Apr. 4–It sounds a bit like a pet rock for gardeners, but consumers seem to love the upside-down Topsy Turvy tomato planter, which has been sprouting all over the marketplace.

Bill Felknor, a folksy inventor from Knoxville, Tenn., has sold millions of his curious creations since they first appeared on QVC in 2003 — more than seven million last year alone, making it one of the most popular gardening products ever introduced.

“I give the good Lord 100 percent of the credit,” Felknor said of his “hanging gardens,” which grow tomatoes out the bottom of a soil-filled bag and are watered from the top.

Skeptics (there are many) ascribe Felknor’s success to more earthbound forces: mass marketing and the ageless attraction of novelty. Here, the target audience is anyone looking for a no-muss-no-fuss way to grow tomatoes, the nation’s number-one garden plant, and, perhaps, a conversation piece for the deck or patio. Continue reading →

_{»crosslinked«}

Popularity: 3% [?]