Special delivery
It’s that time of year again — we’ve seen the stunning new varieties headed to retail in 2026 at California Spring Trials (stay tuned for complete coverage in our June and July issues!), and soon the special deliveries will be arriving with plant samples to try out of these new genetics in our own yards. I can’t wait to get my hands dirty planting up the samples — and sharing them with you on our social media channels! Be sure to follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook to see how the varieties progress over the next few months.
It’s also time to sign up for our Lawn & Garden Retailer Garden Center Insiders program, where select garden centers are sent sample boxes of new merchandise to try out and consider adding to their assortments. Merchandise in the past has included gift and holiday items, plant health and maintenance products, pottery and more. Click here to watch my unboxing videos of past sample boxes, and apply for the program at lgrmag.com/garden-center-insiders.
Also In This Issue
We recently conducted a State of the Garden Center Industry survey, asking garden retailers what their bestsellers were for 2024 and what direction they see the industry heading for 2025 and beyond — turn to page XX for all the details.
While spring is just beginning here in the Midwest as I write this, we’re busy planning our third Garden Center Show, set for Aug. 12-13 in Rosemont (Chicago), Illinois. We can’t wait to share with you the conference and exhibition details, as well as the garden retailers we’ll visit on the full-day Lawn & Garden Retailer Garden Center Tour on Aug. 11. Find more details and register for free at gardencentershow.com.
For a sneak peek of one of our sessions, flip to page XX for a preview of National Garden Bureau marketing director Gail Pabst’s talk on leveraging Pinterest to expand your reach and boost your garden business.
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