By Matt Edmundson, CHREF Board President
I am a legacy in this industry, meaning I grew up in it by working in the family business. Many of my friends and colleagues I have known my entire life. My dad used to tell me after meeting an old-school nurseryman that that guy “was one of the last of the hard asses.”
Ours...
Having a crystal ball to forecast how many seeds you need to produce enough plants to satisfy customer demand would be nice. Instead, successful greenhouse growers rely on good data and observations from past seasons. Whether using sophisticated custom software or simple spreadsheets, growers need to consider many factors to accurately calculate the timing and quantity of seed orders.
“The...
In September 2017, the nation watched as Hurricane Irma hurtled toward the Florida coast with Category 5 intensity. Most importantly, people were concerned about how the residents would hold up against the fierce storms. At the same time, any company doing business with Florida wondered what the impact would be.
Fortunately, by the time Irma made landfall, the hurricane had...
By Harriett McMillan, CCNP, Echter’s Garden Center Horticultural Specialist
Echter’s Garden Center in Arvada partners with the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum for an annual display of quilts in early October. The display has been a regular event at Echter’s since 2008, and the partnership with the museum has strengthened over the years, providing a colorful event for the garden center...
Three Featured 2019 Plants
Plant Select® is the country’s leading source of plants designed to thrive in the high plains and intermountain region. It is a nonprofit collaboration of Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens and horticulturists around the world. During 2019, our 22nd anniversary, we are excited to recommend at least three new plants along with the promotion of...
A slip and fall accident may be amusing in slapstick comedy, but in reality it’s no joke. Slips and falls account for a significant number of injuries to customers and employees every year.
The causes of slip and fall accidents are varied, ranging from wet or greasy floors, clutter and debris, to uneven surfaces, improper cleaning, lack of hazard identification...
By Will Knowles, CCNP, General Manager, Creek Side Gardens
The end of the summer is a time of transition for garden centers. Getting customers to visit your garden center is hard. It’s hot, and people don’t want to come out of the confines of their air-conditioned homes. Then, in August, the days start getting shorter, kids go back to school,...
By Lon Vincent, CCNP, Manager, Wilmore Outdoor Living Center
In August, many people give up on gardening. Their minds are turning to fall, and rather than thinking about keeping plants beautiful, they are planning how to put their yards to bed for the winter. And yet, if they continue deadheading and pruning their plants, they’ll have new blooms and healthy...
By Esther Langley, CGG, CCNP, General Manager, Britton Nursery
Britton Nursery overwinters 100,000 plants in cold frames each year. As fall comes, the staff of the wholesale grower in Colorado Springs has to balance keeping the plants full and flourishing to meet the needs of late-season customers and cutting them back to prepare them for their winter naps.
The staff stops...
By Rachel Guttman, MBA, Online Marketing Expert, SCORE Colorado Springs
In either busy or slow seasons, merchandising is paramount. Offering seasonal products and displaying them attractively and in a way that demonstrates the value of a product makes it easy to shop.
There are two ways to earn more revenue: 1) find new customers and sell them your products, and 2)...
