Garden Center magazine

Can you use drones and RFID tags for inventory in your garden center? Researchers Joe Mari Maja from South Carolina State University, Tom Fernandez from MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and James Robbins with with Ornamental Hort Services dig into the possibilities: https://lnkd.in/g9NQfmSp Photo 1: An RFID portal antenna at the exit point of a garden center can scan RFID codes on tags. Photo 2: An example of a loop-lock tag, with the RFID scannable code visible within the tag. #rfid #rfidscanners #rfidtags #rfidcodes #gardencenterinventory #gardencenterresearch #horticultureresearch #gardencenterdrones #nurserydrones

For today's Fertile Ground Friday, we're sharing the free recording of our fourth session, "Power Pages: Websites for Garden Centers 101." If your website stresses you out, and if the thought of *improving* your website ramps that stress up even more, 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. Watch the recording at the link below 🎥 https://lnkd.in/gQRCf5nG #fertilegroundfridays #fertilegroundfriday #fertilegroundwebinarseries #gardencenterfertilegroundwebinarseries #fertileground #gardencenterwebinar #gardencenterwebsite #digitalmarketing #gardencenterdigitalmarketing #gardencentermarketing

Sixth-generation Long Island IGC Hicks Nurseries Inc, underwent a months-long renovation process. In the first piece of our three-part series, Long Island Reno, we explore the first step in the process: in-depth consumer research: https://lnkd.in/g-VDzdY4 #hicksnurseries #hicksnurseriesrenovation #gardencenterrenovation #gardencenterdesign #gardencenterstoredesign #gardencentercustomers #gardencenterresearch #gardencentercustomerresearch #longislandreno

Sometimes, we get so used to how things look that we don’t even notice them anymore. Those benches, the front of the store, the storage sheds or the structures that shade groups of annuals or perennials often get ignored during the growing season. But now is a good time to consider those areas and the possibilities for improvement. Don Shor, owner of Redwood Barn Nursery in Davis, California, used red paint to make his building stand out. As you plan for the period between now and the spring rush, it just might be time to look at these places with fresh eyes, imagining what magic could happen with just a simple coat of paint: https://lnkd.in/g6gMyzy5 #gardencenters #independentgardencenters #gardencenterstoredesign #gardencenterdesign #retailrevival

For today's Fertile Ground Friday, we're sharing the free recording of our third session, "Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: How to Retain and Develop Your Team," sponsored by Proven Winners. Just because an employee was successfully hired and onboarded doesn’t guarantee tenure or long-term satisfaction with your company. Tina Lee from DeWaynes LLC and Karen Van Duyvendyk from Dutch Growers Home & Garden discussed how positive efforts in professional development, incentives and company culture can lead to improved employee retention and increases in productivity, performance and morale. Watch the recording at the link below 🎥 https://lnkd.in/gfPbe7kS #fertilegroundfridays #fertilegroundfriday #fertilegroundwebinarseries #gardencenterfertilegroundwebinarseries #fertileground #gardencenterwebinar #gardencenterhumanresources #gardencenterrecruiting #gardencenterhiring #gardencenterretention #gardencenteremployees #gardencentermorale #gardencentermanagement #gardencenterdevelopment

When Todd Carnley started at Flowerwood Nursery, Inc. in Alabama, not even 1% of the nursery’s sales were of branded plants. Over the last 25 years, that percentage has grown to 65%. Flowerwood is co-located with Plant Development Services, Inc.., the company behind Encore Azalea, Southern Living Plant Collection, Sunset Plant Collection, BetterBoxwood and Butterfly Candy. But Carnley describes himself as brand-agnostic. He’s all for selling whatever the customer is buying. To that end, Flowerwood also grows and sells Proven Winners, Endless Summer Hydrangeas and Knock Out Roses. Carnley says consumers like branded plants because when they see that different-colored container, it indicates that the plant they’re seeing is different in a positive way. “It’s a lot, but if it’s a relevant brand, Flowerwood wants to make sure we’re offering it to the consumer,” he says. Read more about the evolution of horticulture brands over the last three decades: https://lnkd.in/gqPpYnay #horticulturebrands #plantbrands #plantmarketing #plantdevelopmentservices #plantdevelopmentservicesinc #encoreazalea #southernlivingplantcollection #southernlivingplants #sunsetplants #sunsetplantcollection #betterboxwood #butterflycandy #butterflycandyplants #provenwinners #endlesssummerhydrangeas #endlesssummerhydrangea #knockoutroses #knockoutrose #plantpots #plantcontainers #brandedplants

High Country Gardens, an e-commerce retailer, is sponsoring the International Hummingbird Society's newly launched Certified Hummingbird Haven Program. The program invites gardeners to transform their outdoor spaces into certified havens that support both local and migratory hummingbirds through eco-conscious practices: Learn more about this program so you can share the information with your customers: https://lnkd.in/gGQCPz87 #hummingbirds #certifiedhummingbirdhavenprogram #hummingbirdhabitat

For today's Fertile Ground Friday, we're sharing the free recording of our second session, "From Digital Marketing Strategy to Winning Tactics," sponsored by Plantista and Bobbex Inc. Robert Sproule — co-owner and marketing director of Top 100 IGC Salisbury Greenhouse and owner of Dig Marketing — explores 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: https://lnkd.in/gZF4TxR2 #fertilegroundfridays #fertilegroundwebinarseries #gardencenterfertilegroundwebinarseries #fertileground #gardencenterwebinar #gardencentermarketing #gardencenterdigitalmarketing

Garden Center magazine contributor Erik Dietl-Friedli shares how adding statement walls can have tremendous impact on customer experience by immersing and engaging them, with examples from White Oak Gardens, Heritage Farm & Garden and Hicks Nurseries Inc.: https://lnkd.in/g7hzb-cU #statementwall #statementwalls #gardencenterstoredesign #gardencenterdesign #gardencentermerchandising #gardencentermarketing #gardencenterstorelayout #gardencenterlayout #gardencentertips #independentgardencenter #independentgardencenters #independentgardencentermarketing

How can gardening shape a better future? The 2025 Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) Philadelphia Flower Show will explore this and more with its theme, "Gardens of Tomorrow." Tickets are now on sale for the show, which will be March 1-9, 2025, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center: https://lnkd.in/g49dTN7y #philadelphiaflowershow #philadelphiaflowershow2025 #phillyflowershow #phillyflowershow2025 #pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety #pennsylvaniahorticulturalsocietyflowershow #phsflowershow #phsflowershow2025 #gardensoftomorrow #gardentrends