Something like this?

what about the gal in the upper right hand corner of this page?

Well, I do need the subject to be human, not a gnome. And the pic at the top right is the wrong angle. I'd ideally like the wide brim of a garden hat with a smile underneath.

But, you're on the right track! And thanks.

Like these?

Yes, Hostanista, like THOSE. Where did you find those?

Yes, Hostanista, like THOSE. Where did you find those?

How about one of these?

bk

Here is a link that might be useful: google search, lady in gardening hat

And here come the hat guys.

Here is a link that might be useful: Guys under garden hats

Various Google searches using the words straw hat, smile, gardening...

With Google - or any search engine - "key words" are the key! LOL

Don't forget to click on the "images" link on google's homepage. You might also find photos on photobucket and flickr.

bk

Thanks everyone who provided me garden hat pictures. Now I have to do more research as to the demographic of an upscale gardener. What kind of clothing does he wear (when not in his garden), what kind of watch does he wear, what does he drink, what kind of car does he drive, what is his profession, why does he garden, what is he looking to accomplish by gardening, etc.. It's a very complex HW assignment and I want to do a great job.

An 'upscale' gardener should be ready any time to load 10 bags of mulch, fertilizer and manure into the trunk of his car. Somedays he will bring home an assortment of bushes, trees and hostas plus rocks and bricks. So designer clothing (and gloves) is probably not for a gardener. A sports car, BMW, etc. could not hold the 10 bags. A truck as a 3rd car could be appropriate.
Bernd

Thanks, Bernd. But his truck would be an EXPENSIVE truck---what kind would that be? What kind of upscale garden tools would he use? The manure, of course, would be the leavings of Kobe beef no doubt. What brand of garden clothes/hat would he buy? And what kind of drinks would he opt for after a hard day of gardening? What kind of watch would he use to keep track of how long he's been out shoveling and when lunch is? This is what my graphics instructor said I should try to "find out" about my targeted demographic of upscale gardener. My problem is, I don't know any Wall Street guys or high power attorney or doctors who garden. So I thank my dear Hostapeople for any inputs.

Let's take this a bit further in your research for your project.
An 'upscale' gardener doesn't have to be a city dweller :-)

One example of a 'more affluent' country gardener is P. Allen Smith, who has created a neat home place that he shares with the public.

Here is a link that might be useful: P.A.Smith's home

Oh, and the snazzy pickup truck of choice:
Ford Super Duty Platinum or Dodge Ram Cummins Diesel or a GMC 2500 Sierra HD.

Of course, for any of them, a dually if hauling livestock and, if money were no object, a new one each year.

Around here, which brand of truck you choose depends on which side of the creek you're from ;-)

Thanks, Dg. That maybe takes care of the Truck of Choice. Now I just have the elebentyseven other things to research. I really don't see wealthy people around NYC driving pickups. You just don't see many pickups here. I don't think the demographic for a pickup is NYC.

Does he have to be an American? You can't get anymore upscale then Prince Charles who has been an avid gardener and environmentalist for years.

{{gwi:2131591}}

{{gwi:2131592}}

DD

LOL, Donna. Not quite THAT upscale. I'm talking a dr., lawyer, Wall Street guy, income $150,000 - $250,000. Drives a Porsche or something, wears Patek Phlippe watches, wears Brioni or Zegna suits, drinks expensive booze, etc. Sat next to this drop dead gorgeous man on the subway on my way to class tonight, who was the LIVING personification of my demographic upscale gardener. I contrived to interview him. He was an economist, but alas, our shared subway time was too short to get all the goods as described above.

Why the 'upscale' angle....which seems so pretentious? I'd go after the family-with-kids aspect.

Rhizo,

The "upscale angle" was specified in the assignment. There is a guy who realizes his dream of a garden center which specializes in rare plants. It's not your typical neighborhood garden center which features the bread-and-butter species. He is also proud to offer the finest in garden decor, personalized service, etc. Definitely doesn't sound like a Home Depot. The full description definitely describes an upper middle class or above clientele. So THAT is why the "upscale angle".

It also sounds pretentious (not sure that is the right word) to me. One thing, that income level does not translate to Porsches, custom suits and Patek Phlippe watches. These days, that's a house in the 'burbs and a Acura if he has a family. If he doesn't have a family, he's probably in a high rise somewhere with a few potted plants on the balcony.

I think whomever made up that assignment was a little loony. Of course, if it's a creative writing class, you can make up anything you want. I don't think you'll find anything/anyone in the real world that fits that narrative. If there is, they are a "trust fund baby". You might approach it from that angle.

JMHO

bk

Does the profile have to be of a man?

No, it does not have to be a man. Just whoever the clientele of that imaginary upscale nursery would be.

I didn't realize this was a marketing plan. I'm still not sure whether you are developing a marketing plan for a nursery to sell to upscale clients or a marketing plan for some upscale guy who wants to open a nursery to sell exotic plants. I'm guessing it's the former.

Look at the websites for Jackson's (http://www.jacksonshg.com/) and Nicholson-Hardie (http://www.nicholson-hardie.com/). They are probably the most upscale nurseries in the Dallas area. I still think your $$ income is too low. There's not a home in their neighborhoods for less than $750,000. You can't afford that on $200,000 annual income. That $150,000 to $300,000 puts them in the burbs in a 4 bedroom house and a couple of mid priced cars. At least that is the way it is here. I would think that they would have even less expensive homes and cars in NYC, as the tax rate is so much higher as are the real estate values.

