Open Register

Blood, sweat and reams of paperwork

They say the best things in life are free. They also say it's not worth anything if you don't have to work at it. Aside from the fact no one really knows who "they" are, the contradictory statements actually have a point.

Take for example, the plethora of scholarships available to upcoming collegians -- not just in our industry, but in every industry. It's crazy the amount of money people are willing to give so someone can learn.

Mind-boggling. That's where the free comes in. The work part comes in when you have to slog your way through mounds of paperwork in order to apply for said scholarships. But, hey, what's a little writer's cramp when we're talking free money to do something you love, right?

Part 1of 2 of this free money (because you have to do it before you apply!) is to find those sources of gratis funding. This is why I love the Internet! Search engines are so detailed these days, you can type in a variety of clues such as "horticultural scholarships" or "green industry money" and come up with a great list of who and where and how much. Here is a minute sampling of what I found after spending less than two minutes surfing: Offers from Florida Gardening, Virginia Green Industry Council and information from University of Tennessee Department of Plant Sciences.

One thing to remember when embarking on a money-seeking journey to fund your education -- it's not just schools that offer scholarships. Keep a close eye on local businesses, city councils, even affiliated companies, not to mention things like your mother's garden clubs.

A little imagination, a good thesaurus, a fast connection and you could have your expenses (somewhat) paid to get into a business you can really sink your fingers into!

--Jennifer

The father of invention

An interesting fella, G. Ray Miller, was in our offices last week to show off a new all-in-one garden tool he invented.

As he told the backstory of the tool’s development, he said something that I’d never thought about, but certainly rings true: “If someone from the 17th century came back to modern times, the only things he would recognize are garden tools. That’s how little change there has been in garden tools over hundreds of years.”

Ray has set out to change that.

After a heart attack, the 67-year-old found he didn’t have the strength or stamina to dig holes the old-fashioned way. Ray’s solution is what he’s marketing as The Perfect Garden Tool System, a bizarre-looking device whose handle has the outline of a martini glass. At the base the user can attach any number of tool heads: a planter, four-tined cultivator, double-headed hoe, aerator, on and on.

The inventor says his tool system is ergonomically designed to allow people to do more work with less effort. The kit comes with a storage tote, and the tools are guaranteed for life. It costs $89.99, and Ray says he’s not playing the big-box game. Only going to independents who pledge not to come off his suggested retail price.

-- Kevin

Fall is for planting…right?

I know, I know. It’s February. The only thing on your mind right now is gearing up for the frantic spring season ahead. But the craziness will pass, and fall will be here before you know it.

And then the crowds return! Because fall is for planting…right? Talk to any gardening expert. They’ll tell ya autumn is the time to get out and dig. That bit of advice is everywhere: online, in magazines, in books. Customers should be flocking to the garden center to load up on shrubs, trees and other goodies.

But they’re not. Is it because consumers aren’t getting the message? There are enough gardening gurus out there pounding the idea into peoples’ heads. Or is it because consumers know they’ll find limited offerings at their local garden center?

This was the topic du jour on Garden Rant a while back. The folks running this blog are passionate about gardening and somewhat wary about the green industry. The informal poll that accompanies this post shows more than half of readers are ready to shell out some bucks for fall planting projects.

That’s great, but we have to face the retail reality. Garden centers are reluctant to bring in fresh merchandise when the first frost date is looming. If it doesn’t sell you have to slash prices to move it off the floor. Or overwinter it. With no guarantee that you’ll get people in to buy, it’s a risk that’s hardly worth taking.

But what about fulfilling customer expectations? You’re positioning yourself as THE source of gardening products and knowledge. What kind of message do you send when customers are faced with a barren nursery yard in the fall?

How can you win, as a retailer?

I’ll be exploring this topic in my Market Smart In-Depth column in the May issue of Garden Center. Let me know what you think about the “fall is for planting” movement -- or lack thereof. Leave us a comment, or drop me a line: smartinez@branchsmith.com.

