social media

April 2024
Using digital technology effectively

In an era where our lives are increasingly digitized, the importance of fostering a deep connection to plants and nature cannot be overstated. As people spend more time in front of screens, they risk becoming... more »
Attracting and Retaining Employees kicker stock

March 2024
How to attract employees with a marketing mindset

The job hunting experience can be tedious and monotonous for your potential employee, with constantly repeating tasks. From typing in their full name, uploading a resume and then retyping all of the content of their... more »
Ship My Plants

November/December 2023
Is Ship My Plants the new Amazon for garden centers?

It was by selling through Amazon that Rich Christakes, CEO of Alsip Home & Nursery — with locations in Illinois and Indiana — was inspired to create Ship My Plants. “Here at Alsip Home &... more »
Gardening Simplified Proven Winners ColorChoice

September 18, 2023
Gardening Simplified show celebrates 1st anniversary

Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs’ Gardening Simplified show is entering its second year of broadcasting. The radio show and podcast has had over 81 million unique listeners since its kickoff a year ago, and based on... more »

September/October 2023
10 tips to maximize your email marketing

Email marketing is a powerful tool garden retailers have to engage with their customers, build brand loyalty and drive sales. One key ingredient for successful email marketing campaigns is a solid database of customer email... more »
stock The importance of pollinators continues to rise, and there are a number of free resources available for garden centers to help educate your customers.

June 2023
Creating a buzz about pollinators

June is National Pollinator Month, meaning it is the perfect time to hone in on your year-round messaging, how the products you sell help bees and other pollinators. Here are some resources available to help... more »
Video Tips and Tricks for Garden Centers

June 2023
Video tips and tricks for garden centers

Debbie Foisy is giving the presentation “Turn Your Boring Plant Expertise Into Fun, Catchy Videos” on Tuesday, July 18, at Cultivate’23. Here, she shares some tips from her more than 10 years of creating videos for... more »
What can your garden center do to stand out in a crowded marketplace to develop t brand affinity

May 2023
Social media and horticulture

Communication between businesses and consumers in the horticulture industry is an important topic to revisit periodically in the face of developing technology. In the past, mailers, newsletters and other paper-based publications have long been an... more »

April 2023
Should your garden center have a text club?

Kate Terrell, president and general manager at Wallace's Garden Center in Bettendorf, Iowa, can tell when a text offer has gone out to Wallace’s text club, at least anecdotally speaking, because she says cars immediately... more »

January 2023
What’s Trending With Home Gardeners

Garden Media Group owner Katie Dubow had been actively avoiding one of the trends featured in her company’s latest Garden Trends Report — but she encourages garden centers not to do so. “The TikTok trend... more »

April 2022
Leveraging Technology to Fertilize Growth

Running a garden retail business in today’s unpredictable environment can be daunting, but the right software tools can make growing your business a simpler and surer path. Small business owners often have many roles; the... more »

July 2021
Marketing Trends to Avoid in 2021

In a world where digital has become an integral piece of every garden center’s marketing strategy, there is only one thing worse than having no strategy at all — having a bad digital marketing plan... more »