Garden Center Magazine

Garden Center Magazine A digital-only publication serving leading independent garden center retailers in North America (U.S. and Canada). Find us at gardencentermag.com.

Published by GIE Media.

There was never a time in the 70-year history of Hunters Garden Centre & Flower Shop - Surrey / Hunters Garden Centre - ...
09/20/2024

There was never a time in the 70-year history of Hunters Garden Centre & Flower Shop - Surrey / Hunters Garden Centre - Broadway that the Hunter family sat down and decided to focus on sustainability.

It’s just always been a part of who Hunters is.

“There's always been efforts to minimize,” says Miles Hunter, the general manager and third-generation owner of the British Columbia IGC. “Whether it's something that you realize there's a cost saving factor or whether it's something that you realize is just in the best interest of the environment, we've always recycled, reused, reduced as much as we can for everything.”

Recent sustainability efforts at Hunters include installing solar panels to offset electricity usage and replacing an older furnace with a high-efficiency model. The IGC also recycles all its plastic — over 4,400 pounds last year.

Meet #95 on the 2024 Top 100 Independent Garden Centers List:

https://www.gardencentermag.com/article/hunters-garden-centre-vancouver-surrey-british-columbia-top-100-garden-center-2024/

Sawyer, Michigan, rests on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan, an hour car trip directly east of Chicago. Windy City de...
09/18/2024

Sawyer, Michigan, rests on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan, an hour car trip directly east of Chicago. Windy City denizens have come here for years to enjoy quiet weekends, escape the hustle and bustle of the big city and absorb the region’s natural wonders.

But this sleepy little destination town — population of about 2,100 — wouldn’t have the same unique charm without Sawyer Home & Garden Center.

Meet #50 on the 2024 Top 100 Independent Garden Centers List:

https://www.gardencentermag.com/article/sawyer-home-garden-center-michigan-top-100-independent-garden-center-2024/

REMINDER: Learn more in today's webinar about your greatest marketing asset!Join Rob Sproule — co-owner and marketing di...
09/17/2024

REMINDER: Learn more in today's webinar about your greatest marketing asset!

Join Rob Sproule — co-owner and marketing director of Salisbury Greenhouse and owner of Dig Marketing — to learn how to create data-driven tactics that will engage millennial customers in a way that the “one size fits all” approach just doesn’t.

In addition to emails, Rob will help you understand how SMS and loyalty programs can add additional value.

Thank you again to our session sponsor, Veryplants!

And if you can't attend live today, no worries! You can still register, and we'll email you a link to the session recording to watch whenever you'd like.

Register here:

https://gie-net.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_038iXSaEQqC0UoLIVXgQvw #/registration

If you're a garden center owner, operator or manager, we want to hear from you!Each year, we take the pulse of the indep...
09/16/2024

If you're a garden center owner, operator or manager, we want to hear from you!

Each year, we take the pulse of the independent garden center industry through our annual State of the Industry survey. Your participation is vital for accurate and meaningful results as we look at how our industry is shaping up heading into 2025.

You can take the survey, which takes less than 15 minutes to complete, at the link below.

To show our gratitude and appreciation for your time, you can enter a drawing for a chance to win one of three $100 Visa gift cards!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P3B6KBF

Do you know what your greatest marketing asset is?Join Rob Sproule — co-owner and marketing director of Salisbury Greenh...
09/13/2024

Do you know what your greatest marketing asset is?

Join Rob Sproule — co-owner and marketing director of Salisbury Greenhouse and owner of Dig Marketing — to learn how to create data-driven tactics that will engage millennial customers in a way that the “one size fits all” approach just doesn’t.

In addition to emails, Rob will help you understand how SMS and loyalty programs can add additional value.

And thank you to our session sponsor, Veryplants!

Register here:

https://gie-net.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_038iXSaEQqC0UoLIVXgQvw #/registration

Nestled in an 80-acre patchwork of orchard, agricultural land, tree farms and hoop houses outside Kansas City, Missouri,...
09/12/2024

Nestled in an 80-acre patchwork of orchard, agricultural land, tree farms and hoop houses outside Kansas City, Missouri, sits Colonial Gardens.

It isn't just a place to go purchase the annual seasonal load of petunias or mums; it's a place to gather, build community, relax, shop, eat and be entertained.

In fact, the IGC describes itself as a “regenerative garden center.” The term is meant to be broader and more inclusive than terms like “organic” (which requires certification) or “natural” or “environmentally friendly.”

The concept of a regenerative horticultural business allows for Colonial Gardens to take a holistic view of stewardship that encompasses everything from water and waste management to core business practices.