--Sarah

The green industry’s green movement

It looks like 2007 will be the year that global warming will shake loose from political posturing and become a mainstream topic. It will be interesting to see if the concept retains the name “global warming,” since that is a provocative term in some eyes.

The ANLA Management Clinic in Louisville, Ky., started with a speech from William McDonough, who talked about what the megabuck groups are doing about what he called sustainability (perhaps the new moniker? This site uses the word for organic gardening.). He showed slides from Brazil to China (the last photo in the gallery is very cool!) of entire cities that are designed to be self-sustaining. He showed a powerful image of a green field with a bird’s nest full of eggs in the foreground, then told us that the field was actually the green roof at the Ford factory (click on Photo 2 in the gallery). Heady stuff.

But what grabbed my attention was how everyone reacted. Sustainability became THE conversation piece for the week. Everyone was asking what the green industry can realistically do to make an impact, to perhaps even be a leader in the green movement.

Our industry is pretty diverse, politically speaking. We have hot-under-the-collar conservatives and too-politically-correct liberals and every philosophy in between. Yet retailers, growers and landscapers of every political stripe were talking to one another about sustainability. I didn’t hear any tit-for-tat arguments about it, either, but rather pragmatic discussions about what can be done.

So what can be done? Actually, a lot is already being done that we can tap into. One of the concepts that has the strongest momentum relates to planting trees. The U.N. has its Billion Tree Campaign, and the Arbor Day Foundation has fantastic literature on the benefit of trees. Sounds like a good tie-in promotion for a garden center. You can work with community groups, from schools, scouts, churches (who are now putting their political weight behind environmental causes), gardening clubs and even the city council to plant more trees. You can target your full customer base with in-store promotions that draw upon the Arbor Day Foundation resources. The issue is much bigger than just planting trees, but trees are a good, practical start.

As you talk with your peers about how to cut back on water use and incorporate alternative fuels and green roofs, here are couple of sites to visit and think about.

The first illustrates the growing public hunger for green garden centers. A group of customers decided to open a co-op organic garden center. Take the time to read the comments. One of the founding members of the new garden center has a comment three or four posts down.

The next site shows you just how deeply we can link our industry to the green movement in the public eye (green = plants = growing plants). The folks at Nexus Greenhouses told me about the project (that’s a Nexus greenhouse on the barge).

-- Carol

In the “out” door

In days of yore, during my talks at various industry confabs, I would begin the proceedings by passing out Morton’s packages. My message was simple: No matter who it is telling you “everything you need to know to succeed,” the message is best-seasoned with a grain of salt.

Face it: If there were a crystal ball, we all would have consulted it -- several times, probably. In turn, we all would be retired by now. Or, at least, we all would be doing “wee hour” infomercials aboard our luxury watercraft, replete with bikini-clad friends who help show just how smart and wealthy we have become because of our newfound knowledge.

That said, I do think the recent, heavily touted “outdoor living room” concept not only has legs, but that those legs will be in full-sprint mode this selling season. Practically every trend report I read or every “hot topic” television show I watch references the notion that the home extends, quite literally, to the great outdoors. Susan McCoy of the Garden Media Group has put together a compelling projection on the subject, along with a comprehensive look at all things “in” and “out” for 2007. I read it. I enjoyed it. And, for once, I didn’t feel the need to add much salt.

Now, whether you add salt to that last sentence is entirely up to you.

-- Yale

Why a retailer blogs

Trey Pitsenberger, also known as The Blogging Nurseryman, is owner of The Golden Gecko Garden Center in Garden Valley, Calif. He offers some insight on why blogging is important to him and his business.

You’re reading this on a computer so take a moment and go to Google and type in “nursery consultants” and see what comes up. This is the unexpected part of blogging. The longer you do it and interact with readers the more often you find your blog showing up in searches for the strangest reasons. Google “what's in and what's out for 2007” and my blog shows up on the first page. Through search term analysis I find out that lots of people are visiting the blog because they want to know what’s going to be in for 2007. The Blogging Nurseryman knows! Actually I don’t have a clue, but now that person has discovered something that may or may not interest them: my blog! If they like it they might get a feed of the blog sent to their computer every time I update it. How cool is that? Now we have truly connected. So what if they are on the other side of the world and will never visit my physical location? With the Internet my store can now be visited anywhere there is a computer and often it’s my blog that leads them there first.

