Retail Nurseries

Growing with the industry

By Curt Kipp — Posted July 30, 2020

The Farwest Show has brought attention to the Oregon nurseryindustry over the years, along with more business It all began 47 years ago with high hopes and a little bit of hype. “All roads lead to Portland, September 11–13, for the Farwest Nursery, Garden and Supply Show: the biggest, boldest nursery show ever staged in […]

Gardening interest enters full bloom

By Mike Darcy — Posted July 29, 2020

In my last column (June 2020), I wrote about some of the many changes that garden centers have had to make during the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news is that it appears that most garden centers managed to adapt to these new requirements. Since the COVID-19 situation is not abating, an appropriate follow-up would be […]

Seeding the need to garden

By Mike Darcy — Posted May 26, 2020

Nothing about the spring 2020 garden season has been ordinary. From March onward, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many facets of the garden industry in ways no one could have predicted. Six months ago, if you had described a scene where shoppers and workers were wearing masks and standing six feet apart, no one would […]

New Mexico garden retailers can reopen

By Curt Kipp — Posted April 22, 2020

Independent nursery retailers in New Mexico have won the right to reopen for business, provided they do it via curbside pickup and/or delivery service only. The state government had previously left garden centers, retail nurseries and retail greenhouses off the state’s list of essential businesses, although farms — a category that includes wholesale growers — were […]

Garden centers must remain closed in Pennsylvania

By Bill Goloski — Posted April 20, 2020

The Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association (PLNA) submitted a request that independent, family-owned garden centers be considered essential businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, but received a response that no change would be made, according to the association website. Other states in the northeastern U.S., including Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio, have allowed […]

Mastering the merge

By Jon Bell — Posted March 27, 2020

Nurseries share the benefits of integrating wholesale and retail in one operation It was 38 years ago and Grace Dinsdale had just launched Blooming Nursery, a wholesale nursery in Cornelius, Oregon; just west of Hillsboro. Her goal from the get-go had been to operate as a wholesale nursery that could supply the industry with a […]

Gleams of an extended garden season

By Mike Darcy — Posted January 23, 2020

Former Portland Rose Society President Rich Baer sent me a photo that he took this past Thanksgiving from his garden. It was a bouquet of roses. I have lived in the Portland area for many years and it is not often I’ve thought of picking a full bouquet of roses at the end of November! […]

January 2020 – Nursery Country Issue

By Bill Goloski — Posted January 6, 2020

With its rich volcanic soil, mild weather, and natural resources, Oregon is a great place for wholesale and retail garden center growers. Meet the fantastic business partners who are just one part of Oregon’s nearly one-billion-dollar nursery and greenhouse industry. Here’s a peek at the featured nurseries: Also in this issue, researchers discuss fire blight, […]

A place where people can grow

By Curt Kipp — Posted January 1, 2020

David Sather wanted a place to grow. After spending years developing a landscaping business in the Seattle area, he was ready to chase a dream by raising his own plant material. When David arrived in Oregon, he knew he had found his place. Todd Williams wanted a place to grow. After working at a retail […]

Knowing your customers

By Mike Darcy — Posted November 22, 2019

“Location, location, location.” I have often heard that those three words are paramount for any brick-and-mortar retail business. I do not dispute their importance. Location matters for garden centers, too, but I think that three other words have greater importance: “Know your customers.” Knowing your customers — where they are coming from and what kinds of […]