The Gardener – The Optimist

by Danny Summers

To be a Gardener is to be a persistent Optimist. The faith, hope or confidence that the simple act of planting a seed or a new plant in the soil will result in something far beyond its current state is the perfect example of being an Optimist.

As your Center begins to serve the countless customers in the coming weeks, try to see the Optimism in their eyes as they walk through your doors or gates. There is a level of expectation that their interactions with the plants and the garden will bring them to a better place.

Get Wiser!

by Danny Summers

The idea is simple. Every day is an opportunity for us to learn something new, to build upon the knowledge and experiences we have gained. And every learning experience adds to our ability to Get Wiser!

I have shared messages before on the goal of Life-Long Learning. Every week, our Group shares experiences, ideas, and advice that help all of us to grow. This happens in many ways throughout the year, it comes through emails, Zoom Sessions, one-on-one conversations, at industry events and of course at The Fall Event!

Excitement Ahead!

by Danny Summers

Here we are in Week 15 and that means you are most likely already feeling the excitement of busy Spring Weeks. But at the same time we have some Excitement Ahead here in The Group!

This Thursday - GROUPtalk LIVE
Rachel Reynolds presents...

The Group Experience

by Danny Summers

The Group Experience is multi-faceted. When someone outside The Group asks me what we do, the discussion progresses in multiple directions. Of course, I usually give a brief story on how The Group came together and the beginning stages of our financial sharing and benchmarking programs.

The conversation usually then moves on to all the areas of peer-to-peer sharing, through our WebSystem and all our 12+ different eLists. And of course, I talk about interaction with our Team of Service Providers as well.

California Trials 2025

Coverage by Ball Publishing's GrowerTalks

Most Garden Centers do not attend the California Trails in-person, but you can see what's coming in new plants through the GrowerTalks coverage. Chris Beytes, Jen Zurko, and Bill Calkins provide your best seat to not only read but to see their video coverage.

This is a preview of what we will see at upcoming trade shows and the exceptional new plants that may be selected by you for the Retailers' Choice Awards or Cool Product Awards!

The Homegrown Advantage

by Danny Summers

With all the news today about imports, exports and tariffs, it becomes natural to think about what our Centers offer today. The great Trees, Shrubs, Perennials and Annuals you sell are certainly grown close to you or at the very least in the same region or country. Some of you are actually growing some of them in-house. There may be some imported components, whether it is peat or peat substitutes, bamboo stakes, etc., but the majority of what a customer takes home could be considered Homegrown.

Even our great non-plant suppliers, the majority of them produce their products domestically. Just take a look at what you have in your Center today and think about where it is being made. I'm confident the majority of what you see is Homegrown. OK, saying a non-plant item is Homegrown sounds somewhat strange, but you get the point.

Non-Traditional Revenue Streams

by Gail Vanik

Taken from Green Profit, August 2024, page 21

Garden center owners looking for ways to increase revenue may find that the avenues available to them aren’t always obvious. However, you can discover several non-traditional revenue streams using creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. [Pictured: Health concerns prompted Vic Vanik to begin growing his own vegetables, but consumer demand made it a revenue stream.]

Your Future Team and Audience

by Danny Summers

Look at the faces above.

Just imagine, this could be your top management team some years from now.

Wellness = People + Plants

by Danny Summers

Our industry devotes a tremendous amount of effort to Plant Health (or Plant Wellness). Offering a healthy plant is at the core of what we do. If it is not healthy, it just doesn't sell.

What we don't spend much time on is the Wellness of People. Obviously, each of us is very concerned about our overall health and the health of everyone around us. But, there is a growing movement on a connection between the two, hence the subject today... Wellness = People + Plants.

Sign Up! – Make the Most of Your In-store Signage

[Originally presented at The Fall Event 2024 - CLICK HERE to download a PDF version]

by Tom Kegley

Sometimes underestimated and overlooked, in-store signage is one of the most valuable tools in your marketing toolbox. Signs come in all shapes, sizes, and substrates. They have multiple purposes– directing, educating, motivating, connecting, storytelling, brand building, and more. 

