Do you have a plan B -- If you’re incapacitated, your business needs to run without you.
By Wendy Helfenbaum, Garden Center magazine -- Running a garden center — especially during an ongoing labor shortage — has many hands-on owners in the trenches for long hours each week to fill the gaps. Most don’t — or can’t — delegate as much as they should. Few have any formal contingency or succession plans in place.

Engaging Via Education
BY: Wendy Komancheck at Green Profit magazine -- My usual garden center interviews in Pennsylvania and New Jersey took an unexpected turn when I eagerly headed to the charming Bloomers Home & Garden Center in Sewell, New Jersey. I first needed to stop by a Philadelphia radio station where Bloomers in the Garden was set to record their weekly podcast and radio show.

GS1 US Celebrates 50-Year Barcode 'Scanniversary' and Heralds Support to Modern Commerce
By: Jackie Mitchell, Garden Center magazine -- On June 26, 1974, a 10-pack of Wrigley's chewing gum adorned with a Universal Product Code barcode was scanned at a Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, igniting an era of retail and supply chain automation. Today, the barcode is used to identify over 1 billion products and is scanned more than 10 billion times daily, serving as a cornerstone of global commerce.

The More You Know
BY: Xuan Wei, Melinda Knuth & Hayk Khachatryan at Green Profit magazine -- As urbanization continues to expand, the importance of sustainable landscaping becomes increasingly critical. This shift has sparked a growing interest in planting native and pollinator-friendly plants in residential gardens and landscapes. Incorporating native and pollinator-friendly plants has the potential to enhance local biodiversity, support ecosystem services and provide habitats for pollinators.

New survey finds home gardeners concerned about lawn, plant survival during watering bans
By: Audrey Trevarthan, Garden Center Magazine -- Although home gardeners in metro areas that regularly experience watering bans are concerned about high summer temperatures, many are unaware of water-saving products for their lawns and gardens, according to a new research study.

Are You Shrinking Your Profits
By: Bill McCurry, Green Profit magazine -- It’s painful to learn a formerly trusted co-worker has been stealing from the company, from fellow employees, from customers—or from all three. Broken trust is hard, if not impossible, to rebuild. More gut wrenching is that, in every case investigated, the crimes didn’t involve weapons or force.

Engaging Via Education
BY: Wendy Komancheck, Green Profit magazine -- My usual garden center interviews in Pennsylvania and New Jersey took an unexpected turn when I eagerly headed to the charming Bloomers Home & Garden Center in Sewell, New Jersey. I first needed to stop by a Philadelphia radio station where Bloomers in the Garden was set to record their weekly podcast and radio show.

2024 Top 100 Independent Garden Centers List
By: Emily Mills, Garden Center Magazine -- Congratulations to Garden Center's 2024 Top 100 Independent Garden Centers! The list, compiled in spring 2024, is based on 2023 retail revenue as reported by garden centers in North America. All Canadian retail revenue numbers have been converted to USD by the submitting garden centers.

Staying on Financial Course
By: Jennifer Zurko, Grower Talks magazine -- It’s getting harder for greenhouse businesses to acquire—and keep—a steady flow of working capital. How do you ensure that you’re doing the right things to make sure your cash position doesn’t end up sinking the ship?

Terra Nova Nurseries unveils new catalog and varieties
BY: AUDREY TREVARTHAN, Garden Center magazine -- Terra Nova Nurseries announced the launch of its new 2024-2025 catalog with an “out-of-this-world” theme showcasing the company’s new plants and current best-of-breeding varieties. The new catalog was conceptualized by Terra Nova’s marketing and breeding teams as a celebratory throwback to the company’s history of advertising and marketing.

Find out the top summer trends for the ‘year of the backyard’
BY AUDREY TREVARTHAN, Garden Center Magazine -- A few projects homeowners have on their summer to-do lists are outdoor landscaping and design, pressure washing, tree trimming and removal, exterior painting and weeding. 2024 is the “year of the backyard,” according to one technology company.

Sakata Seed America appoints new head grower
By: Lawn & Garden Retailer magazine -- Sakata Seed America has appointed Noe Barajas as head grower and trial manager at its Salinas, California, research station. Barajas brings over 30 years of growing experience and knowledge of crop management and product development, including key positions with Yoder Brothers, Color Spot Nursery and, most recently, Ernst Benary of America. His new responsibilities include managing all growing activity of ornamental flowers in support of Sakata sales and marketing, research and development, and production departments.

