Explore the Great Outdoors   Lawn & Garden Retailer April 2008   By Lisa Anderson Mann
As warm weather quickly approaches, think outside your garden center’s four walls and expand your horizons with some creative au naturel displays.
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Color Your World   Lawn & Garden Retailer March 2008   By Ron Greening and Jessica Reinhardt
Merchandising by color is a sure fire way to trigger positive customer reactions with vibrant hues that help draw them in and personalize their garden lifestyle.
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From the Inside Out   Lawn & Garden Retailer March 2008   By Darhiana Mateo
As consumers view their gardens increasingly as extensions of their homes, they’ll be shopping for more than just plants. Offering outdoor furniture can lead you down a profitable path.
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Open to Change   Lawn & Garden Retailer February 2008   By Paige Worthy
Smith’s Acres, the garden center chosen as Lawn & Garden Retailer’s Merchandiser of the Year, prides itself on a great staff, beautiful container displays and, above all, a willingness to experiment with new ideas.
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Making Your Wishes Come True   Lawn & Garden Retailer February 2008   By Faith Savage
Realize your garden center’s dreams of more customers and higher sales by helping customers fulfill their own visions of a garden oasis.
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Things Are Looking Up   Lawn & Garden Retailer February 2008   By Eric Feignbaum
Endless horizontal displays of merchandise, no matter how compelling the product, will bore customers right out of your store. To hold their attention and encourage bigger sales, think vertical.
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The Art of the Layout   Lawn & Garden Retailer January 2008   By Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender
Learn everything you need to know about the science of store design.

Just What the Doctor Ordered   Lawn & Garden Retailer January 2008   By Jasmina Radjevic
Creating an efficient garden pharmacy department can be challenging. There are so many products to choose from, and a limited amount of space to house them. Plus, keeping the customer in mind, you have to do your best to make decision making easier on the buyer.

Kitsch: Classic and Cool in Your Garden   Lawn & Garden Retailer January 2008   By Christa Reynolds
The word “kitsch” often has negative connotations, yet adding kitschy elements to a garden can create a fun, colorful effect. With an open mind and a sense of artistry, such items can add new life to your garden décor.

Interiorscaping: Using Living Décor in the Off-Season   Lawn & Garden Retailer November 2007   By Katie Hagen
The off-season provides retailers with an opportunity to bring a slice of nature indoors. Here are a few fresh décor ideas to inspire your green thumb customers to think outside the box.

Fan the Fire Pit Flame   Lawn & Garden Retailer November 2007   By Christa Reynolds
Fire pits offer a comfortable and stylish opportunity to bring the feeling of a campfire into your customer’s backyard, creating an outdoor retreat close to home.

Celebrate the Customer, the Merchandise, the Seasons   Lawn & Garden Retailer November 2007   By Marti Ross Bjornson
The holiday season is the perfect time to discount products and get inventive with your merchandise. By focusing on the celebrations of the season rather than just setting up the typical sales racks, you can satisfy your customers and your bottom line.

The Impact of Display Gardens on Consumer Purchasing Behavior   Lawn & Garden Retailer November 2007   By Emily Stefanski and James Gibson
As a retailer, your challenge is to enhance the shopping experience and promote sales. A new study suggests that display gardens can help you accomplish both by captivating the attention of your customers and igniting their imaginations.

