Aug 22, 2012
The Year Of…By pmihalek

It’s here! The IGC Show, that is, and on Monday, things kicked off with a retail tour in West Chicagoland. Two standout stops were Blumen Gardens and The Growing Place, both of which further prove that this continues to be “The year of repurposed pallets and painted frames.” And that’s not a bad thing, which you’ll see in a second.

Coming up on my two-year anniversary as a Chicagoan, I’m more than embarrassed that I didn’t know about Blumen Gardens before the tour. From five-foot-tall cardboard mushrooms to bedspring Buddhas, this retailer in quiet Sycamore, Illinois, could write the book on designing on a dime.

As for The Growing Place, I saw just how perfect a few well-placed, brightly-painted picture frames can positively impact your perspective of a display. Check out both places in two photo galleries on our Lawn & Garden Retailer Facebook page.

Next up? Well, new and improved products, of course. Stay tuned as the IGC Show pushes on. I’ll be sure to update our Facebook page with plenty of product photos to keep you up on what’s new.


pmihalek