Getting ahead at the garden center

Wayne HarrellWayne Harrell, owner of The Garden Center in San Antonio, Texas, has seen sales volume triple at the store since taking over for his father in 2002. His diverse work experience—which includes a stint in the Peace Corps and two years working as a sales rep for Color Spot Nurseries—has shaped the way he does business.

“Being the new sales rep meant I called on box stores,” Harrell reminisced. “And you not only place orders, you do the merchandising. After a little over two years chasing trucks around, you learn to unload racks and get things merchandised quickly.

When I came back to The Garden Center in 2002, I completely changed how we merchandised. I convinced my dad to have paving done, so when stuff comes in on racks we can take it right to the tables. And instead of buying just a few of several things, we’ll buy enough to create a big, mass display.

“Anything you do in this industry—and even other experiences like what you learn in the Peace Corps—you bring back ideas to incorporate in your business.”

GARDEN CENTER MAGAZINE: When you get time off, what do you like to do?
WAYNE HARRELL: I travel whenever possible. I’ve been to every continent except for Antarctica. Right now, while I’m still able to, I try to go as far away as I can. I’m ashamed to say I haven’t seen as much of the United States as I should.

I also do a lot of community theater. I love acting. And, of course, I enjoy being with my wife and kids. My wife is from Haiti. She grew up in the mountains there. We go back every year or two to visit her family. It’s so nice and cool up there. We sit on the front porch, eat mangoes and drink cold beer. It’s great!

GC: Tell us about the new gardening radio show you’re hosting.
WH: It’s going fantastic! The co-host is my director, who I’ve done theater with for more than 20 years. We do a lot of character voices during the show—including a Vegas lounge-lizard character I created. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s the fastest hour—it goes by so quickly! Our goal is to make the show as entertaining as it is informative. We meet around 7:30 a.m., just before we go on the air, to do a skeleton outline. (We alternate weekends on who brings the breakfast tacos!) And we usually talk once during the week about which characters we’ll be using.

GC: How did the landscape division of your business fare in 2009?
WH: We had a pretty tasty landscape business last year, which I’d attribute to the “staycation” trend. About 90 percent of our landscape work is all residential. If you really turn us loose, we can basically create a whole outdoor extension to a home. We have the most amazing in-house masons that create patios, walls—a whole outdoor living area. The economy hasn’t really affected us that much. I think we’ve been spared a lot of the bad stuff that has gone on in the economy. I’m just doing my best to get people in the parking lot. Because once they’re there, they’ll almost always buy something. I’d say roughly 70 percent of our sales are impulse purchases.

GC: Are you doing any special children’s programs?
WH: This is the third year for our Little Sprouts program for children. The wife of our landscape guy coordinates this. I like the classes to be more than just “paint a rock” or “plant a flower.” We try to make it more engaging. We’re always looking for different kinds of projects.

The classes are free, and we do ask folks to e-mail and let us know how many are coming. But we don’t turn people away. The only time this has bitten us is when we were doing a birdhouse-building project. We had a big turnout, and didn’t have enough materials. We certainly learned from that experience.

GC: Drought is always an issue in South Texas. How has it impacted your marketing?
WH: Drought definitely affects what we bring in and our labor costs. This past July and August, we had 60 days over 100 degrees. But we got through it. I had to dip into my line of credit. Fortunately, I was able to pay it back in the fall. We did a lot of grassroots marketing to make it through summer. We got some A-frame signs that spelled out “Save Your Yard Here” to put along the main road in front of the store. We transformed one section of the store into a “Conservation Corner” where we merchandised soaker hoses, Medina- and Lady Bug-brand products. It seemed to help. When Mother Nature comes, you have to react.

We had a rocking fall, and I think we’re going to have great spring. I’m pretty happy to say most folks rely on us to be their guides in the gardening world. They know we carry plants that will do well with minimum care.

GC: Is there a plant you wish customers would plant more of?
WH: I’m particularly fond of trees that are underappreciated, like lacey oak. People don’t really know about it. I’m also a salvia nut. When people come in during the summer and ask what they can plant right now, I’ll tell them to drive around town and see what looks good. You can’t go wrong with esperanza, salvia, firebush, plumbago—and even the old standbys: Mexican heather and ‘New Gold’ lantana.

GC: Do you have any special strategies for handling the spring rush?
WH: I’m always conscious of the need to keep nice, wide aisles. A lot of the time, I feel like I play the cheerleader—keeping people going and motivated. One thing I insist upon: People who work for me have to take two days off a week, and they have to be together. Even during the heat of the battle in springtime. Of course, everyone has to be here on the weekend. But you need the time off. What we do for a living is physical. You need time to regroup.

GC: Have you ever considered changing the name of your store from “The Garden Center”?
WH: The legal name of the business is Bandera Road Garden Center. But it only became that about two years ago. Back when the store was opened in 1985, “garden center” was unique. Now it’s everywhere. Have we thought of changing it? I think about it a lot. I’ve thought about incorporating “Bandera Road,” but we haven’t come to any solid decisions yet.