All about Flowers

James Vick's Nineteenth-Century Seed Company

All about Flowers
Thomas J Mickey, Charles A Birnbaum
RRP:
NZ$ 56.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 48.44
Paperback
h229 x 152mm - 204pg
30 Apr 2021 US
International import eta 7-19 days
9780804012294
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
Quantity:
 
 
A nineteenth-century entrepreneur' s bold, innovative marketing helped transform flower gardens into one of America' s favorite hobbies. "There is much in this sin-plagued world of ours; and, had we no flowers, I believe existence would be hard to be born. " So states a customer' s 1881 letter--one of thousands James Vick regularly received. Vick' s business, selling flower seeds through the mail, wasn' t unique, but it was wildly successful because he understood better than his rivals how to engage customers' emotions. He sold the love of flowers along with the flower seeds. Vick was genuinely passionate about floriculture, but he also pioneered what we now describe as integrated marketing. He spent a mind-boggling $100,000 per year on advertising (mostly to women, his target demographic); he courted newspaper editors for free publicity; his educational guides presaged today' s content marketing; he recruited social influencers to popularize neighborhood gardening clubs; and he developed a visually rich communication and branding strategy to build customer loyalty and inflect their purchasing needs with purchasing desire.
"Replete with colorful floral illustrations, this book about James Vick and his nineteenth-century seed company shows how he used innovative mass marketing and regular customer correspondence to build one of the largest and most respected seed companies in the United States. As a writer, horticulturist, and businessman, Vick deserves to be recognized as a man whose knowledge and influence spread worldwide during his lifetime. This book is long overdue. " -- Beverly Gibson, horticulturist, Landmark Society of Western New York "Thomas Mickey has brought to life the work of nineteenth-century flower seedsman James Vick through historical documents, catalogs, customer testimonials and charming illustrations. In All about Flowers, Mickey reveals where our enduring love for flowers came from and examines the role flower gardening played in the Victorian era, particularly for women. " -- Susan Mulvihill, coauthor of Northwest Gardener' s Handbook: Your Complete Guide "All about Flowers makes an indispensable contribution to the history of US ornamental horticulture. " -- Geraldine A. Laufer, coauthor of Tussie-Mussies: The Victorian Art of Expressing Yourself in the Language of Flowers
A nineteenth-century entrepreneur' s bold, innovative marketing helped transform flower gardens into one of America' s favorite hobbies. "There is much in this sin-plagued world of ours; and, had we no flowers, I believe existence would be hard to be born. " So states a customer' s 1881 letter-one of thousands James Vick regularly received. Vick' s business, selling flower seeds through the mail, wasn' t unique, but it was wildly successful because he understood better than his rivals how to engage customers' emotions. He sold the love of flowers along with the flower seeds. Vick was genuinely passionate about floriculture, but he also pioneered what we now describe as integrated marketing. He spent a mind-boggling $100,000 per year on advertising (mostly to women, his target demographic); he courted newspaper editors for free publicity; his educational guides presaged today' s content marketing; he recruited social influencers to popularize neighborhood gardening clubs; and he developed a visually rich communication and branding strategy to build customer loyalty and inflect their purchasing needs with purchasing desire.

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

View our full Order & Delivery information