Meet Lawn & Garden Retailer’s 2026 Innovators of the Year
I’m thrilled to introduce you to Lawn & Garden Retailer’s 2026 Innovator of the Year award honorees. These 10 independent garden centers set themselves apart by providing an immersive experiential retail experience, serving as a community hub and providing horticulture training employment to people with disabilities.
Read on to learn more about these innovators and be inspired to incorporate some of their ideas in your own retail operation.
Blooms Garden Center
Marion, Iowa
First opened in 2017, the 6,800-square-foot garden center has grown beyond a traditional garden retail operation. It’s best known for being a community hub where people can not only shop, but relax in its courtyard full of plants, thoughtfully curated gift shop and 2,800-square-foot bistro. This is complemented by popups from local small businesses and by hosting displays from local artists. A full irrigation system supporting more than 500 trees and 450 shrubs across the property was recently completed on-site.
Collier’s Greenhouse & Garden Center
Jackson, Georgia
Collier’s Greenhouse started in 1963 and moved to its current location in 1976. The third-generation family business has been serving gardeners in central Georgia for over 50 years, first as a small local greenhouse and now a destination garden center with more than 1.5 acres of greenhouse production and retail space. Annuals, perennials, houseplants and more are all grown on-site, providing customers with strong, locally grown plants that have adapted to the Georgia climate.
Lurvey Home & Garden
Des Plaines, Illinois
Lurvey has been in business since 1986. The retailer provides products to both homeowners and landscape contractors, allowing its product assortment to keep moving and be refreshed often. Its hundreds of hardscape products on display allow both contractors to show products to their clients and also serve as a starting point for homeowners interested in doing a project. This ability to blend retail inspiration with professional‑grade supply chain strength allows Lurvey to deliver exceptional value, continually adapt to customer needs and redefine what a modern garden center can be. In addition, its home and garden center carries all the finishing touches — seasonal plant material, containers, decorative fountains, outdoor furniture, indoor plants and gifts for gardeners.
Mill River Supply
Bedford Hills, New York
Established in 1978, Mill River Supply is a family-run retailer known for its large supply of organic items such as compost, potting soils, fertilizers, weed killers and repellents, as well as unique and hard-to-find items. It recently began a collaboration with DIG Farm, a local nonprofit that aims to reconnect the community with the natural good of the farm. The new Hodge Podge Lodge in the downstairs section of the store provides a space for classes in planting, clay molding, birdhouse making and other activities, and a new Community Corner allows local farmers and artisans to sell their wares.
Mitchell’s Nursery and Greenhouse
King, North Carolina
What began in 1979 as a backyard side-business of rooting azaleas soon became a lifeline. When founder Jim Mitchell’s epilepsy worsened in 1982, he and his wife Judy adapted into providing landscaping and mowing to make ends meet. In 1993, they moved the growing operation to the current home in King, North Carolina, and by 1995, medical advancements allowed Jim to undergo life-changing brain surgery — he has been seizure-free ever since. Mitchell’s offers annuals, perennials, shrubs and seasonal items. In 2004, the Mitchells launched Poinsettia Trials, forging partnerships with major breeders to send them unreleased varieties that customers can view and vote on before they hit retail benches.
Mostardi Nursery
Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
Mostardi Nursery was incorporated in 1976 and celebrates its 50th year in 2026. In addition to offering perennials, annuals, trees and shrubs, Mostardi has contributed more than 100 hanging baskets to Newtown Square in Bloom since 2010. It’s best known for providing plants, advice and solutions to its suburban Philadelphia community, a horticulture hub with many customers who are members of the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society.
Roger’s Gardens
Corona del Mar, California
Owner Roger Mckinnon opened Roger’s Gardens in 1965 in Costa Mesa, California, but in 1975 Gavin Herbert purchased it and relocated to the current location in Corona del Mar, California. Roger’s Gardens is known for creating an immersive, experiential retail destination that connects people with nature and inspires how they live, decorate and garden at home. It is often recognized for its curated, design-forward approach to home and garden, seasonal boutiques (including nationally recognized Christmas and Halloween experiences), and high-quality plant selection, such as one of the largest assortments of roses in Southern California.
Seven Oaks Plant Shop
Columbia, South Carolina
Seven Oaks Plant Shop opened in 1978 and began operating under new owners in January 2024 when the original owners retired. The garden center is known for outdoor plants, indoor foliage and a new gift shop, where educational classes and events take place. Guest speakers and authors from all over the U.S. to facilitate sessions that not only cover plants, but other timely topics for the community.
Wingard’s Market
Lexington, South Carolina
Wingard’s Market opened in 1968, with new owners beginning in 2006. The retailer is known for providing healthy plants maintained by experienced and helpful staff, unique items in its Giftique and fresh local foods in its Produce Market. Its Backyard Nature Center is used to educate customers on how to save the planet one backyard at a time. Wingard’s Market was voted the nation’s No. 1 Best Plant Nursery in the 2026 USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards.
Welby Garden Centre
Welby, New South Wales, Australia
Opened in 1981, Welby Garden Centre is a division of Challenge Southern Highlands (CSH), which was established in 1951 by local families with physically and/or intellectually disabled children. Over several decades, CSH has nurtured the vocational and life skills of thousands of people. Welby Garden Centre supplies cold-climate plants, including roses, perennials and fruit trees, and has four teams in garden maintenance.
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