Merchandiser Of The Year Finalist - Village Green Home & Garden   Lawn & Garden Retailer August 2007   Catherine Evans
Take a European approach and combine it with a winter wonderland, and you have a greatly displayed garden center.
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The Impact Of Display Structures On Consumer Purchasing Behavior   Lawn & Garden Retailer August 2007   By Emily Stefanski and James Gibson
You want consumers in your store. A new study on how consumers make their gardening purchases from display structures might help you find new ways to increase sales.
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It’s the Time of the Season   Lawn & Garden Retailer August 2007   By Catherine Evans
Once again, ANLA and GCA put on great summer tours this year. Learn more about the tours, and check out the trend-filled picture gallery.
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Are Your Restrooms Working For You?   Lawn & Garden Retailer August 2007   By Meghan Boyer
As a retailer, you want to make sure every square inch of your garden center is put to good use. Sometimes that means turning one of the last places you’d think of — the bathrooms — into selling spaces.
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Visualizing Christmas   Lawn & Garden Retailer August 2007   By Joseph Weishar
Learn what other retailers outside of the industry are doing to spice up their holiday seasons.
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Catering to your Christmas Consumer   Lawn & Garden Retailer August 2007   By Christa Reynolds
Do you know what types of holiday merchandise your customers prefer? Knowing these preferences will help ensure your success during the holidays.
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Seductive Sensory Surroundings   Lawn & Garden Retailer July 2007   By Joseph Weishar
Using the five senses in your garden center can help set a sensory environment that just may lead to more sales at the register.
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Boost Sales With Live Creatures   Lawn & Garden Retailer July 2007   By Joe Pawlak
The water garden industry has been booming. Be prepared when your customers come to you for new pond creatures.
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Making An Old Garden Center New   Lawn & Garden Retailer July 2007   By Michael Benken
See how just a few changes made one garden center a much better place to shop.
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How Do Our Customers Behave?   Lawn & Garden Retailer July 2007   By Stephen Head
Your garden center is made up of hot and cold spots: Determining which is which and merchandising appropriately is just as important as knowing your customers.
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Merchandiser Of the Year Finalist - Churchill’s   Lawn & Garden Retailer June 2007   By Catherine Evans
See what beauty and creativity did for this New Hampshire garden center and how you can incorporate some of its award-finalist ideas into your store.
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Surprising Uses For Terra Cotta Pots   Lawn & Garden Retailer June 2007   By Meghan Boyer
You can drive terra cotta pot sales by showing customers how versatile the containers can be around the home when used for more than just planting.
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The Gardener’s Design Review   Lawn & Garden Retailer May 2007   By Joseph Weishar
Gardening apparel is a difficult category to merchandise. Here are some ways you can make a sometimes boring store section stand out.
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Color Squared   Lawn & Garden Retailer April 2007   By Steve VanderWoude
Learn about the impact of merchandising color using large blocks of colors in a display.
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Introducing Consumers To IPM   Lawn & Garden Retailer April 2007   By Meghan Boyer
While integrated pest management is not a new idea in the green industry, most of your customers are probably unfamiliar with it. Introduce your employees and, through them, your customers to the idea for complete, sustainable control.
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Merchandiser Of The Year - Smith's Acres   Lawn & Garden Retailer April 2007   Catherine Evans
Using unique materials can add differentiation and extra creativity to your merchandised displays. See what our first finalist has done to give its displays that little extra push.
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Browsing the Gift Markets   Lawn & Garden Retailer March 2007   Compiled By Jasmina Radjevic
Explore the world of gift markets and choose which ones will benefit your business.
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Going Back to Cali   Lawn & Garden Retailer March 2007   Compiled by Meghan Boyer
The California Pack Trials is a unique and informative experience for garden center operators and growers. If you can, head to California this April to see the variety trials, product displays and marketing concepts firsthand.
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Getting to Know Mulch   Lawn & Garden Retailer March 2007   By Meghan Boyer
Your customers may not know a lot about mulch, let alone the different options available and their effects on a garden, which means it’s up to you to teach them the dos and don’ts of mulch.
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Creating A Fountain Department   Lawn & Garden Retailer February 2007   By Emily Stefanski and James Gibson
Learn how you can create a successful fountain department in your store with just the basics.
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Color Blocking For Hard Goods   Lawn & Garden Retailer January 2007   By Emily Stefanski and James Gibson
Learn the basics of merchandising hard goods in an easy, shoppable and, most importantly, appealing way.
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What Looks Good To You?   Lawn & Garden Retailer January 2007   By Meghan Boyer
Whatever a retailer is best known for — merchandising, customer service, atmosphere and more — certain stores stand out for their best practices. As a professional retailer, which ones do you admire? “Outside The Industry” will take a look at what some of these merchants are doing that you may want to try in your garden center.
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Making Impulse Items Work   Lawn & Garden Retailer January 2007   By Clare Adrian
Though they are often small and inexpensive items, impulse purchases help increase overall sales and number of items per transaction. Learn the best ways to pique your customers’ interest and increase impulse purchases at your garden center.
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Feeling The Winds of Change   Lawn & Garden Retailer January 2007   Compiled by Catherine Evans
See what some garden center industry leaders have to say about what they think will take place in 2007 and how it may help improve your business.
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Changing Customer Habits   Lawn & Garden Retailer November 2006   By Joseph Weishar
Looking at the history of retail is one of the best ways to learn how to understand your customers’ habits. See what the past, present and future of merchandising can do to get more customers coming into your store.
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The Not-So-Big Garden Center: Being Right About Demographics   Lawn & Garden Retailer November 2006   By Judy Sharpton
The Industry is changing, and it’s important to really know who your customers are — from their perceptions of garden centers to what they want for their back yards.
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O Christmas Tree: Decorating Trees For Maximum Impact   Lawn & Garden Retailer August 2006   By Chris Tkachuck and Shelli Lissick
Learn how you can decorate your display trees to get maximum impact and make merchandise fall off the tree and into shopping carts.
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Organizing Holiday Classes   Lawn & Garden Retailer August 2006   By Clare Adrian
There are many factors to consider when planning holiday classes at your garden center, but the benefits — happy customers, increased foot traffic and increased sales — are worth the effort.
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Becoming A Christmas Wonderland   Lawn & Garden Retailer August 2006   By Ralph Gaudio
Successfully converting your garden center into a profitable Christmas Wonderland requires astute planning and forethought.
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Merchandising ornaments For Fun & Profit   Lawn & Garden Retailer August 2006   By Richard Adler
Coming up with new ornament merchandising ideas can grow harder and harder every year. Here are some constructive ideas to help decorate your store for the holidays.
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Accents Tailored For You   Lawn & Garden Retailer July 2006   By Mary Jo Thomas
Learn how one of your peers makes purchasing decisions that best represent his garden center customers.
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Applied Aesthetics: The Art Of Seeing   Lawn & Garden Retailer July 2006   By Joseph Weishar
This 3-part series will help you understand how the different aspects of retail merchandising can work in your store.
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Going, Going, Gone   Lawn & Garden Retailer June 2006   By Bridget White
If new products are the lifeblood of your business, what are you doing to keep them moving at a healthy speed?