Dramm introduces 2 new watering tools
By: Lawn & Garden Retailer magazine -- Dramm Corp. has announced the launch of two new watering products — the Post-Mount Impulse Sprinkler and the One Touch High Flow Twin Shut-Off. Designed for ease of use and maximum efficiency, the Post-Mount Impulse Sprinkler (above, left) attaches to existing fence posts to deliver a flexible solution for nurseries, large gardens and hobby farms.

Monrovia announces selections for 2025
BY AUDREY TREVARTHAN, Garden Center magazine -- Monrovia will be at Cultivate'24 with a behind-the-scenes look into their tools and techniques. “Our Field Station will share the Monrovia story behind our difference,” says Katie Tamony, CMO and trend spotter at Monrovia. “From working with breeders around the world — and extensive trialing of new varieties — to a look at our special soil mixes and beneficials programs, we are highlighting the care and expertise it takes to bring the best performing plants to market.”

Find out the top summer trends for the ‘year of the backyard’
BY AUDREY TREVARTHAN, Garden Center magazine -- A few projects homeowners have on their summer to-do lists are outdoor landscaping and design, pressure washing, tree trimming and removal, exterior painting and weeding.

“It Was Time to Blaze My Own Path”
By: Jennifer Polanz, GreenProfit magazine -- If you’ve been a reader for nearly a decade, you might recall Jenell Martin, one of our Young Retailer Award finalists in 2015. This spring, I made the winding trek out from Cleveland through the rolling hills of eastern Pennsylvania to visit and chat about what it took to get here and what lies ahead.

New Stuff Consumers Will Crave
BY Chris Beytes, Bill Calkins & Jennifer Zurko, GreenProfit magazine
California Spring Trials, aka “CAST”, has had a strong focus on retail appeal and sales concepts for years, but there’s recently been a shift from “displays” to “retail solutions.” The wow factor is still evident with big showcase pots and fewer bedding plant packs, but we’ve noticed (in the past four or five years) a shift toward seasonality and regionality in the messaging, too.

Retail Revival: Taking the team to a trade show
BY C.L. FORNARI, Garden Center Magazine
With advance planning, you’ll see great returns from the investment made in sending your team to a trade show. Since it can be a significant expense to send your team to a big show, here are some tips so that you maximize their experience and what they bring back to the business.

NGB reveals 2025 “Year of the” genera
By: Lawn & Garden Retailer magazine -- National Garden Bureau (NGB) has created trendy, creative and on-point marketing tools to help the industry promote the 2025 “Year of the” crops. These tools are designed to make your marketing life easier and allow you to reap the rewards from this highly successful national marketing campaign.

Eco-Friendly Gardens
By: Andrew Bunting, Green Profit magazine -- With climate change becoming a bigger challenge for gardeners across the country, more and more are looking to help support local wildlife and pollinators through creating an ecologically functional garden. Thankfully, there are many things you can do to create ecological-friendly habitats in your home garden.

NEW FOR 2025! First Editions® FlowerFull™ Smooth Hydrangea
By: Bailey Nurseries, Lawn & Garden Retailer magazine -- FlowerFull™ Smooth Hydrangea from First Editions® boasts superior genetics that produce significantly bolder blooms and sturdier upright stems. With two-to-three times more blooms per season than other Hydrangea arborescens, FlowerFull™ is a major improvement to the industry standard.

A Store by Any Other Name
By: Kim Baker. Lawn & Garden Retailer -- Telling a compelling brand story for your store creates more than just a shopping experience for customers. Your garden center is more than just another store. By nature, it’s a place people shop to help create an environment they want to come home to -- How you tell your store’s story builds upon that and creates loyalty and engagement with your shoppers.

Shrinking Profits
By: Bill McCurry, Green Profit magazine -- Asset shrinkage is difficult to identify and control unless the entire company is committed to accuracy and consistency in their business practices. Major garden centers seem to have mastered this, but which came first—their success or their mastering of operational issues?

How to achieve an 'imperfectly perfect' cottage garden
By: BY Audrey Trevarthan, Garden Center Magazine -- A flower-filled, natural garden is in high demand, and it’s called a cottage garden. Independent garden centers can appeal to customers by hopping on the cottage gardening trend. “Cottage gardens are really all about the flowers,” says Laura Janney, a botanical stylist, gardening expert and co-founder of The Inspired Garden.

May 2024 retail sales data shows a ‘reasonably healthy consumer’
By: National Retail Federation -- Data recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows retail sales grew again in May and helped drive a still-expanding economy, National Retail Federation (NRF) chief economist Jack Kleinhenz said .... “May’s retail sales give us a snapshot of a reasonably healthy consumer even though spending growth is fluctuating somewhat,”

How Loyalty Programs Benefit Independent Garden Centers
By: The Garden Center Show -- For most businesses, more marketing dollars go into attracting new customers than retaining existing customers. It is often said that it costs five times more to attract new customers than to retain customers, so it would benefit small businesses on a budget, such as independent garden centers, to shift more of that focus from acquisition to retention.

