New varietal

In our home garden, my wife Kitty prefers plants that have thrived generation after generation — blending perfectly with their environment over time. For my part, I like the new varieties: buds, blooms and foliage that are unfamiliar and bring a shift in the character and look of the garden. You might think those opposing views would result in horticultural friction. But through open communication, we learn from each other and find balance.

I happen to be the new variety here at Garden Center magazine. Call me Gardencenteria editorialis var. Coleman. If I had a plant tag, it would note that I am native to Oregon but grow particularly well in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, with my wife Kitty, sons Atticus and Sebastian (ages 12 and 10), Scout the dog and Peter the cat. I have strong roots in publishing, with more than a decade of writing and editing experience in subjects from food to parenting to small-town news. I am wild and colorful, but low maintenance, and I prefer to be outdoors in full sun with frequent applications of good coffee and music.

It’s normal to have some trepidation anytime you bring something new into a well-established ecosystem. Will it be too disruptive? Will it fundamentally change the character of the environment? All great questions and valid concerns.

As I begin my time with you, I want to stress that I have a deep respect for the partnerships my predecessor developed and for the knowledge that has been cultivated in these pages. But I intend to grow with you. And I hope that you will, in turn, grow with me.

The opportunity to do just that is already upon us. You have probably already received an invitation to participate in our annual State of the Industry survey. Your insights are crucial to the success of our annual report, and I urge you to complete the survey so all of us can better understand the challenges and triumphs of the industry as we move into 2024.

The result of our collaboration will undoubtedly be full, organic growth. That’s exactly what I’m hoping for as I settle into the vibrant plot of words and information we share.

Not for nothin’, but organic growth happens to be the subject of this month’s issue. And I’m excited to share our exploration of how IGCs like SummerWinds Nursery and Anthony Petitti Organic Greenhouse support and utilize organic practices and ecological stewardship.

In reporting our cover story, I was recently able to spend an afternoon at Anthony Petitti’s with owner Cindy Walton. The sheer zeal and gumption she brings to her singular garden center is inspiring. It’s the hard work and joy for the job that I recognized in many of you when we met in Minneapolis for the Garden Center Conference & Expo in August, and I’m incredibly excited to be a part of it.

It’s a fitting way for us begin, and I’m incredibly excited to be able to join you here in these pages every month.

Here’s to growth!