Cover Story

Finding the Right Mix

Jennifer Polanz

We’re starting to see U-pick cut flower fields being offered by independent retailers, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all. Check out how two retailers are providing beautiful blooms for their customer bases.

Features

Adapt or Die: AI, Your Partner In Business

John Stanley, Sid Raisch & Dries Jansen

Strategies for deploying AI at the independent garden center.

Features

Behind the Variety: A Gem of a Holly

Jennifer Polanz

Emerald Boxer Holly from Monrovia is a stellar substitute for boxwood.

Features

Browsing the Winter Shows

Jennifer Polanz & Ellen C. Wells

From Baltimore to Ft. Lauderdale, we hit the road to see what’s new for 2026.

Features

Consumers Are Ready to Garden

Mike Reiber

Are you ready to sell them the products they need?

Features

Cut Flowers Made Easy

Andrew Bunting

Help customers get started with their very own flower fields for cuts—or create your own!

Features

Revving Up Container Revenue

Wendy Komancheck

Here are some ideas for driving more sales with container combos.

Features

Trendspotting: Unique Experiences

Katie Elzer-Peters

Selling the unusual and unusual ways to sell.

First

Crazy for Cut Flowers

Jennifer Polanz

We’re hearing more about cuts—everything from brides opting for locally grown, sustainable flowers and consumers buying them at farmers markets to garden centers offering their own U-pick flower fields.

Friel World

MANTS: Friendly Ghosts

John Friel

Intrinsic’s genetics are getting around; at MANTS alone, their intros were represented by at least four growers.

Front Lines

Book Nook: Pressed Flowers

Jennifer Polanz

“The Pressed Flower Handbook” by Sarah Holland is a primer in timeless craft of flower pressing.

Front Lines

Certified Garden Center Training

Jennifer Polanz

Proven Winners is continuing to support independent garden centers this spring with its popular Certified Garden Center training program.

Front Lines

Cool Plant Alert

Jennifer Polanz

Terra Nova Nurseries is introducing Fragaria PRETTY, TASTY Ruby this spring.

Front Lines

Dallas Market in June

Ellen C. Wells

Dallas Market Center is expanding its partnerships with more than a dozen hotels in its area to ensure more rooms for buyers and exhibitors attending the June 2026 markets.

Front Lines

Green Thumb Winners

Ellen C. Wells

National Garden Bureau (NGB) recently released its winners for the 2026 Green Thumb Awards.

Front Lines

Pets on the Payroll

Jennifer Polanz

Do you have a great pet to feature?

Front Lines

Year Of … Impatiens

Jennifer Polanz

In this space we’ll highlight each of the National Garden Bureau’s (NGB) Year Of … plants.

Kiss My Aster

The Summer of Fraud

Amanda Thomsen

On September 15, I watched this guy siphon over $3,000 from my account while I was on the phone with him.

Profit

Value ... For the Garden Center

Bill McCurry

Buyers want predictability. They want businesses with a proven ability to continue profitable operations.

TRENDING NOW

Banana Bloom

TRENDING NOW

Calibrachoa Cha-Cha Diva Orange

Ball FloraPlant

TRENDING NOW

Cultivate’26

AmericanHort

TRENDING NOW

Eco-friendly gloves

Riley & Sons

TRENDING NOW

El Niño Chitalpa

Spring Meadow Nursery Inc.

TRENDING NOW

Nostrand Signature Hybrid plant tables

Nostrand Ltd.

TRENDING NOW

QuickClips

TRENDING NOW

Soiree Flamenco vincas

Suntory Flowers Ltd.

TRENDING NOW

The Leaf Sweep

GOHA

TRENDING NOW

Twist.Lift.Water.

Costa Farms

TRENDING NOW

Zinnia Elegant Hot Mixture

PanAmerican Seed