At the really upscale nursery, the wife is the customer, not the husband. She does not do much actual gardening, but has a weekly service that does most of it. Here, the service replaces the annuals on a seasonal basis as well as mowing, raking and trimming shrubs. She's more into decorating her home and uses the products from the gardening center to that end. She drives a Suburban, Tahoe or some kind of SUV. She might drive a Mercedes or a Lexus. The garden center delivers, so there is no "truck" involved.

Another high end nursery here is Northhaven Gardens. They are moving into "organic". They sell chickens for the urban gardening movement in addition to plants. They do cater more to real gardeners than garden decorators, though.

Are you sure it's possible to design a garden center/nursery that can survive on just "upscale" clients? I wouldn't think NYC would have enough people in that income range with a place to garden and a desire to do so.

You might have to rethink your income range or the location of the business.

If your plan is for the second option, there's almost no way a garden center can survive on some certain kind of exotic plant. As I understand it, hosta growers don't get rich. If it was more exotic than hosta, it would have a smaller market of customers. There would not be enough local customers to support a really exotic plant. It would have to be a mail order/internet business.

Again, JMHO

bk

I agree with bkay.
Here in the Upstate NY area around Albany houses cost about 1/3 of those on Long Island. In the best nursery here hostas are shown in an area of 1/6 of all perennials offered. Choice dwarf conifers i.e. are offered on about the same area as perennials. I see Lexus and Mercedes there not often. It seems people going to nurseries actually will garden to some extend. Driving around neighborhoods with McMansions, there does not seem to be much exquisite landscaping.
Bernd

I think Ken would be the perfect inspiration for this. Surely there must be a picture of him with his hosta!

Actually, one of my graphics instructors told me that my "man in a gardening hat" logo was too complicated. So now I am working on a logo of a tulip bulb with the emerging green buds like slightly tousled hair on a 20s something young man (inspired by another of my instructors), with the fibrous roots in 2 groups forming the feet of a cute little character. They'll probably tell me that THIS logo is too complicated as well. Will work on it more tomorrow. And post my final logo for all hostafolks to see!

combine 'em ⦠tulip with a hat, make a smiley face on the tulip, perhaps piece of straw in its mouth.

dave

_~

Haha, Dave! I teased one of my computer graphics instructors (they're all very edgy Brits in this school) that I would make a pudgy little bulb with spindly legs and arms. The wince on his artsy face was palpable when I mentioned (just to tease him, 'cos I knew he'd hate it. I think his ponytail drooped as well, at the mere thought...) the smiley face. No, in this Manhattan school they want EDGY. I am thinking that, in the course of my research, I have seen NO edgy logos for garden centers, only really corny traditional ones with maybe one exception. I'm not sure that people would cotton to an "edgy" garden center sign except maybe the rooftop gardeners of Manhattan. Hmmmm.

They want simple, they want the letters of the name to form the graphic, they want the next swoosh of Nike or apple like Apple. I dunno, I think it would be confusing and off-putting to a garden center to be too "edgy" and enigmatic. What do you guys think?

The homework assignment of designing a logo for an imaginary business is due next week, so I will definitely be working on it during my holiday vacation!

Have you created a name for the imaginary garden center business?
If you posted it already, sorry, I missed it...

Maybe a simple ornamental grasses, magnolia or orchid graphic with the business name in a font that looks deco...

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:2131590}}

Yes DG, I have created a name. I absolutely hated the 4 names we could choose from, and was relieved to read that "if you don't like any of these names, you can choose your own." You bet I did! I will reveal the name when I show you-all my finished logo.

Yes DG, I have created a name. I absolutely hated the 4 names we could choose from, and was relieved to read that "if you don't like any of these names, you can choose your own." You bet I did! I will reveal the name when I show you-all my finished logo.

well, have the 'edgy request' folks EVER worked in the real world, or is this just what they think entrepreneurs ought to be doing?

Hmm: Verdant POGO â¦

Plant one, get one

This post was edited by bragu on Wed, Dec 24, 14 at 18:53

Happy last day of Hanukah.

bk

Happy Holidays to EVERYONE!!! Whatever your holiday is.

NB: So far, poo-poo-poo, the maintenance men have left my plastic bowls covering the ceramic planters alone. Curiously, the heuchies left exposed in the ground are still green and not dormant, whereas all the hosts are good and dead brown. I wonder what will happen to the heuchies under the bowl in one planter. The "landscape workers" did me a big "favor" and raked all the leaves (including the ones I purposely placed around my roses for mulch against winter) out of my gardens. They raked much of the mulch out, too. Should I replace the mulch as winter protection?

Happy Holidays to EVERYONE!!! Whatever your holiday is.

NB: So far, poo-poo-poo, the maintenance men have left my plastic bowls covering the ceramic planters alone. Curiously, the heuchies left exposed in the ground are still green and not dormant, whereas all the hosts are good and dead brown. I wonder what will happen to the heuchies under the bowl in one planter. The "landscape workers" did me a big "favor" and raked all the leaves (including the ones I purposely placed around my roses for mulch against winter) out of my gardens. They raked much of the mulch out, too. Should I replace the mulch as winter protection?