Re: Flat Plant Sales Revisited

**"* B* <g*@otherside.com>**

Doreen,
    I am probably the last person to ask where garden writing should focus.
    I make a living by mostly doing what others are not.... specialize in 
service for one. If your forget you are in business to serve, you are lost. 
Next we handle mostly what is off the beaten path... slow or difficult to 
propagate. We specialize in perennial woodland and shade garden plants. We 
have no intention or desire to try to be all things to all people. We are 
after the educated collector for the most part. To my thinking, all of that 
show is quite dysfunctional.
    So, there is no one general answer to my mind. There are trends, but one 
has to be very careful where and when they jump on that wagon. Also if the 
trend does not fit.... remember when many of the fashionable were wearing 
see-through blouses and no bra? If I were female and 70 years old I probably 
would not jump on that wagon at all......
    Gene E. Bush
Munchkin Nursery & Gardens, llc
www.munchkinnursery.com
genebush@munchkinnursery.com
Zone 6/5  Southern Indiana
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doreen Howard" <gardendiva@charter.net>
Subject: [GWL] Flat Plant Sales Revisited


> Do any of you who are nursery owners or work in garden centers have ways 
> to
> boost sales?  Gene Bush's comments about knowing your local customer and
> hand-picking merchandise started me thinking about what really sells to 
> the
> consumer....and, in turn, how it should shape our writing, radio/TV 
> programs
> and web sites.
>
> Locally (Rockford, IL), the garden centers are expanding to include cafes,
> wine cellars, pet supplies and painted flowering pot plants (eeeh!).
> Village Green set up a Christmas display with little shops from the 
> Dicken's
> era in their main glasshouse.  Each 12 X 12-foot shop sold things like tea
> and coffee, candles, dried flowers, herbs and jams.  These little displays
> were surrounded by 400 Christmas trees, each lit and decorated in a
> different scheme.  Of course, trees, live wreaths, lights, ornaments and
> potted plants were also on display for sale.  It became a destination for
> shoppers locally, and VG did very well with sales.  They plan a tulip
> madness display in early April with more tiny shops, potted bulbs 
> blooming,
> etc.
>
> How do these trends affect we garden writers?  Do we emphasis decorating
> with green goods more?  Do we concentrate on outdoor living spaces,
> including the hard goods?  What say you?
> Doreen Howard


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