Green Profit

June 2025 Issue

Vol. 89 No. 2

See the Digital Edition

The Right Plants for the Pond

by Matthew Olson

NEWSLETTERS

Read and subscribe to a variety of Newsletters tailored to your industry interests.

COVER STORY

Bringing Light to the Garden

Jennifer Polanz

Lighting products for outdoor spaces have increased in popularity and there are lots of options garden retailers can consider to meet consumer demand.

FEATURES

Hitting the Trifecta

Jennifer Polanz

As the saying goes, good things come in threes, and this year we not only have three Young Retailer finalists, but we asked them to give us three things garden retailers can do to be successful in the coming years. Here are their answers.

Only the Best

Wendy Komancheck

East Coast Garden Center and RSC Landscaping in Millsboro, Delaware, focus on quality, variety and education to keep customers successful and coming back for more.

The Art of Sound in the Garden

Jennifer Polanz

Offering a range of fountains and tabletop water features can provide additional sales this spring and summer. Here’s how to make the most of that category.

The Perfect Fit

Andrew Bunting

Columnar and fastigiate trees and shrubs provide solutions for tight spaces.

The Right Plants for the Pond

Matthew Olson

Help customers cultivate a beautiful water feature with aquatic plants.

COLUMNS

First

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Jennifer Polanz

It’s that time of year here, and it calms my soul every time.

Profit

Always the Best People

Bill McCurry

Growing up in the family business, there was no such thing as racial or gender discrimination in the McCurry’s Camera workplace.

Kiss My Aster

Will Altruism Be the End of Aster Gardens?

Amanda Thomsen

I always knew altruism would be the end of me, just not like this.

Friel World

Retail Realities

John Friel

Most springs, I visit a big box and an IGC or two, just to see what’s out there in each realm. I rarely come home empty-handed.

Tech Connection

The Tech Triangle of Success

Katie Elzer-Peters

It makes sense—especially in this spending climate—to use all of your everyday tech tools to encourage repeat visits from existing customers.

FRONT LINES

Accenting the Outdoors

Fortune in Flagstaff

Illuminating the Garden

In Memoriam: Phil Lukas

Oops!

Pets on the Payroll

Wildflower Sod Coming to the Market

Young Retailer Panel at Cultivate’25

CONSUMER BUZZ

The Latest Retail Trends Going on Outside the Industry
for June, 2025

COLUMNISTS

Jennifer Polanz

John Friel

Bill McCurry

Amanda Thomsen

VIDEOS

Watch More

Dynamic Combos for All Seasons with Syngenta’s Lauren Kilpatrick

The newest in sustainable pots and irrigation from Proven Winners

Hollywood Hibiscus, from Proven Winners

New black and creme (brulee) caladiums from Proven Winners

Walters Gardens Perennials from Proven Winners for 2026

New Annuals from Proven Winners for 2026 and Beyond!

CAST 2025: Israeli Propagators

CAST 2025: Benary

CAST 2025: ThinkPlants

CAST 2025: Danizger

CAST 2025: Syngenta

CAST 2025: HilverdaFlorist

CAST 2025: Takii

CAST 2025: Kienztler

CAST 2025: Du¨mmen Orange

CAST 2025: Sakata

CAST 2025: PDSI

CAST 2025: PlantHaven

CAST 2025: Pacific Plug & Liner

CAST 2025: Suntory

CAST 2025: Green Fuse

CAST 2025: Beekenkamp

CAST 2025: Westhoff

CAST 2025: Schoneveld

CAST 2025: Hem Genetics

CAST 2025: PanAmerican Seed

CAST 2025: Ball FloraPlant

CAST 2025: Darwin Perennials

CAST 2025: Selecta One

CAST 2025: Morel

Our Visit to DRAMM's New(ish) Location

Trending Now: PDSI’s Screen Play Ilex

Trending Now: PDSI’s Clean Sweep Snowbank

N.G. Heimos Poinsettia Open House 2024

Caladium bulb harvest at Classic Caladiums

Ball Seed Customer Days 2024!

What's New From the Cultivate'24 Trade Show

Trending Now: PDSI’s Better Boxwood

TRENDING NOW

Bellingham by Radians
ECOMASTER LADIES GLOVES

Geogo Soil Solutions LLC
XTREME GARDEN MIX

Magic Plastics Inc.
GREEN PLANTS CADDY

Jackson & Perkins
LEMONBURST FLORAABUNDA ROSE

Costa Farms
CHOCOLATE ANTHURIUM

Humble Organics LLC
WHIPPED HANDMADE BODY BUTTER

Anamese Garden & Home
YUMIKO CRUCIBLE

Ball FloraPlant
MIXMASTERS FLAME ON

Humane
NUTRIDENSE

PanAmerican Seed
WONDERSTAR PINK

Daylily Nursery
AMARYLLIS BULB

Who will be this year’s Young Retailer winner?

We’ll be awarding this year’s Green Profit/The Garden Center Group Young Retailer Award at the Unplugged event during Cultivate’25. If you’re heading to Columbus, make some time to join us Monday night to see who will be on the cover of our September issue. There will be networking and your first drink is free!

WHEN: Monday, July 14 at 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Gaswerks
487 Park Street, Columbus, Ohio

Finalists for the 2025 Green Profit/The Garden Center Group Young Retailer Award:
Krista Devor, Lukas Nursery & Butterfly Encounter, Oviedo, FL
Brandon Kirby, Rainbow Gardens, San Antonio, TX
Haley Martin, B.B. Barns, Arden, NC

An extra special thanks goes to The Garden Center Group and AmericanHort for sponsoring this year’s award!

Partners for Success of The Garden Center Group

This Month ...

The Right Plants for the Pond