Read more about #79 on the 2024 Top 100 Independent Garden Centers List:

https://www.gardencentermag.com/article/colonial-gardens-kansas-city-missouri-top-100-independent-garden-center-2024/

Visit Glover Nursery in Utah’s Salt Lake City metropolitan area, and you’re likely to see a reference to the Top 100 IGC...
09/10/2024

Visit Glover Nursery in Utah’s Salt Lake City metropolitan area, and you’re likely to see a reference to the Top 100 IGC’s standing as “Utah’s First Family Nursery.”

Now in its sixth generation of nursery operation, the Glover family lays claim to being the state’s first family-run nursery. But the emphasis on family extends beyond their kin to the families that seek out Glover Nursery year after year.

For fifth-generation siblings Chief Operating Officer Ryan Glover and his sister, Marketing Director Regan Glover, helping take the IGC forward for future generations of both their family and those in their community is a responsibility they relish.

Meet #31 on the 2024 Top 100 Independent Garden Centers List:

https://www.gardencentermag.com/article/glover-nursery-salt-lake-city-utah-top-100-independent-garden-center-2024/

And don't forget to register for our Top 100 Week webinar with Proven Winners to learn how to increase your customer base, expand your reach and connect with Gen Z! It's this Thursday at 2 p.m. ET, and you can register here:

https://gie-net.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OrTjMP1fQ9yjX0_rw7YOJw #/registration

Happy Top 100 Week! We're introducing you to some of our Top 100 Independent Garden Centers this week.First up, meet Hya...
09/09/2024

Happy Top 100 Week! We're introducing you to some of our Top 100 Independent Garden Centers this week.

First up, meet Hyannis Country Garden.

Connecting with their community on Cape Cod has been vital to the success of this third-generation family-owned IGC that started as a fruit and vegetable stand more than half a century ago.

Hyannis Country Garden has expanded far past a fruit and vegetable stand, but the commitment to community — and selling great products — has never changed.

Meet #68 on the 2024 Top 100 Independent Garden Centers List:

https://www.gardencentermag.com/article/hyannis-country-garden-cape-cod-garden-center-top-100-2024/

REMINDER! Our free Fertile Ground webinar on succession planning with PivotPoint Business Solutions and Best Human Capit...
09/09/2024

REMINDER! Our free Fertile Ground webinar on succession planning with PivotPoint Business Solutions and Best Human Capital & Advisory Group is tomorrow!

You can register at the link below. If you can't attend live, you can still register, and we'll email you a recording of the webinar!

https://gie-net.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VhlxzavvQ1y4bKV1Kk7Mbg #/registration

We know you've worked hard to build a business, and much of your personal wealth and assets may be tied up in that busin...
09/04/2024

We know you've worked hard to build a business, and much of your personal wealth and assets may be tied up in that business.

But sustaining them over the long term requires strategic planning, whether transferring to a family successor or a third-party buyer.

Find out the best practices for succession and exit planning in the green industry from Chris Cimaglio with PivotPoint Business Solutions & Best Human Capital & Advisory Group.

This free webinar, part of the Fertile Ground series, is at 2 p.m. ET Tuesday, Sept. 10. You can register here:

https://gie-net.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VhlxzavvQ1y4bKV1Kk7Mbg #/registration

If you can't attend live, you can still register, and we'll email you a recording of the webinar!

To help you prepare, you can also catch up on our latest stories on succession planning here:

https://www.gardencentermag.com/tag/succession-planning/

REMINDER: If your website needs some TLC, we'll be sharing some advice TODAY on how you can get it done!The "Power Pages...
09/03/2024

REMINDER: If your website needs some TLC, we'll be sharing some advice TODAY on how you can get it done!

The "Power Pages: Websites for Garden Centers 101" Fertile Ground webinar is today at 2 p.m. ET.

Catalina Morales Vélez, director of digital marketing for Dig Marketing, will discuss how you can improve your website, including performance, hosting, security, maintenance and results.

You can register at the link below. And if you can't attend live, no worries! You can still register, and we'll email you a link to the recording:

https://gie-net.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BgEIbMtxQ-StHWfjxKuCPg #/registration

We'll also post the recording here, where we also have recordings of all our other Fertile Ground webinars that you can watch for free anytime:

https://events.gardencentermag.com/gcfgws/

Are you ready for our brand new Top 100 Week?We're highlighting some of our 2024 Top 100 IGCs during the week of Sept. 9...
08/30/2024

Are you ready for our brand new Top 100 Week?

