Her passion
for small plants has brought about a unique plant program that
has introduced many consumers to perennials in a most unpredictable
way.
The idea of
walking on plants may seem a bit unusual, however Fran’s
marketing approach has been to bring people and plants together
in a fun way to find solutions in the landscape. We’ve all
been told for years to get off the plants!!! Now, because of STEPABLES®,
people are not just walking on them, they are using them for park
trails, RV pads, lawn replacements, outdoor yoga areas, patios,
children’s play areas, atriums, and a plethora of other
uses. Fran has developed a rating system that helps to gage the
degree of foot traffic a plant will tolerate and the program has
been designed to help the consumer find the right plant for the
right spot. The way people look at plants has now been changed
forever because of Fran’s program. People don’t just
buy a plant because it is pretty, they buy it because it solves
a problem and serves a purpose.
STEPABLES®
kicks the door wide open with over 150 varieties of plants you
can walk, run, stomp or drive a car on. The wave of the STEPABLES®
program is unstoppable. With credits like Rebecca’s Garden,
Good Morning America, Gardening By The Yard, Martha Stewart Living,
Fine Gardening Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, The Washington
Post, The Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe, STEPABLES®
is on it’s way to becoming a household word.
The STEPABLES®
program has been national 8 years and is carried by 14 distributors
covering over 3500 garden centers in the US.
Fran received
high honors in 2004 when the Perennial Plant Association named
her their Young Professional of the Year. In 2005, SAF awarded
her Floral Management’s Marketer of the Year for her outstanding
Good For Your Sole Campaign. In 2006 Greenhouse Grower’s
Magazine awarded Fran the prestigious Medal of Excellence for
Marketing Achievement of the STEPABLES® brand. Most recently,
in June 2007, Greenhouse Product News honored the STEPABLES®
brand with their Creative Marketing Award.
Read more
about Fran Hopkins ---Meet Fran
Read Fran’s
Blog: STEPPIN’ OUT with the STEPABLES®
Lady
