March 2012

Let me explain…

Merchandise Buying In Today's Economy Like many independent garden centers, we here at Countryside Flower Shop & Garden Center, Crystal Lake, Ill., have also witnessed our sales trends mirror indu... more

The Pacific North(b)est Part II

I logged visits to 12 garden centers in three days in the Pacific Northwest. The following photos are just a few things that caught my eye. Part two: the Greater Portland area. I hope you find somethi... more

Miniature Waiting Lists

Two retailers explain what makes their ever-popular miniature garden workshops fill up fast every spring. With deserts, mountain ranges and plains between them, Southern California's M&M Nursery a... more

Watch Your Ps!

It wouldn't hurt even the successful garden centers to check their Ps every now and again to see where new opportunities might lie.Unless you live in a monastery, you more than likely heard the obnoxi... more

Fruits of Your Labor

Connecting your employees with the mission, vision and values of your organization should be a top priority — one that will result in higher levels of productivity, efficiency and effectiveness.Human... more

Plants On Trial

Comparable to the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, All-America Selections is an excellent resource for building your customer's confidence in the plants you carry. After a recent explanation of the... more

Four Season Sales

No longer just a spring thing, the owners of CopperTree Outdoor Lifestyles, Springfield, Ill., have transformed their custom containers into the talk of the town for all four seasons. In the last two ... more

advice, unsolicited

If a letter of criticism from a former customer ended up in your mailbox, how would you react to the sender and the sender's suggestions? We have five coffee shops in my neighborhood — the one w... more