Creating a Vibe
By: Jennifer Polanz, Green Profit magazine -- We focus a lot on live goods in this magazine and for good reason—they’re generally the most profitable part of a garden center business. But oftentimes, retailers are looking to expand their sales to include nonperishable products that are adjacent to the live goods. And that’s where we look to décor to add form and function to the outdoor space.

The low-maintenance, eco-friendly lawn that will still impress your neighbors
By: The Washington Post -- This year, a Tasmanian yard that hadn't been watered in 10 years and featured a dead brushtail possum won the title of ugliest lawn in the world. The contest, organized by the island of Gotland in Sweden, rewards those who turn over their yards to nature to save water and change the world's perception of the ideal lawn.

Planting the seed: 3 tips to excel in the lawn and garden department
By: Hardware Retailing -- After spending extended time at home in the last few years, consumers are entranced with their lawns and gardens now more than ever. According to a 2023 study from the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI), homeowners believe taking care of their lawns and gardens is just as important as regular home maintenance.

How will technology help growers succeed in 2024? Here's what ChatGPT says
By: Greenhouse Grower -- In Greenhouse Grower's January issue, we asked a few greenhouse technology suppliers to weigh in on what the next wave of innovation might entail.

Pause before you prune: Trimming plants' Winter damage best delayed until Spring
By: The Advocate -- Put down the pruning shears. With recent freezing temperatures across Louisiana and a dose of ice, sleet and even snow in some places, all of our gardens probably have suffered some damage.

Expect perennials to return in the spring despite damage from recent freezes
By: NOLA.com -- I live on the northshore, and freezes this winter have left some of my more tender plants in bad shape. I am anxious to know whether any are likely to come back in the spring, including angelonia, pentas, cigar plant, butterfly weed and salvia.

Which vegetables to plant come spring? Depends on your taste — and your grocery bill
By: The Associated Press -- "What should I plant?" is a question new vegetable gardeners tend to ask me over winter, when planning their first gardens. In the past, I’ve always advised them to plant what they like.

21 garden layout ideas for every size garden
By: Country Living -- Gardens are for everyone. Even a beginner can create a garden space to love and enjoy. The best time to start planning a garden is now, in the winter.

One thing to do after the last frost to bring your lawn back to life after Winter
By: House Digest -- Winter is hard on lawns, as soil often gets compacted, or pressed down, during this time of year. This is partly due to the weight of heavy snowfalls and partly because wet, snow-laden soil is simply more prone to compaction.

Why are my orchid flowers falling off? These houseplant experts have the answers
By: Homes & Gardens -- If you're experiencing blooms falling off your orchid, there's a chance your plant is in trouble. Orchids do drop their flowers once their flowering season is over and they enter hibernation.

15 simple ways to help wildlife this winter
By: House Beautiful -- Our gardens provide a crucial refuge for wildlife, even more so in winter when food sources are scarce and temperatures low. It's during these cold months that we can significantly impact the survival of various species by offering food, water and shelter in even the smallest gardens or balconies.

How to create a winter window box — and plant for instant impact
By: Homes & Gardens -- Brighten up your home this winter with an impactful winter window box. Whether you like bright and blousy combinations or a more restrained and verdant look, window boxes are a quick and easy way to be creative and style your windowsills this winter.

Italian town hitches its wagon to plants that bloom (even in winter)
By: The New York Times -- Even as the group of flower aficionados flitted around a high-ceilinged room admiring just-clipped camellias with fanciful names like "Pink Lassie" and "Paradise Petite," single petals floated lazily to the paneled wood floor, forming colorful mounds.

22 best indoor plants for any room
By: Good Housekeeping -- If you want to invigorate just about any room, pick out one of these best indoor plants to liven up your space. Not only are indoor plants brilliant for decorating purposes, you can also rely on them to upgrade your health, provide clean air and boost your overall wellbeing.

Rubber plant care — expert advice on this low-maintenance and fast-growing indoor plant
By: Homes & Gardens -- If you like large houseplants with big, bold leaves be sure to include a rubber plant in your mix. If you position them in their happy place (bright conditions but not in direct sunlight) they will grow rapidly into eye-catching specimens.

This is the best time to start seeds indoors for a thriving spring garden
By: Bob Vila -- If I want to have a garden next spring, I need to know when to start seeds indoors. Is there a planting calendar for starting seeds indoors? Tolstoy said, "Spring is the time of plans and projects." Some gardeners replace "plans" with "planting" because they started planning as soon as autumn closed down last year's garden.