We're highlighting some of our 2024 Top 100 IGCs during the week of Sept. 9-13, including:

-Sheridan Nurseries ( #17)
-Glover Nursery ( #31)
-Sawyer Home & Garden Center ( #50)
-Hyannis Country Garden ( #68)
-Colonial Gardens ( #79)
-Hunters Garden Centre & Flower Shop - Surrey / Hunters Garden Centre - Broadway ( #95)

We're also hosting a free webinar, featuring a Q&A session, with three of our Top 100 IGCs. Sponsored and moderated by Proven Winners, the webinar is at 2 p.m. ET Sept. 12.

Find out ways to reach Gen Z shoppers and expand your customer base, how these IGCs made the list and how the right targeted marketing, events and advertising can both captivate younger generations and reach new customers of all ages.

The panelists are:

-Liz Lark-Riley, marketing director, Mahoney's Garden Centers ( #4)
-Paul Abugattas, executive director, Colonial Gardens ( #79)
-Michael Fiore, vice president, Smith's Gardentown ( #89)

Register for the webinar here:

https://gie-net.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OrTjMP1fQ9yjX0_rw7YOJw #/registration

And follow all of our Top 100 Week coverage here:

https://www.gardencentermag.com/page/top-100-independent-garden-centers/

Does your website stress you out?Does the thought of *improving* your website ramp that stress up even more?If so, don't...
08/28/2024

Does your website stress you out?

Does the thought of *improving* your website ramp that stress up even more?

If so, don't worry — we've got help.

Catalina Morales Vélez, director of digital marketing for Dig Marketing, offers help with the scary task of improving your website. She spends extensive time training owners on how to understand and take control of their website performance, hosting, security, maintenance and results so that it doesn’t feel overwhelming.

Register for this free webinar as part of our Fertile Ground series:

https://gie-net.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BgEIbMtxQ-StHWfjxKuCPg #/registration

REMINDER! Our free webinar on employee retention and development is TOMORROW!Our next webinar in the Fertile Ground Webi...
08/26/2024

REMINDER! Our free webinar on employee retention and development is TOMORROW!

Our next webinar in the Fertile Ground Webinar Series, with platinum sponsor Proven Winners, features Tina Lee from DeWayne's and Karen Van Duyvendyk from Dutch Growers, who will discuss how positive efforts in professional development, incentives and company culture can lead to improved employee retention and increases in productivity, performance and morale.

Register here:

https://gie-net.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rSTlLEGHTgmQ6GwiRQn3Cg #/registration

Just because an employee was successfully hired and onboarded doesn’t guarantee tenure or long-term satisfaction with yo...
08/22/2024

Just because an employee was successfully hired and onboarded doesn’t guarantee tenure or long-term satisfaction with your company.

Our next webinar in the Fertile Ground Webinar Series features Tina Lee from DeWayne's and Karen Van Duyvendyk from Dutch Growers, who will discuss how positive efforts in professional development, incentives and company culture can lead to improved employee retention and increases in productivity, performance and morale.

Register for this free webinar, held from 2-3 p.m. ET Aug. 27, at the link below. And thank you to this session's platinum sponsor, Proven Winners!

https://gie-net.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rSTlLEGHTgmQ6GwiRQn3Cg #/registration

Industry veterans Erik Dietl-Friedli and David Williams have come together to create a new company, Garden Center Consul...
08/21/2024

Industry veterans Erik Dietl-Friedli and David Williams have come together to create a new company, Garden Center Consultants, to work with garden centers to help them achieve their goals.

“We’ve been doing it for so long. We have seen so many pitfalls and things that garden centers go through and challenges that they might face,” Dietl-Friedli says. “And so, since we have gone through that, we figured, hey, who better to help garden centers achieve their goals?”

https://www.gardencentermag.com/article/garden-center-consultants-management-help-erik-dietl-friedli-david-williams-nursery/

REMINDER! The next session in our Fertile Ground Webinar Series is at 2 p.m. ET tomorrow!This webinar will explore how y...
08/19/2024

REMINDER! The next session in our Fertile Ground Webinar Series is at 2 p.m. ET tomorrow!

This webinar will explore how your IGC can move from a broad digital marketing strategy to the daily tactics across digital platforms that will entice your customers and increase sales.

Thank you to Rob Sproule — co-owner and marketing director of Top 100 IGC Salisbury Greenhouse and owner of Dig Marketing — for hosting and Plantista and Bobbex, Inc. for sponsoring!

Register here:

https://gie-net.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zOHXNbm5QKi6Dj6TPPoKag? #/registration

The next session in our Fertile Ground Webinar Series will explore how your IGC can move from a broad digital marketing ...
08/14/2024

The next session in our Fertile Ground Webinar Series will explore how your IGC can move from a broad digital marketing strategy to the daily tactics across digital platforms that will entice your customers and increase sales.

