Retail Revival: Seeking Sustainability

Thirty years ago, there was little talk of sustainability in the garden center. Now, we would all like a magic wand that could instantly make our industry more ecologically balanced.

Things have been changing as IGCs and their customers recognize that what the green industry, home landscapers and gardeners do is important for their local environment and for the future of the world. In fact, it’s often our customers who are pushing for changes.

Yet without the power to conjure up instant eco-friendly changes, what can an IGC do to promote these important goals?

Local initiatives

Independent garden centers can keep informed about local programs and regulations concerning the environment. Gardening practices affect waterways, for example, and many municipalities are moving to regulate fertilizers and other landscape products that find their way into streams, lakes and saltwater marshes. Although some IGCs may initially think that such restrictions are going to negatively impact their sales, this doesn’t have to be the case.

IGCs can recommend slow-release organic fertilizers over synthetics and keep their customers informed about the importance of not applying such products in the winter. They can explain to customers that Mother Nature feeds plants with composted organic matter and that the garden center offers many brands of compost that can keep gardens growing. Such honesty and the eagerness to protect the local ecosystem builds customer trust and loyalty, especially among younger generations.

Alternatives to peat moss

Our customers are concerned about the use of peat moss in growing mixes and soil amendments. From news articles to posts on social media, the public is aware that peatlands are unique ecosystems that are being destroyed when peat is harvested. Since peatbogs regenerate so slowly, it’s recognized as a non-renewable resource. In fact, in the UK, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has put a plan in place that will eliminate the garden industry’s use and sale of peat over the next several years.

In the U.S., our customers are already asking for potting mixes and amendments that are peat-free, and there are many companies that are stepping in to provide such products. IGCs can check with their vendors about products that use coconut coir or other more sustainable ingredients instead of peat moss. When going to trade shows such as Cultivate, we can be on the lookout for these alternatives and use the term “peat free” in our marketing of those products.

Protecting insects

Garden centers have the opportunity to move our customers from the “every bug must be killed” philosophy to the understanding that “everything is connected to everything else.” Some years ago, Hyannis Country Garden, the IGC where I have worked for almost 30 years, decided to stop selling products that contained neonicotinoids. We did so knowing full well that some of shoppers would turn to the local box stores for what we were no longer stocking. But we used this decision as a talking point, knowing that our customers were concerned about protecting bees and other pollinators. When we spoke about this decision at educational events in the nursery, audiences would applaud in approval, and we understood that this translated to repeat shoppers and great word-of-mouth marketing.

We all know, however, that there are some customers who come into our store with concerns about insect damage. In such cases, we can help them determine if this is a problem that really needs to be treated. People may or may not understand the old IPM concept that there is always an acceptable level of damage, so that’s a concept to which we can repeatedly return. And for those customers who “just want to spray something,” we can put a bottle of insecticidal soap in their hands knowing that they are less likely to run amuck or do harm with that product.

Plastics

If there were one single area we’d all appreciate having some sustainability magic, it would be in the area of plastic pots and product bags. Because most plastic plant pots are dark in color, they can’t be sorted and recycled in the same way as other plastics. Currently, there is only one facility, East Jordan Plastics in Michigan, that takes plant pots for recycling. Some IGCs band with others in their area to accumulate enough pots to send to East Jordan.

In addition to recycling, however, there is progress being made with compostable pots. Proven Winners began offering some plants in its new Eco+ containers that can either be planted or placed in compost. It’s important to remind customers, however, that these pots don’t break down quickly. If they did, they wouldn’t be functional for growers or for retail sales, since pots would be falling apart on the benches. So, customers shouldn’t expect to see the pots disappear in one season.

Not all Proven Winners plants are offered in the Eco+ containers, and it’s largely a matter of cost. Are our customers willing to pay more for pots that aren’t plastic? I’d suggest that many of them are, but they need to be educated about these pots in order to make that call. It’s up to us to explain that a container that looks and functions like plastic is actually made from natural sugars derived from USA-grown corn. Use the information about these and other plantable products you carry as a marketing opportunity to attract those who are interested in sustainability.

Looking for more information? Take a look at the Sustainable Gardening Library, which was assembled by some of the members of GardenComm International. GCI has a Sustainability Committee that meets regularly to share the latest information and promote eco-friendly practices to the public.

 

C.L. Fornari is a speaker, writer and radio/podcast host who has worked at Hyannis Country Garden, an IGC on Cape Cod, for nearly 30 years. She has her audiences convinced that C.L. stands for “Compost Lover.” Learn more at GardenLady.com.