Are You Connected?

by Danny Summers

One of the greatest benefits of being in The Group is all of the connections you can make. At ground zero is this weekly e-news, GROUPtalk. It arrives every Monday morning at 5:05 am Eastern with updates, ideas, and reminders for upcoming gatherings and opportunities.

Then, there is The Group's WebSystem. I call it a WebSystem because it is much more than just our website. It controls and offers much more than simply web content.

Cultivating Your Future Audience

by Danny Summers

Q: What was your earliest memory of a gardening or plant experience?

Most likely it was with one of your parents, a grandparent, or maybe even a teacher.

Learning From Each Other

by Danny Summers

When asked, each of us might describe The Group Experience differently. But at the heart of the experience is learning. It is learning collectively and from each other. Each Center and individual who is willing to share contributes to The Group experience and collective knowledge.

A long-standing association fact I learned long ago still applies to The Group today... Whatever you contribute, you will receive back in multiples. In the simplest terms...

Real Group Connections!

by Danny Summers

Real human connections can occur in numerous ways, but the most effective way is face-to-face. To be ultimately successful, this takes a commitment to be open and care about the other person in the discussion.

The image you see above was our Fall Event Group Photo taken each year. This was shot last Wednesday morning, just before we boarded our buses for The Fall Event 2026 Tour in Cleveland, OH.

Group Connections... in the Palm of Your Hand!

by Danny Summers

It's time for all Group Centers to take the next step in Group Connections designed for your everyday use... The Garden Center Group App. Yes, our new App is now available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you are...

    •    Group Clients... use the App 24/7/365!
    •    Partner for Success, Sponsor, or Guest Retailer attending The Fall Event 2026... use the App during The Fall Event 2026 for the program and engagement throughout the event.

Here's an overview for both everyday use by Group Centers and those attending The Fall Event 2026:

So Much NEW at The Fall Event 2026

by Danny Summers

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...

Group Intel Report

The Leadership Connection

by Danny Summers

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.

The Innovation Continues - Part 2

by Danny Summers

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...

The Innovation Continues - Part 1

by Danny Summers

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:

Lots of Stuff - August/September 2026

by Danny Summers

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!

Setting the Stage

by Danny Summers

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.