The Art of Running a Small Garden Center or Nursery

Innovative Small Garden Centers or Nurseries 

Surf City Growers

This Santa Cruz based garden center has only been open for a year or two. They caught our attention for the fact that the only sell non-toxic plants. In addition they are certified organic growers which makes them one of the only ones to do this.

Flora Grubb Gardens

Flora Grubb Gardens, in the Bay View area of San Francisco; she specializes in what she calls "durable" plants-low-maintenance, drought-tolerant varieties that are sustainable in the local climate. They also look great, as her design-minded clients expect. "I'm not willing to sacrifice aesthetics for any plant," Grubb says, "but I am lucky my aesthetics coincide with my ethics."

Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery

This an Australian Company that has a blog and a fruit tree forum. They use "You Tube" videos on their web site. Innovative with lots of enthusiasm this is a business to watch.

Under the Sun Garden Centers

Under The Sun Garden Centers is the first nursery franchise. This is a totally new concept in our industry.

The latest garden business news from around the world 

Motley Foold and Urban Outfitters

The Fools take on Urban Outfitters foray into the garden business.

What the Nurseries Like for Spring - New York Times

Low-maintenance plants, and dwarf ones, are the darlings of the growers.

How to attract Gen. X and Y according to Ian Baldwin

Ian Baldwin,
Columnist for
Garden Center magazine discusses some of the ways that the nursery industry should be addressing the younger generations.

Pacific NW | Words To Live By | Seattle Times Newspaper

The Seattle Times writes a great piece on the importance of your local nursery person.

Acres & Acres-GrowerTalks, "plants as objects"

An interesting observation about plants being used as interior decoration with no thought to the ability of the plant to thrive.

Urban Outfitters Burned Bright As Rivals Suffered Holiday Chill

More info on Urban Outfitters foray into garden supplies. Interesting to me was the fact that they plan to target Baby Boomers, not the Gen Y that they target with the other stores in the line.

Top posts on the garden center business 

Why I don't carry the brand heavyweights

Why carry national brands when your an independent

Austin, TX is the future

See what you can expect in the realm of customer reviews.

Coffee anyone?

Cafes are all the rage in garden centers these days.

Survival of the independent garden center

It survival baby

The Plant Trafficker

A disgruntled consumer tells it like it is.

Small is cool

The dawning of micro-brands.

Nurseries and the eco-market

Nurseries are the original eco-companies. Lets not miss the opportunity to let people know.

Starting a small garden center.

Some ramblings on starting our nursery.

What should your hours of operation be?

Why we we're closed on Mondays and why we won't be next year!

We want to start a nursery

A young couple want to start a nursery

Garden Center Blogs 

The good, bad, and ugly.

The Blogging Nurseryman

This is my blog.

Accepts comments and plenty given!

Johnsons Nursery Perennial and Annual Blog

Pat Williams is one of the retail horticulturists at Johnson's Nursery. She holds a degree in urban forestry and will be writing about the selection and care of perennials.

Accepts no comments or none given.

Updated about monthly.

Mission Hills Nursery Gardening With Roses, Plants, And Flowers!

Toni Palafox owner writes this blog for her San Diego Nursery

Greenscape Gardens Green Blog

"Greenscape Gardens is a family owned and operated nursery and garden center located in Saint Louis, Missouri."

No comments allowed or none given.

Updated infrequently.

Gary`s Garden Center - Gary's Blog

"Central Virginia`s Premier Garden Center. A full service garden center. Gary`s provides the finest quality plants available."

No comments allowed.

The life of a Greenhouse Grower - Journal

"Sherwood Greenhouses - Regina, Saskatchewan
Journal About Sherwood Greenhouses"

This blog is updated regularly which seems to be unusual. I love the by line for this business. "We are the the proud owners, (owners of the mortagage"

Allows comments!

Roger Bolger - Horticulturalist

This is the blog of the Garden Dept.Head at Gale's Westlake Garden Center in Cleveland.
It's more of an information or "Latest News" site. No interaction with the readers, which is o.k., but not my style.

No comments allowed.

Cactus Blog

Daily news about cacti and succulents. This is a small cactus specialty nursery in Berkley, CA., that just opened up in 2006. This is exactly what garden centers and nurseries need to do. Find a niche and then let everyone know about you.
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Daleys Fruit Tree Blog

Daleys Fruit Tree blog about sowing the joys of growing Fruit & Rainforest Trees from Australia. This is a great blog! They use videos to show off some of the fruit they are growing. You can feel the excitement.

Sloat Garden -

"Great Plants and great advice to help them Grow!"
This is a new blog from the people at Sloat Garden Centers located in various areas in The S.F. Bay area

Guzman's Greenhouse Gardening Blog

Guzman's Greenhouse Gardening Blog
"Southwestern greenhouse gardening. Learn what you need to know about gardening in the southwest."
This is written by greenhouse manager in New Mexico.

Mallee Native Plants

This is a blog written by Corinne and is about her activities in the small native plant nursery and on our home block in country South Australia. 30 years ago she discovered that Australian native plants could be grown from seed and cuttings, just like exotic plants.

