Be the regional experts

Remember that time when a customer came into your nursery with a plan drawn by a landscape architect from outside the area? I can ask that question and be fairly confident that many who read this are either nodding their heads, rolling their eyes or both. Most IGC employees have occasionally looked at a customer’s design, instantly knowing that the person who drew it had no idea about the plants that flourish or fail in your region.

Those who work in horticulture know that all gardening is regional. What thrives in one area might struggle if planted 50 miles to the north, or several hundred feet up the mountain. Rain patterns can vary from place to place in the same state, and proximity to water can make a property warmer, colder or just brutally windy. Even in the same yard, one location is often warmer and more protected, while just a few feet away it’s a shady wind tunnel.

Such local and regional differences present an opportunity for garden centers to distinguish themselves from the box stores by becoming the area experts. This can be conveyed to your customers in a variety of ways, all of which add up to your IGC positioning itself as the go-to authority for gardening.

What’s in bloom?

Customers will frequently come into a nursery looking for “that purple flower I see in everyone’s gardens right now.” Others shop for plants that will bloom at particular times so that there is as much color in their garden as possible. You, as the local expert, can help your customers by explaining which plants are flowering throughout the seasons.

Create a “What’s in Bloom?” bulletin board where pictures of flowering plants and their names are posted every other week. Post pictures of plants that are currently blooming on your company blog, in your newsletter or on social media. Since time is often short in the spring and early summer, pick just one place to post and do it regularly.

Another way to highlight which plants are flowering in your region is to have a place in the store where cut flowers can be displayed. Gather a dozen clear glass bottles of different sizes and dedicate a shelf where stems can be displayed. Use blank place cards, available at craft shops or online, to write the names of the flowers on display. That card could also tell customers where to find those plants in your nursery.

Address the weather

Be it a late frost, windstorm or plant-crushing hail; local weather affects yards and gardens all year. A regional expert recognizes that such events are on every homeowner’s mind and will promptly address them — for example, post about dealing with the broken branches after heavy spring snow. Explain how to best stake plants made crooked by saturated soils and hard winds. Tell your customers if the soil is too wet to work, how to help plants through a drought or if there’s been enough rain to turn off irrigation.

Some garden centers put information such as this in their newsletter or on their website, while others publish a weekly regional update that’s only available if a customer comes into the store. If you decide to print out your own one-page news sheet, it can include recent weather events, a “What’s in Bloom” section, and a timely list of products that are being used in area landscapes.

Best plants for area gardens

We all sell some plants that are tricky to grow, others that require a bit of extra coddling and many that are cast-iron choices for local landscapes. While experienced gardeners and plant geeks might be willing to take a chance on a marginally hardy or finicky variety, most of our clients would prefer more reliable selections.

Consider having such plants grouped in a special display or a particular section. Feature them in your online posts or create lists that a customer can pick up when shopping in your nursery. Call them the “Most Likely To Succeed In [your city’s name here]” and explain to shoppers why your business, as the regional plant experts, has chosen to feature them.

Weed of the week

The average box store will sell its customers herbicides, but most won’t know anything about the weeds people are dealing with in their yards. You, on the other hand, can feature which weeds area gardeners are likely to see at any given time of the year. Give your customers some of the background about that plant, and why it appears where and when it does. “Did you know that sorrel is an indicator weed? It grows best in acidic conditions, so a large amount of sorrel in your garden means that your soil is probably pretty acidic,” is just one example.

Some weeds have a great backstory about ways they came to this country, or how they were used medicinally in the past. Yes, the customer is most concerned with how to get rid of their weeds, but some short, fun facts are not only entertaining but once again demonstrate that you’re the regional experts.

Finally, in addition to acting like plant authorities, don’t be afraid to remind people of that fact. If you’re in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have Pittsburgh’s Plant Experts on the back of your company shirts, on your name tags and on the sign at the gate. It is a claim that national chain stores cannot make, but one that’s a natural fit for the IGC.