Survive to Thrive

I’m a huge fan of The History Channel survival series “Alone.” Each season, a group of contestants is flown into the wilderness and dropped miles apart from one another with nothing but a rucksack of basic supplies. Over many weeks, they film themselves as they build shelter and forage and hunt in order to outlast their competitors.

I found the program during pandemic times. We all felt alone back then, so the show was very fitting. It was deeply comforting to see a bunch of wild-minded survival experts digging deep into reserves of resilience and fortitude to overcome fear, hunger, loneliness and pain. Heck, if they could make it in the Canadian wilderness, then I could make it in the Ohio suburbs. I mean, I didn’t even have to whittle a spoon to eat stew…unless I wanted to.

I think many in the “Alone” audience, me included, felt like they could probably do a week or two in the middle of nowhere with some gumption, dumb luck and maybe a YouTube video or two about how to start a fire without a match. But the reality is that those who thrive on “Alone” are the ones who have been studying survival techniques and “bushcraft” for many years. It’s clear that to stick through the toughest times, it’s not enough to simply have tenacity. It is crucial to draw from a deep well of knowledge.

It is a tad hyperbolic to suggest that springtime in a garden center is anything like the blasted mountains of Patagonia or the bear-infested lake lands of the Arctic Circle. I truly hope that surviving your busiest season doesn’t require snaring small rodents for sustenance or rubbing a couple sticks together for warmth. Still, I’m sure it can feel like being stalked by predators as you try to keep your customers happy and your benches full. And there’s always a chance for adrenaline spikes when things go sideways — like a POS system on the fritz or an employee down due to injury or sickness.

Happily, unlike a survival reality show contestant, you are not alone — far from it. In this issue, we’re acting as your stalwart ally and guide. Our goal? To help you conquer your busiest season by providing a ton of information to bolster your inner reserves of stick-to-itiveness as you approach your seasonal 10-week crucible. These pages are intended to help you think strategically about how to come out on top at the end of spring.

To that end, we are preparing you for 2024 with some crucial outlooks. We spoke with the chief economist of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to acquire economic insights for the coming year. We also spoke to meteorologist Joe Woznicki from the Commodity Weather Group for a national weather outlook. Beyond weather and the economy, we offer a data-rich view into the gardening outlook for 2024 courtesy of marketing insight company Axiom. We also have a deep dive into the best plants from recent plant trials nationwide and a bevy of actionable spring survival tips from some of our Top 100 garden centers.

With these tools at your disposal, I believe that, like the best contestants on “Alone,” you will go beyond survival and thrive.

Each episode of “Alone” begins with a quote from a famous adventurer. So, I’ll follow suit and begin our issue with one as well:

“Survival can be summed up in three words — never give up. That’s the heart of it, really. Just keep trying.” -Bear Grylls

Here’s to an amazing 2024 and an amazing spring. Never give up.