PDSI’s Garden Road Show introduces new products to garden press and influencers

Photos provided by Garden Media Group

In March, garden content creators, consumer press and nonprofit horticulture leaders gathered across the Southeast for Plant Development Services, Inc.’s traveling Spring Garden Road Show. 

Kicking off with its inaugural stop in Atlanta on March 13 and continuing to Birmingham on March 14, the event transported guests back in time with a curated, retro-inspired setting. Debuting were new and notable plants from the Southern Living Plant Collection and garden goods from event partner OASIS Forage Products. 

“Our roadshow is a spin on the classic spring garden shows,” says Corrina Murray, director of marketing for Plant Development Services. “We wanted to reflect the ‘timeless cool’ of a classic road trip and the mid-century aesthetic trends driving garden and home design in 2024. Together with our media and influencer attendees, our vision is to bridge the generational gap and reach the diverse and engaged audience of gardeners who continue to embrace the hobby.”

As guests arrived at the venues, a private historic residence in Atlanta and the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, they were greeted by the nostalgic sight of a vintage van brimming with Southern Living Plants’ most popular varieties to peruse and photograph. The retro ambiance continued as attendees moved into the mid-century-inspired outdoor living room filled with wicker furniture, colorful plant combinations and vintage-style pennants featuring the names of top-selling Southern Living Plants like White Wedding Hydrangea and Obsession Nandina. The setting offered a whimsical backdrop for sipping, snacking, and socializing.

One of the event’s highlights was the interactive DIY bouquet and arrangement bar, led by OASIS Forage Designer Sharon McGukin. Attendees rolled up their sleeves and unleashed their creativity, crafting stunning floral masterpieces with spring blooms and freshly cut foliage from the nearby Southern Living Plants on display.

The Spring Garden Road Show welcomed media from leading consumer publications such as Southern Living, HGTV, and Country Living representing a consumer readership of over 35 million, and influencers and content creators with a social media audience of over 1.1 million.

To learn more about this event and PDSI’s upcoming media and educational events, please contact Corrina Murray at corrina@plantdevelopment.com.