Not Just Any Guide
Not Just Any Guide By Paige Worthy

I originally struggled with the idea of dedicating an entire issue to our Buyers Guide – at the height of our readers’ planning time for the coming year, no less! After all, when I’m looking for a restaurant, or a store, or a service provider, I just go online. Google, Yelp and my 600 Twitter contacts provide me with nearly all the reference I need to find the perfect resource or solution. I stand corrected.

Because you’re not looking for restaurants or a really good eyebrow wax, are you? You’re looking for magnetic mailbox covers. And gazing globes. And Christmas tree skirts. And green goods from growers who will supply the highest-quality varieties to your area. You’re part of a highly technical, highly specialized industry. And that calls for a highly specialized resource. And that’s where the Lawn & Garden Retailer 2010-2011 Buyers Guide comes in.

We devote a lot of time (and red ink) into editing this directory because we want it to be as accurate, up to date and comprehensive as possible. We hope this will never be the case, but if you see a listing that needs updating or correcting, please let us know! You’ll be doing your fellow readers a favor, too.

Don’t Be Left Out

As far as making this as comprehensive as possible… Vendors and suppliers, if you’re reading this and don’t see your company on the list, what are you waiting for? Getting a listing is 100 percent free. Visit our website, www.lgrmag.com, and look to the left. Click “Buyers Guide,” and once you’re on that screen, look for “How can I list my company?” Boom. Done. You can also add on special features later.

A Note About the Cover

We did something a little different this year with the cover. We go on so many Garden Centers of America tours and visit so many retailers and take so many photos, but we rarely get an opportunity to use them in print. So we compiled some of our favorite shots from garden centers around the country and used them on the cover!

The garden centers on our cover are Drake’s 7 Dees, Flower & Herb Barn, Garden Supply Company, Homewood Nursery, Palmer’s, Portland Nursery, Rock City Gardens, Rockledge Nursery and Shorty’s.We see so many fantastic retailers and merchandising displays — these are just the ones that photographed exceptionally well.