The Garden Barn shines

In 2011, the Gliha family will finish a multi-phase renovation plan that started back in 2003.Gardening isn’t work—it’s therapy! That’s how Dennis and Kathy Gliha, owners of The Garden Barn in Vernon, Conn., sum things up. It’s a homegrown philosophy that has served the couple well as their business has grown.

When Dennis and Kathy first established the company in 1980 as a roadside stand, they had no idea their business would evolve into a 13-acre facility that includes a state-of-the-art greenhouse and garden center.

Their children, Shawn and Kim, are now fully involved in the family business, bringing many new ideas and strategies to propel The Garden Barn through the 21st century.

A growing garden
2010 was a very busy year for the Gliha crew. The Garden Barn navigated zoning hurdles and secured permits for the final phase of an expansion that has been in the works since 2003.

“The new covered outdoor pavilion will finally complete the plan my dad envisioned,” said Kim Gliha. “We started construction in October, and hopefully we’ll be displaying Christmas trees there this season.”

The Garden Barn also received permits for a new growing facility. Construction will begin on this project in 2011.
The range will cover ¾ of an acre. It will have a 24- by 100-foot head house with 10 “legs”—poly houses that will be 30- by 100-feet.

“We’ll use this space to grow for our retail facility,” Kim said. “We’ll produce unique items that are difficult to find.”

Unusual offerings keep people coming back to The Garden Barn, and further its reputation as a destination shopping locale. Appearance and upkeep are crucial to securing the repeat business that helps the garden center thrive.

It starts on the ground floor. Everything within the garden center is sharply labeled and arranged to capture sales. Cross merchandising tactics are used both indoors and outdoors in the nursery yard. The uniformed staff is constantly cleaning the plants so they look perfect while on display. The grounds feature a stunning pond area, where the Glihas welcome brides for wedding pictures.

“It should be the object of everyone in the world to create a little beauty somewhere along the line,” Dennis Gliha believes, and his philosophy shows well in the pond view.

Marketing tools
The Glihas have also become champion marketers to keep people coming to their destination garden center. They have an active Garden Club Reward Program where The Garden Barn captures customer demographics and rewards loyalty with 10 percent-off most items on Wednesdays. The program also has a point system where customers receive a $10 gift certificate after they’ve accumulated 300 points.

The Glihas have also developed a community fundraising program where the nonprofit group sells Garden Barn’s $20 gift cards. The group’s cost per card is just $16; the group profits $4 from every card sold.

A version of this article first appeared in Connecticut Nursery & Landscape Magazine. For more information, visit www.FlowersPlantsInCT.com.