Selecta One continues to enhance its popular Autumn Friends concept, catering to growers, retailers, and consumers alike. Originally launched in 2018, the concept has gained widespread recognition in Germany and is now witnessing growing demand across Europe. The Autumn Friends concept offers a versatile and innovative approach to autumn cultivations, providing a wide range of possibilities and benefits.
The concept initially evolved from extensive market research, with Selecta One identifying a rising demand for mixed pots combining foliage and flowering plants to infuse vibrant colors into late summer and autumn landscapes. The assortment was carefully curated to include a variety of perennials such as Diantica, Carmen, and Pillow carnations, Heuchera, Echinacea, Gentiana Luis Easy Blue, Leontopodium Vroni, grasses, Lysimachia, Ajuga, Calocephalus, Santolina, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, and Sedum. This comprehensive program caters to a wide range of producers, expanding the scope to include Azerca production companies.
The potential for creative combinations within the Autumn Friends concept is limitless. Selecta One conducts extensive trials to provide recommendations for plant combinations encompassing perennials, pot carnations, grasses, herbs, and lavender. These combinations can be used for single pots, mixed trays, or even in larger containers, catering to the diverse needs and imaginations of growers.
The Autumn Friends concept offers numerous advantages for all stakeholders in the supply chain. Producers benefit from shorter cultivation times and simplified production processes, reducing or eliminating the need for plant growth regulators (PGRs). Retailers appreciate the attractive, compact, and long-lasting products with a wide shelf life. The concept aligns with consumer trends favoring insect-friendly, drought-tolerant, easy-to-maintain, hardy, and long-flowering plants. Additionally, Autumn Friends caters to various price points, ensuring that both convenience-seeking customers and avid gardeners find suitable options.
Selecta One offers different product types, including rooted cuttings and MiniRooter®, which recharge in their paper pots under optimal climatic conditions, ensuring rapid growth after potting. The choice of product type significantly impacts labor and energy costs, cultivation duration, and area productivity.
Furthermore, Autumn Friends extends the retail sales period until late autumn, providing convenient, long-lasting products and allowing for space-efficient and eye-catching presentations at the point of sale (POS). Selecta One supports its customers with point-of-sale materials such as hanging labels and sticks, as well as customizable banners and posters.
Selecta One’s commitment to creativity and customer satisfaction remains at the core of the Autumn Friends concept. While ready mixtures are not available for orders, the company’s extensive experience with crops and varieties that complement each other ensures that customers receive tailored advice and solutions. The Autumn Friends concept thrives on its flexibility, allowing for endless possibilities to meet the evolving demands of the horticultural industry.
For the 2024 season, Selecta One has introduced four new ornamental aromatics to further enhance the Autumn Friends concept. These additions include two Thymus varieties, Rose Beauty and Purple Beauty, and two Origanum varieties, Deco Purple and Deco Pink, providing even more choices for creating captivating autumn displays.
Klaus Gaumann from Selecta One emphasizes the concept’s continued growth and success, saying, “It is a concept with so many opportunities and benefits for producers as well as for retail and end consumers.” Selecta One’s Autumn Friends concept embodies the spirit of innovation and adaptability, ensuring that customers can embrace the beauty of autumn with endless creativity.