so pleased with the addition of guests that I applied for and received a Federal habitat certificate. Everything went along smoothly until the geese began to multiply like rabbits, making the value of their presence questionable.
 
In retrospect, I should have listened to Mike McGrath host of You Bet Your Garden WTOP News Radio in Washington, D.C. when he said, “Don’t wait till they build a nest—Push these perfidious pooping protagonists off your property NOW!”

Waiting until seasonal vegetables were almost spent, the geese decided to feast on our crop of sweet corn – yummy sweet Silver Queen corn. The words - disappointed, mad or angered – fail to describe my reaction. It was after this greedy attack that I declared out and out war! So, during the winter months, I plotted a strategy.

As I researched potential solutions, I learned there are two types of ‘Canada goose’. The true migrating ones which spend their winters in the deep Southern USA and Mexico, then fly up North to Canada (hence their name) to breed in the Spring. Migratory geese might stop and rest, but rarely for more than a day.



Nevertheless, it turns out that at the turn of the Century, hunters breed these birds as live hunting decoys. Then, in the 1930’s, when the practice was outlawed, ‘decoy geese’ were freed, but the birds had lost their instinct to migrate. If that was not enough of a problem, the birds were next deliberately relocated to virtually every state, a practice known as ‘state swapping’.

Short of breaking out the shot-gun as a remedy, I've researched solutions. I identified noise makers, motion activated water sprayers, lists of less likely to bother plants, oil based poisons and of course, the suggestion to manage the population through hunting. But because of nearby neighborhoods, use of the space myself and the fact that it is my vegetable garden that is under attack, most suggestions are not feasible. Baffled but determined, I contacted my colleague and gardening friend Richard Nunnally, host of “Virginia Home Grown” shown on local public television stations WCVW and WCVE. At Richard’s suggestion, I tried an unbelievably simply but effective solution.

Nevertheless, aware of the persistence of these geese, I questioned if something so simple would truly remain effective; so, I continued research. Other identified alternatives are to grow something like a meadow, wildflower field, or butterfly garden around an area to protect it. Planting shrubs or building a wall along a shoreline helps deter the birds. Also dogs, specifically Border collies are used with great success; these dogs instinctively ‘herd’ the geese until the birds finally leave — without the dogs actually harming them.

Richard's suggestion is to outline the garden with wooden posts approximately 24 inches in height spaced every 12 feet. At approximately 8 and 16 inches from the ground, he advised to string fishing line and then, tie strips of reflective tape between the posts. The installed tape reminded me to watch out for the line and when the geese walked into the line, they did not like it and simply backup and walked another direction. Over time, I've opt to replace the string with strips of wire mesh. Nevertheless, periodically, the fencing fails through use requiring additional post support or wire. So, I am once again at war with the geese.

Have you dealt with the impact of pesky creatures? If yes, when selecting a solution, be aware that many forms of wildlife are protected. Research your options; and then, chose a solution that best protects the overall existing habitat. As gardeners, we do have the opportunity to impact the surrounding eco system. For additional tips and strategies, visit web site The Wright Scoop.