Thank you to Rob Sproule — co-owner and marketing director of Top 100 IGC Salisbury Greenhouse and owner of Dig Marketing — for hosting and Plantista and Bobbex, Inc. for sponsoring!

Register here:

https://gie-net.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zOHXNbm5QKi6Dj6TPPoKag #/registration

Don't forget to register for the first session in our Fertile Ground Webinar Series, which is TOMORROW!Recruit Talent to...
08/12/2024

Don't forget to register for the first session in our Fertile Ground Webinar Series, which is TOMORROW!

Recruit Talent to Your Garden Center for Today and Tomorrow, sponsored by First Editions Shrubs & Trees and hosted by Best Human Capital & Advisory Group, is at 2 p.m. ET tomorrow.

If you're concerned with building your talent bench for now and into the future, this session is for you.

Register here:
https://gie-net.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_o8fLxTBLTtKpkQzBEBfN3w #/registration

Our Fertile Ground Webinar Series starts next week! This free six-part series will guide you through the biggest issues ...
08/05/2024

Our Fertile Ground Webinar Series starts next week! This free six-part series will guide you through the biggest issues facing IGCs today, from digital marketing to HR.

Our first session — at 2 p.m. ET Tuesday, Aug. 13 — is Recruit Talent to Your Garden Center for Today and Tomorrow, hosted by Paige Franks and Ben Molenda from Best Human Capital & Advisory Group.

The state of the labor market, especially in the green industry, means we must change our thinking about recruiting for our industry. If you're concerned with building your talent bench for now and into the future, this session is for you.

Topics discussed will include:

👩‍🌾 How to recruit and onboard your employees, promoting retention.
🏢 Organization structure, development and social capital (culture).
🎱 How to develop career paths and strategically plan for succession.
💰 Compensation: lead, match or lag.

Thank you to First Editions Shrubs & Trees for sponsoring!

Register here:

https://gie-net.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_o8fLxTBLTtKpkQzBEBfN3w #/registration

We have the final bunch of Retailers' Choice Awards from The Garden Center Group at AmericanHort's Cultivate'24!(The win...
08/02/2024

We have the final bunch of Retailers' Choice Awards from The Garden Center Group at AmericanHort's Cultivate'24!

(The winners are listed in alphabetical order by company name; no numerical rankings were given for the winners.)

11. Sun Parasol FiredUp Orange, Suntory Flowers
12. Sun Parasol Original XP Bluephoria, Suntory Flowers
13. Calliope Large Dark Salmon, Syngenta Flowers
14. Cherry Blast tomato, Syngenta Flowers
15. Rudbeckia ‘Lion Cub’, TERRA NOVA Nurseries, Inc.

Read more about all of the award winners here:

https://www.gardencentermag.com/article/retailers-choice-awards-winners-cultivate-24-garden-center-group/

We have the next batch of Retailers' Choice Awards from The Garden Center Group at AmericanHort's Cultivate'24!We're sha...
08/01/2024

We have the next batch of Retailers' Choice Awards from The Garden Center Group at AmericanHort's Cultivate'24!

We're sharing five of them today and will share the final five this week! (The winners are listed in alphabetical order by company name; no numerical rankings were given for the winners.)

6. 30-Second Planter, Proven Winners
7. Unplugged Red Salvia, Proven Winners
8. Three-tier shopping cart, RW Rogers Company, Inc
9. Li’l Annie Oakleaf Hydrangea, Star Roses and Plants
10. Garden metal art (dragonflies), Steel Heart, LTD: House of Seven Gables

Read more about all of the award winners here:

https://www.gardencentermag.com/article/retailers-choice-awards-winners-cultivate-24-garden-center-group/

From new plants and garden art to a three-tier shopping cart and a quick drop-in planter, judges for The Garden Center G...
07/31/2024

From new plants and garden art to a three-tier shopping cart and a quick drop-in planter, judges for The Garden Center Group’s Retailers’ Choice Awards at
AmericanHort's Cultivate’24 found 15 top products on the trade show floor.

We're sharing five of them today and will share the rest this week! (The winners are listed in alphabetical order by company name; no numerical rankings were given for the winners.)

1. Helleborus ‘Mount Nebo’, Aris Horticulture, Inc. / Must Have Perennials
2. Angelonia AngelMist Spreading White, AngelFlare Cranberry and AngelFlare Black, Ball FloraPlant
3. Agastache mexicana Summerlong Lilac, Lemon and Coral, Darwin Perennials
4. Musa Nono Pink Variegated, ForemostCo, Inc.
5. Organic Grow-At-Home Kit, KnowingNature

You can read more about all of the award winners here:

https://www.gardencentermag.com/article/retailers-choice-awards-winners-cultivate-24-garden-center-group/

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