Borrowing Merchandising Tips   Lawn & Garden Retailer April 2006   By Robin Seaton Jefferson
Looking to other businesses such as supermarkets and department store chains can give garden center retailers good merchandising ideas.
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The Winter Shows   Lawn & Garden Retailer April 2006   By Catherine Evans and Bridget White
We hit trade shows and conferences across the country in January. Here’s just a taste of what we saw and learned.
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A Gift Market Overview   Lawn & Garden Retailer March 2006   Compiled by Meghan Boyer
This informative guide to the gift markets can help you choose which ones are the best fit for your needs.
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UK Garden Retailing   Lawn & Garden Retailer March 2006   By Gary Wilburn
Learn what garden center retailers are doing across the pond that you might be able to implement in your store.
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Nursery Supplies: Automated Control   Lawn & Garden Retailer March 2006   Rich Lister
Automated environmental control systems manage nearly every aspect of the greenhouse environment — from taking temperature and wind readings to starting equipment at necessary times. Is automation right for you?
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California Here We Come   Lawn & Garden Retailer March 2006   Compiled By Meghan Boyer
Spanning 12 days and hundreds of miles, the 2006 California Pack Trials is a unique and informative experience for attendees.
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Is Your Grass Greenest?   Lawn & Garden Retailer February 2006   By Bridget White
A good lawn care department can help you service one of your customer’s biggest outdoor needs.
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Walking Through a Promotional Wonderland   Lawn & Garden Retailer February 2006   By Meghan Boyer
From when to start to what to sell — don’t forget to consider the many aspects of an effective holiday promotion before entering the Christmas selling season.
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First Impressions: Costly Impressions   Lawn & Garden Retailer January 2006   By Carrie Burns
What do you see when you walk into your garden center? Does it affect your customers’ purchasing decisions?
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From Trash To Treasure   Lawn & Garden Retailer January 2006   By Meghan Boyer
Using recycled items in garden displays is an economical way to create something unexpected for your customers.
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Adding Some Fashionable Flair   Lawn & Garden Retailer January 2006   By Meghan Boyer
Having fashion accessories in the garden center creates add-on potential for sales and allows employees to develop unique gift combinations.
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Take The Plunge   Lawn & Garden Retailer January 2006   By Jeff Rugg
Make a commitment to water gardening by creating a dedicated department, carrying a variety of pond products and educating your staff.