America Needs a Break!

by Danny Summers

If you are subscribed to The Group's Marketing eList, you may have seen the message shared last Thursday by Tom Kegley, The Group's Brand Guru. Tom shared a review of this year's Super Bowl Ads, produced by Kantar, one of the world’s leading marketing data and analytics business and brand partners to the world’s top companies, including 96 of the world’s 100 biggest advertisers.

Grapefruits and Cactus

by John Kennedy

It’s that time of year again!

Yup! You guessed it… Baseball is back!

Why Great Marketing Can’t Fix Bad Customer Service

by Carl Phillips, The Group Mystery Shopper Guru

It’s been over 24 years since the roll-out of The Garden Center Group Mystery Shopper Program. Over three thousand, nine five hundred (3,950+) shops have been completed that form the basis for great customer service benchmarking.

Carl Phillips has been instrumental in the program development since its inception. He is known as one of the mystery shopper industry founding fathers and The Group is blessed by having his guidance. Carl shares a number of blog articles every year and the following is one he shared a week ago. We think it is timely for your review.

Singing Our Song!

by Danny Summers

If you have been part of The Group for very long, you have read my observations through recent years on how other brands and industries leverage what you have to gain attention to what they are offering. This approach shows either someone in their garden enjoying plants and flowers or even in a Garden Center setting, either as a retail customer or even a Garden Center owner or staff.

You can often see this in new medicine ads or business services. They show happy people in Garden settings.

The SPARK of Innovation

by Danny Summers

Where does the idea... that really changes things begin? We could say it begins with a spark. A single thought. It might be called "the lightbulb moment". A quick search at Merriam-Webster defines spark as...

Spark - as a noun

Garden, Health or Nature Center?

by Danny Summers

Logically thinking, we identify our Garden Retail operations as Garden Centers. For instance, just look at our name for The Garden Center Group. Your actual business name may include Garden Center (more frequently today is the word Gardens), or certainly Nursery, Nurseries, or even Greenhouse is common.

But there are some important trends that suggest there may be something more...

Sharing Success

by Danny Summers

Last month, I saw the news that Harris Rosen, founder of the Rosen Hotels & Resorts in the Orlando, Florida, area, passed away. That brought back thoughts and many memories of The Fall Event in 2015 and is the basis for this message. Harris was kind enough (and we were fortunate enough) to have him give The Group a personal welcome at the start of The Fall Event 2015. More about that a little later. But first, let me share what I have learned about Harris Rosen.

The Fall Event 2015 was in Orlando and our host hotel was the Rosen Plaza (one of three Rosen Hotels located in this area of International Drive), just across the street from the Orange County Convention Center, where The Landscape Show is held each year. The Landscape Show, produced by the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association (FNGLA), is a sister event to TPIE and serves the more general industry segments, more non-tropical, you might say. On the final day of The Fall Event 2015, participants were able to experience The Landscape Show.

New Treasures Found!

by Danny Summers

With every Group Gathering, I am excited to see what we will find and what we will learn. It is certainly always the case at The Fall Event. It is also true when we gather at other industry events.

Whether at MANTS, TPIE, Cultivate, or Farwest, the possibilities of new plants, new products and new ideas can bring great excitement!

The SPARK of an Idea

by Danny Summers

It is easy to make light of or dismiss a single idea, no matter how small it may seem at the time. What we most likely don't see at the time is the potential impact of that idea.

It could appear just to be a SPARK of an Idea. And, if we are not paying attention, we may miss opportunities.

When Does Spring Begin?

by Danny Summers

The answer to that question varies by who you ask, where their Garden Center is located, and of course... the weather!

For a technical answer, we can turn to the Old Farmers Almanac, which says the answer is: