When I first thought of this message, I asked myself... "Where do I begin?"
Even if you cannot be with us at The Fall Event 2026... this can be of real interest to you. And if you will be with us, this is a preview of what to see, who to connect with and what to dive into learning more about. Back to where to begin...
New for The Fall Event 2026 is on Monday morning, September 28th...
The spark of The Group's beginnings came from a small group of Garden Retailers talking through "what if" ideas. At its core, it centered on learning from each other.
In the early days, most of that sharing and learning happened at the owner level –– peer-to-peer, but the peers were owners.
Last week, here in GROUPtalk, we covered three new Group Innovations: The Group Intel Reports, The Group Knowledge Vault (both shared a few weeks earlier), and the news of The Garden Center Group APP, which is in the works and will be ready to download soon. Watch for more details!
This week, we share a glimpse into two more Group Innovations coming...
Last fall, we introduced a new relationship between The Group and BoomerWrangle, under which we would reimagine both The Group and The Fall Event, starting in 2026. We have been hard at work looking ahead to what can help Group Centers excel into the future. Here are some of the areas we have been working on and introducing to you, our Group Centers.
Earlier this summer, we introduced several new resources to help leverage The Resources & Wisdom of The Group as well as spark creativity and inspiration. Here's a quick recap of these if you missed them:
This is one of those weeks where we have a lot to share, so I will try to keep it brief and to the point. First up...
Awards!
In the last few weeks, Group Centers have been receiving their awards that, for years, we passed out at The Fall Event. But in "reimagining" The Group and The Fall Event, one of the ideas we had for 2026 is to send award plaques ahead of time to allow more time for more sharing at The Fall Event 2026!
Three years ago, at The Fall Event 2023 in Cincinnati, Maggie Nichols of Eureka! Ranch showed us how important it is to Set the Stage for creative and innovative thinking.
Through both her keynote presentation and the workshop that followed, Maggie emphasized the importance of regularly pulling your team away from the day-to-day demands of the business. By creating an environment free from interruptions and routine distractions, people have the opportunity to think differently, challenge assumptions, and develop the next great ideas for their business.
It's one of the defining words for The Fall Event 2026 and a perfect reflection of what The Garden Center Group is all about today.
At The Fall Event 2026, Connections will begin with our Keynote presentation featuring Chris Bashinelli...
Are you aware of our July GROUPtalk LIVE Session scheduled for tomorrow? Group Owner, Michael Fiore, Smith's Gardentown, will share how they are attracting large numbers of people to the content they post across social media. The session title is:
The magic formula for attracting attention (or some might say... GOING VIRAL) could easily be considered a complex and often moving target.
Columbus, OH, July 13, 2026: Retailers’ Choice Awards™ were presented to 13 exhibiting firms for 15 products at Cultivate’26 in Columbus, OH on July 13, 2026.
The Garden Center Group’s Danny Summers and Tim Quebedeaux led the search as Garden Retailers selected the best new products to bring excitement and noteworthy interest to their stores in the coming season. Following is a list of firms (presented A-Z) and the products receiving recognition. You may download a full recap below.
As a follow-up to last week's message, there is growing evidence in the media today that large companies that cut their workforce and replaced workers with AI-based systems are starting to put things in REVERSE. Here's just one news report I have seen over the last few weeks...
It's an Inc Magazine article. The author notes that most businesses today say they use some form of AI in their operations. It then mentions firms that simultaneously downsize their workforce.
You may not know this, but I love clocks.
If you asked me how it all started, I'd tell you about sitting on my Grandpa Chet's lap listening to his Hamilton pocket watch. It hung from a belt-loop chain, and he would pull it from his right pocket and let me hold it to my ear. I loved hearing that distinct, crisp, steady tick.
We all know the answer to this question...
It can be VERY important!
The term Collective Wisdom could easily be considered a synonym for The Garden Center Group. The very reason The Group was created in 2000 was to take the very best ideas and practices and help every Group Center.
As the Weekly Department Review (WDR) launched in 2000 and the Annual P&L Study in 2004, the Collective Wisdom concept began to build.
As Group Centers report their numbers each week through the WDR, Tim Quebedeaux compiles the weekly summaries that give us a clear view of where each Center, each Region, and The Group as a whole stand—both for the week and year-to-date. Every week, we dig into the numbers looking for new trends, patterns, and insights that can help us better understand what's happening in our businesses.
One area I pay particular attention to is a group of categories I call our Standard Greengoods Group. I started tracking these categories years ago and, while there are certainly a few inconsistencies, they provide a valuable way to identify long-term seasonal patterns and shifts in consumer buying behavior.
As spring winds down and Group Centers begin to promote summer activities and events, we also have major trade shows in our sights. The Group will focus on both Cultivate'26 and Farwest'26. Both of these are listed below in our Retailers' Choice Awards signups. Be sure to participate if you will be at either.
New Plant Varieties and Products Galore
Both events feature large numbers of new plant varieties and new product showcases highlighting what can be found throughout the show floor. It's a great place to begin your search for great new items. Here are a couple of things we already know to expect to find...
Registration is Now Open! We're excited to share all the exciting details for The Fall Event 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio–and we hope you can join us
They shape how we engage with our audiences. They help connect customers to the experiences of nature, gardening, and plants. And they create opportunities for growth through meaningful relationships with fellow members of The Garden Center Group.
This overall subject is not new to The Group. It has become a pillar of who our Garden Centers are since 2020 or even prior. From Florence Williams' The Nature Fix story in 2021 to numerous blog messages and Group conversations, the benefits of gardening and plants continue to gain acceptance.
But, over the recent months, we have began to see the focus on how nature can benefit our lives intensify. It is now becoming even at a prescription level!
A lot has changed in the way Garden Centers communicate with their audience. If we travel back to around the time The Group was formed in 2000, we would see Centers using a combination of direct mail, local newspapers, and the emerging use of email, with support from basic, relatively new websites.
Today, websites have certainly morphed into dynamic presentation tools, with more interaction with live inventory and buying options.
The ideas for this message actually began back in June of 2023. Seth Reed, then Sales & Marketing Manager for Ball/Darwin Perennials, asked me to invite some of our best-performing Garden Centers in the Perennials Category to come to the Darwin Perennials Day to share details of how they position Perennials. They did a wonderful job, and it was a great experience.
One of the observations I came away with from their presentations was...
The idea for this message began with the way a clock pendulum swings from one side to the other. Whether you are looking at styles and colors in apparel, paint colors for home decor and furniture, or even cars, next year will they be more square or rounded in the newest styles, one thing that is consistent... is change.
Ever heard someone say, "If you don't like the way [it] is (substitute any topic you like for "it" here), just wait. That too will change." Certainly, styles come and go, and many even return. This is where the reference to How the Pendulum Swings or Newton's Third Law of Motion comes in.