Is an Onsite Workshop for You?   Lawn & Garden Retailer November 2005   By Judy Sharpton
Learn how this not-so-big garden center got a free consulting session by hosting a simple workshop at its store.
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Inspire New Tradition   Lawn & Garden Retailer August 2005   By Ingridi Liss and Margo Tantau
“For every year the Christmas tree, Brings to us all both joy and glee O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, Much pleasure doth thou bring me!” — Original lyrics from “O Christmas Tree”
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Profiting from Christmas   Lawn & Garden Retailer August 2005   By Ralph Gaudio
Some say Christmas is all about the children. In this case, it may be true, and no one knows this better than their parents. In order to separate yourself from the run-of-the-mill stores it is imperative that you reach the children.
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Retail Ready Poinsetias   Lawn & Garden Retailer August 2005   By Jack Williams
When ordering your poinsettias, ask your grower if they have selected varieties with a low occurrence of breakage and/or what they are doing to alleviate breakage.
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Closed for Profit   Lawn & Garden Retailer June 2005   By Carrie Burns
So, how do you know if it’s a good business move for you? Many things factor into the crucial decision of closing your doors, and those factors require a lot of thought and analyzing.
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Dead armadillos…   Lawn & Garden Retailer June 2005   By Stan Pohmer
Play your game, not your competitors’. It’s as important to know who you are not as it is to know who you are.
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Green Goods: Bulbs…More than Just Spring   Lawn & Garden Retailer June 2005   By Karen Oderizzi
Most people think that bulbs can just be planted in the early spring, but the reality is that there are tons of varieties that do well all year-round. Find out which ones your customers will fall for.
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Building Birding Success   Lawn & Garden Retailer April 2005   By Catherine Evans
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In the Bag   Lawn & Garden Retailer March 2005   By Catherine Evans
Thin, plastic bags are fine for groceries but not for upscale plant material or high-end gifts.
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Prioritizing Profit   Lawn & Garden Retailer March 2005   By Bridget White
With spring right around the corner, and already on top of you in some markets, the time is almost up to put those little green guys to work for you.
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Pots, Planters & Statuary: What’s Next in Containers   Lawn & Garden Retailer February 2005   By Mackenzie Gaffney
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Fresh from the Garden Center   Lawn & Garden Retailer January 2005   By Carrie Burns
Three great examples of successful produce departments come to mind …
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Weights and Measures Update   Lawn & Garden Retailer January 2005   By Jonathan Bardzik
Weights and measures laws exist to protect consumers. The goal is to allow consumers to make price and quantity comparisons between similar products.
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Point of sale software: A Few Pointers   Lawn & Garden Retailer August 2004   By Aaron Allison
Using certain software in the garden center is another way to make checkout more efficient; plus it’s easier on the accountant every month.
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Making the Most of Mixed Containers   Lawn & Garden Retailer July 2004   By Jack Williams
The consumer media literally “plants the seeds of dreams” for gardeners to cultivate.
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