Truths From Our Trusted Employees

A few months back I posed a question to all our employees, “What do you wish our customers knew about the gardening industry?” Sort of a homework assignment for them, I gave them the weekend to ponder their ideas and give their best answers. In fact, all the responses came back the next day and many, I thought, were very insightful. Here is what I considered to be their top answers to my question.

As professionals in our industry our total employee count, at our garden center, multiplied by the number of years we have in the industry, equates to hundreds of years of combined experience in our respective field.

We may care more about the plants you’re buying than you do.

We really care about advising you correctly!

There are considerable differences in the quality of nursery stock offered to the public.

Cultivars are plant varieties that have been produced in cultivation by selective breeding. They are special varieties and will cost more than generic ones.

Topsoil is exactly what the name implies; it is the soil removed from the surface of the earth. It will certainly have some small stone and other small particles in it.
Topsoil is not garden soil or potting soil.

Frost dates are important to know in your area so you can protect your plant purchases.

Like other professional industries; our job doesn’t end when we go home. We constantly search for better solutions, better products and attend continuing educational seminars year-round.

Planting vs. transplanting: You can safely transplant, dig a plant out of the ground, in any month that has the letter “R” in it. These are cooler months and less stressful for plants. May, June, July and August are warmer months and should be avoided. You can however, plant in any month that you can dig a hole in the ground.

Have true measurements of your landscape spaces so we can advise you soundly.

Have realistic budgets for your projects please. Most can’t paint their entire home for $500.00 dollars. You also can’t landscape your entire home for the same amount.

We work hard to keep plant material looking stellar for you to buy. Our efforts should not be forgotten once you purchase it.

There is NO stupid question… ask away!

There is no such thing as deer proof! Deer resistant is entirely different.

If you are considering special ordering a plant, the winter months give us time to source and coordinate trucking if it is only one piece you need.

Some basic vocabulary is helpful to have when you come to a garden center. Annual, perennial and what zone we live in is useful to know.

Plants are living breathing things that can grow beyond the parameters of a textbook. Plants are not static pieces of outdoor furniture.

We work very hard to keep our plants looking good from the time we buy it to the time you buy it.

We can only help a plant in distress, not a dead plant. Ask us for advice before the funeral.

We may cost a little more on some items, but our knowledge, experience, quality and service should overcome that.

Owning plants is not a spectator sport! We need you to participate in the health of your landscape.

Please ask us how to correctly install, mulch and water your plants.

Know your sunlight conditions. This is pivotal when selecting plant material.
When we recommend plants for your location, based on what you tell us, don’t change the conditions because you want different plants.

When you purchase your plants from us, you are supporting a local business that supports your community year-round.

Try consolidating your plant selections and increasing their numbers. 3 groups of 10 are better than 10 groups of 3 from a design perspective. Also, try to work with odd numbers when planting.

If your “yard guy” is planting your plant purchase and can’t identify the plant in question, what confidences and assurances do you have that it will survive?
We love good solutions. Figuring out the right plant for the right space is very gratifying.

April and May are our busiest months; hence our selection is the largest it will be then.

It’s Clematis, not Chlamydia!

Most of our employees are career professionals who take their job very seriously. Degrees in ornamental horticulture, landscape architecture, continuing education in landscape design, specialties in pruning, diagnostics with disease and pest management are qualities they possess. A stellar team whose discipline in horticulture is staunch. Their commitment to providing the best customer service with the best possible outcome is paramount to us all. We are lucky to have them and appreciate their efforts every day.