This kind of stuff will become more important as we start some online sales. They can’t buy from you if they can’t find you. I have a link on my blog to our company Web site so, if inclined, they can pop on over. It’s nice when you Google “where to buy plants in northern California” and my blog is on the first page. It may not be later, but for now it is. I don’t think that you can manipulate search results without eventually alienating your audience. Honesty, regular updating and linking to others who share your passions are the best way to attract readers.

For the readers of the blog (consumers) the blog is a way to meet the owner without ever stepping inside the physical store. More and more consumers want to know about the companies they do business with. No longer does just price, product, display or location mean everything. Does your company share the values important to your target audience? I know my customers use the Internet for many of their daily activities. Why not be there when they want to stop in? The frequent updating that occurs with blogs tends to attract regular readers more than a static Web site that only changes every so often, if at all.

My blog is a way to discuss important issues concerning gardening and the horticultural business with gardeners and horticultural experts alike. Since I allow my readers to comment on the blog we get all sorts of advice and information that directly impacts how we run our business. If something sounds interesting -- like garden centers putting in coffee shops or the competition from box stores -- I write about it and the readers respond. Some of the readers have refreshing points of view that you won’t get from people visiting your physical store. I have a number of readers who, while they live in all parts of the globe, have said they would make a point to visit our physical store if in the area. How exciting!

With the Internet and a blog you can reach people around the world with your ideas, and in turn expose yourself to ideas you may never have encountered otherwise.

-- Trey Pitsenberger, guest blogger

Mystery! Suspense! Better sales!

This past holiday season, I shopped like mad then shopped some more. It's one of my very favorite things to do. That being said, I feel like I have some sort of authority to make a few observations on the subject. Most notably, the way stores lure you in and keep you there. They go to a lot of effort, that's for sure.

As I wandered through Sears -- honestly I was on my way out -- I heard an announcement about a special offer just for customers in the store right then. “Travel up to the 2nd floor and find out about an amazing offer and every single customer receives a free product.”

Did I mention I love free? As it turned out, you could only get the free product if you stayed and watched the demonstration. It surprised me how many people actually did. After all, it was the mall in the middle of the Christmas shopping time, but they managed to pique our interest and keep us hooked. The demonstration was fun and short, the product pretty nifty and inexpensive.

In the end, of the 100 or so people crowded around the demo table, a good 90 percent of us left with the upgraded package. I'm pleased to say that the product continues to live up to its hype, which in turn makes me look more favorably on Sears even though they did nothing more than host the demonstration. Such events can generate both brand name buzz and sales. Even AC Nielsen, the company famous for tracking what we watch on TV, has a product devoted to tracking the effectiveness of such a campaign

So, could in-store demos work for you? Could it help build both customer loyalty and impulse sales? Isn't it worth a try?

--Jennifer

The making of Cow Pots

I’m a Discovery Channel junkie. Every Tuesday night I plop down in front of the tube to watch “Dirty Jobs.” For the uninitiated, the show follows Mike Rowe as he travels around the country trying his hand at some of the filthiest jobs imaginable. Hilarity ensues.

In a recent segment Mike visited the company responsible for Cow Pots, a biodegradable pot made from composted cow manure. Mike got to walk though the entire process: from collecting the cow poo, to forming the actual pots. He even got to paddle through (bleep!) creek. A proud moment for him, I’m sure.

There’s a lot of buzz around these nifty pots. (And, no, it’s not coming from flies. The makers of Cow Pots say the product is fragrance-free.) The Mailorder Gardening Association recently gave a Green Thumb Award to this unusual container. Looks like this company has come a long way from hand-gluing and drying pots in toaster ovens.

--Sarah