Outdoor winter container gardens are easy, affordable way to add a touch of green
By: The Oakland Press -- Add a bit of greenery to your front steps, window box or patio with a winter container garden. You'll find all the ingredients you need at your local garden center, craft store, and maybe even a few in your backyard.

How to get your lawn and garden ready for winter
By: U.S. News & World Report -- As George R. R. Martin wrote, "Winter is coming." And the chilling effect it had on his characters is similar to the oncoming hard transition on your plants. If you, like much of the country, live in a place where winter means ice, snow and subfreezing temperatures, protecting the lives of the vegetation in your lawn and garden is paramount.

Why are the tips of my spider plant turning brown
By: Homes & Garden -- If you chose this plant because it's notoriously easy to care for, you may feel disgruntled to be asking: why are the tips of my spider plant turning brown? Spider plants are known for being among the best low-maintenance indoor plants, which makes them perfect for beginners.

The surprising benefits of switching to 'lamb mowers'
By: The Washington Post -- Sisyphus pushed a boulder for eternity. I had to mow my friend's lawn. Every summer, before heading to the beach, we'd have to ensure his grass was cut. We'd push a roaring lawn mower under the scorching Florida sun.

Don't (totally) clean up your garden this fall
By: The Washington Post -- Traditionally, autumn has been seen as cleanup time in the garden, a season for raking (or blowing), clipping and whisking away. But now we're getting a different message from environmentalists, who say we should "leave the leaves" and withhold pruning back seed heads until spring.

Hear that -- It's the sound of leaf blower bans
By: Grist -- For more than 100 million years, trees have dropped their leaves every fall, creating a protective layer of duff that provides cover for snails, bees, and butterflies. Decaying leaves fertilized the soil and gave nutrients back to the trees.

Later frosts could make new crops possible in Alaska. But climate change brings challenges, too.
By: Alaska Public Media -- In October, fall gives way to winter for much of Alaska. But each year, the first frost is arriving later and later. That could be a boon for Alaska farmers. University of Alaska Fairbanks professor Glenna Gannon says the longer growing season is making some types of crops possible for the first time.

These plants change color when exposed to a pesticide
By: WIRED -- Thanks to some genetic tricks, plants can now speak in color. A team of researchers at the University of California, Riverside hacked the natural stress response system in Arabidopsis thaliana, a small white-flowered plant from the mustard family that serves as a common model organism in plant biology labs.

Chloroplasts do more than photosynthesis: They're also a key player in plant immunity
By: UC Davis -- Scientists have long known that chloroplasts help plants turn the sun's energy into food, but a new study, led by plant biologists at the University of California, Davis, shows that they are also essential for plant immunity to viral and bacterial pathogens.

Insights for plant breeding: Arming wheat plants against climate stress with microorganisms
By: Phys.org -- Agriculture in Europe is increasingly affected by extreme weather conditions that lead to crop losses. In 2018, the damage in Germany alone amounted to around 770 million euros. Making wheat plants more resilient to these stresses could make a significant contribution to safeguarding global food production.

In US, invasive spotted lanternflies are devastating crops
By: Phys.org -- At first glance, the spotted lanternfly looks like an elegant butterfly, speckled with black spots on white wings with a splash of bright red. But the insect native to parts of Asia (Lycorma delicatula) is attacking plants and trees in the U.S., and officials are moving quickly to try to contain its spread.

How Idaho farmers are growing crops in a more sustainable way
By: Boise State Public Radio -- When it comes to potatoes, Idaho is the number one producer in the U.S., growing nearly 30% of the nations supply. Like many other areas of the country our state is feeling the impacts of climate change, experiencing shortages in the famous crop, as recently as last year.

Proposed tax credit could help landscapers transition to electric leaf blowers, lawn mowers in California
By: The Orange County Register -- When Sana Sirodan and her team launched Greenplace landscaping services out of Costa Mesa, California, earlier this year after immigrating from Ukraine due to the war, she said they opted for all-electric equipment from the start.

Can planting multiple crops in the same plot improve agricultural production and sustainability
By: Wiley via Phys.org -- Agricultural management has typically focused on increasing yields, but there is an increasing need for sustainable food production that limits negative impacts on the environment. A new study published in Grassland Research provides insights into the potential benefits of diversifying agricultural practices, revealing how different mixtures of plant species can improve production, quality and conservation.

How plants communicate with each other when in danger
By: The Washington Post -- It sounds like fiction from "The Lord of the Rings." An enemy begins attacking a tree. The tree fends it off and sends out a warning message. Nearby trees set up their own defenses. The forest is saved.