Sara's Green Space

Sara is the managing editor of Greenhouse Grower magazine. Check in often for what's going on in products, services and industry news.

Today's Garden Center

Check back often, as we will frequently post industry buzz and general retail comments From The Cheap Seats!

Garden centers with great web sites. 

The Golden Gecko Garden Center

Yes its my web page, but it is good. Changes every two weeks to coincide with our e-news.

The Arbor Gate

The Arbor Gate is Northwest Houston's premier garden destination! The web site is clean and easily navigated. The use of "Daisy the Dog" gives it a warm feeling. They send out an e-news regularly.

Avon Perennial Gardens

"More than a destination...it’s an experience!
Come visit our gardens and stroll through over 5 acres of beautiful display gardens and shop our retail area where you can indulge in a great selection of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. The display gardens inspire and educate you.'

The list of activities and events is inspiring. This place is much more than a garden center.

Redenta's Garden - garden design, landscaping, plants, flowers

"Experience gardening the way it should be." This two store nursery has a clean crisp web page. Located in Dallas and Arlington, Texas.

Sloat Garden - Homepage

This is a chain of garden centers located in The San Francisco Bay Area.

Daleys Nursery - Fruit, Nut and Rainforest trees

Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery. Catalog and resource guide for Subtropical Fruit and Nut trees, Forestation trees, Herbs and Rainforest trees.

These people have it going on. I love th excitement that comes through.

Glenwild Garden Center

Glenwild Garden Center, located in Northern New Jersey, has been a family run business since 1928. The MacKenn family takes pride in every product from a garden stepping stone, to each rhododendron, insuring high quality and personal, friendly service.

Check out their extensive class schedule, including a visit from a local chef cooking a three course meal.

Redwood Barn Nursery

According to Don Shor, owner "At 8,000 sq. ft., we are probably one of the smallest independent nurseries around!" located in Davis, CA.

Garden Center Resources 

Garden Voices

See what garden bloggers are talking about. These are your customers.

Monrovia Nursery

One of the premier wholesale nurseries. Great plant database with pictures.

Dave Wilson Nursery - Fruit Trees, Nut Trees, Ornamentals

Fruit, Nut and Shade Tree Growers for the Commercial and Retail Nursery Industry.

NURSERYRETAILER.com

A magazine for independent garden centers.

Today's Garden Center

"Welcome to Today's Garden Center magazine."

This is a blog written by Jen Polanz and is updated regularly.

No comments allowed.

Garden Center News "Building Traffic for Independent Garden Centers"

"Garden Center News You run your business while we run your newsletters"
I have seen this companies newsletters used by some well established garden centers. They do the layout while you supply the content. This is a good service for those who don't know how or just don't want to do their own e-news.

Chris Finally Blogs!-Green Profit

This is the blog for Greenprofit magazine.

Why have a blog if the last entry is for July? This is worse than no blog. Take this thing down or update it!

No comments allowed.

Give consumers a reason to buy.

A good article on building trust with your customers.

Garden Rant: Gardeners to Nurseries: Fall's the New Spring

These are are avid gardeners talking to garden centers. This is why I like to read garden blogs. Its like having your customers over for a one-on-one, and they don't hold back!

River Coyote Designs - Web and Graphic Design for Small Businesses

This is our web design outfit. Excellent work, and they specialize in small business!

Today's Garden Center

Welcome to Today's Garden Center magazine.

John Stanley Associates: The Sustainable Garden Centre - The Garden Centre of the Future?

The Sustainable Garden Centre - The Garden Centre of the Future? By John Stanley The world is going green.

Interseting stuff about the 'greening" of the garden center.

Horticulture Week

Good reading from Great Britain's Garden Center Business. Since so many things that happen there end up over here its fun to see what's going on "over there".

What are the consumer trends for 2007?

This report offer generally good news for the niche retailer!

Professional Topics - GardenWeb

These are the resources at Garden Web likely to be of use to those working in the fields of horticulture and botany. Very interesting stuff for anyone in the professional gardening business.

Wholesale or retail?

What do they do?

An interesting interview concerning authenticity in business

Authenticity in business. People are looking for it, are we providing it.

Small nursery owner in Oregon talks about the business

This is one in a weekly series of profiles on locally owned and operated businesses in Southern Oregon.

The story of a small Savile Row tailor and his blog. It realtes to the small garden center business.

Three years on Thomas Mahon and I launched English Cut, a blog about the life of a small, Savile Row tailor, three years ago this week.

The joy of bulbs

Bulb sales are down. Bulb companies going out of business. Don't blame the bulbs.

Making Cents

Dr. Charlie Hall, Ellison Chair in International Floriculture Texas A&M University, Texas AgriLife Research, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences writes "Because as margins get tighter and tighter in the Green Industry due to increasingly competitive conditions, a few cents per pot/plant can make a world of difference! Stay tuned to this site for up-to-the-minute information regarding economic conditions affecting your business and strategic responses to enhance profitability!"