LOTS OF PEOPLE GROW LOTS OF GERANIUMS AND ASTERS AND MUMS. 

 AND A LOT OF PEOPLE BUY THEM. 



BUT ALONGSIDE THE GENERAL MARKET ITEMS, 



YOU CAN CHOOSE AN AREA OF SPECULIZATION— UNIQUE, 



BUT WITH ENOUGH CUSTOMER APPEAL TO MAKE IT WORTHWHILE, 



AND BROAD ENOUGH TO GIVE THE GROWER SOME FLEXIBILITY 



ALONG WITH THE PLEASURE OF SEEING A NEW CROP WELL DONE 



SEVERAL AREAS (OUT OF MANY) ARE SUGGESTED IN THIS ISSUE'S ARTICLES 



BY RALPH WINSLOWAND DOUG ROUTLEY. 



THEN TINA SAWTELLE TALKS ABOUT SOME ASPECTS OF THEIR MARKETING. 



FUTURE TRENDS: 



The Coming of A^e of the Elderly 



Ralph M. Wmslo^v jr. 

 Extension Program Associate, Agnculmral Resources 



PERHAPS MANY OF US aren't aware of 

 it, but, nevertheless, we are becoming an 

 aging society. Due to increased lite span 

 coupled with a lowered birth rate, senior 

 citizens are becoming the largest segment 

 of our population. In fact, "the number of 

 older people residing in this country is ex- 

 pected to reach at least 32 million by the 

 year 2000, with a disproportionate growth 

 among the elderly over 75 years of age."' This 

 simple prediction may have a decided effect on 

 the plant industry. 



For nursery owners, this means that an increasing 

 proportion of plant sales will involve older people. 

 People in the landscape construction industry, espe- 

 cially those working with architects and designers of 

 senior care facilities, may find it useful to be aware 

 of issues critical to the elderly. And for those doing 

 planting design, senior care housing will undoubtedly 

 be on the increase, bringing with it a new set of 

 design criteria. To remain competitive in this ex- 

 panding market, people m the plant industry should 

 educate themselves about the needs of an aging 

 population. 



In addition to increasing m sheer numbers, senior 

 citizens are also very much interested in horticulture. 

 According to a 1975 Harris Poll conducted amongst 

 elderly Americans, gardehing and raising plants was 

 second only to socializing with friends as popular 

 recreational activities. Fueled by members of the yet- 

 to-retire baby boom generation, the upcoming elderly 

 should be vital, affluent, and far from ready for the 

 rocking chair on the porch. And because of more 

 readily available education and greater worldliness, 

 these new elderly may very well be a discerning, 

 quality-minded client. 



J. Diane Y. Carstens. She Planning and Design for the 

 Elderly (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 

 1985), p. I. 



^^' However, in order to respond to this 



•* potential market, nursery people will 

 't need to educate themselves about the ap- 

 propriateness of plant choices for the eld- 

 erly. Unlike their younger counterparts, 

 senior citizens perceive and relate to plant 

 materials differently. When recommending 

 plant material tor older customers, consider 

 the following points: 



ROWER COLOR. As people age, visual 

 perception generally declines. The lens 

 within the eye thickens, yellows, and tends to ab- 

 sorb shorter wavelengths of light. Color sensitivity, 

 particularly ro the shorter wavelengths at the far 

 end of the spectrum, including blues and purples, 

 diminishes. Therefore, the elderly tend to perceive 

 bright, intense colors best — particularly yellows, or- 

 anges, and reds. Avoid cool colors, such as greens, 

 blues, and purples. Plant materials that have flowers 

 in this color range, especially large flowers or, per- 

 haps, an abundance of smaller flowers that are effec- 

 tive in mass, would appeal best to the elderly. 

 FALL FOLIAGE. As described above, seniors tend 

 to perceive bright colors best. Plant materials which 

 have consistently good fall color in this color range 

 would be good selections for the elderly. During the 

 shortening days of autumn, which parallel_ an elderly 

 person's own stage in life, bright, cheery fall color 

 could boost a person's spirits at a time when depres- 

 sion may all too often be a way of life. 

 EFFECTIVE FRUITS. Large, brightly colored fmits 

 are best perceived by the elderly. However, good 

 contrast between fruit and foliage color, whether 

 fmits are masked by foliage, and the potential for 

 attracting unwanted insects as well as desirable 

 birds, are additional factors that corne into play 

 when selecting plants for effective fruits. 



October/November 1992 13 



