I continue to get comments from readers about the cooler-than-normal weather conditions in some parts of the country. Julie Monk of Nature’s Enhancement, a nursery and landscape business in Montana, wrote in to explain how this weather has impacted their business:

“We are trying not to bring in any plants from areas that are further along weather-wise, as to not frost any plants. Since we grow the majority of our plant material ourselves, this has not affected us much. With the moisture and cooler temperatures, it has been very good planting weather for our installation division. This has also extended our shipping season, so we are able to still get out many orders and take new orders with little transplant shock. We are also very careful to not leave irrigation on overnight to potentially freeze. On rainy/snowy cooler days, we also work on potting our plants to cause little shock, as well.”

Smart! Also, I hadn’t thought about the benefits of a longer spring season that could extend the installation times. Also smart!

From clear across the country in Hackettstown, New Jersey, Steve Pannone, owner of Stone Hedge Farm and Landscaping, wrote in to talk about the impact of the “rollercoaster” that has been spring 2022 weather and spring 2022 sales.

“Since our Spring ’22 re-open date of March 19, New Jersey weather has been more unpredictable than ever. We have to constantly advise our loyal customers to only plant certain early perennials and not much else from late March into early to mid-April. Hardy pansies were the main flowers, which handled the late cold very well. But it has added confusion and frustration to our experienced customers and completely shut down any new, first-time gardeners. This has continued through most of the balance of April. Even now in mid to late May many people here are just beginning to plant perennials and annuals, and vegetable gardens are just starting to get planted. Supply does have shortages and a lot of the plants are coming in very small due to cold conditions and lack of sunshine. We are hoping that spring stretches out as long as possible before the hot and humid weather slows down our sales considerably. Having gone through so many weather issues in 27 years we just roll with it and make the best out of every sunny 70F to 75F degree day and hope it continues.”

Roll with it. Steve’s right, because there’s not much else you can do about it. Has anyone else had the experience or just the thought that these springtime cool temperatures are “unfriending” new and less experienced gardeners? Drop me a note about it at ewells@ballpublishing.com.

Steve mentioned plants coming in smaller than usual due to the cold and lack of sunshine. Ed Hebbe from Montana wrote in with a quick update, spurred by a digital “memory” popping up. Here’s the memory that presented itself late last week.

And here’s a photo of a bleeding heart in production exactly four years later.

“Huge difference that weather conditions play in the Rocky Mountain West and Southwest Montana,” Ed wrote. “The bleeding hearts have been froze off a few times already ... they’re tough and hopefully they can actually get to blooming at some point. We’re under a Winter Weather Advisory here once again in Deer Lodge. Wind is blowing cold and customers have been practically non-existent today. The winter coat is still out and available.”

Brr! As for me in Westport, Massachusetts, it was in the high 80s both days last weekend, and the forecasted low last night was 45F. Good thing I procrastinated and didn’t plant my summer veggies quite yet.

How is it where you are? If it’s 75F with low humidity, let me know about it. It’ll be good to know someone is experiencing perfectly fine weather.

Green Profit’s managing editor continues her rundowns of the three stops on AmericanHort’s upcoming Cultivate Retail Tour. This week she writes about her second stop, The Gardens at Country Gatherings (Sheiyah Market)

You.Could.Spend.All.Day.Here.

There’s a lot to see that’s not just the garden part—The Gardens is part of a larger complex of shops called Sheiyah Market in Berlin, which IS Amish Country in Ohio. There’s a coffee shop, a farmhouse-style store, a more upscale boutique and the gardens, which equals a LOT to look at.

The Gardens started as a way to sell fairy gardening plants and supplies on the porch of the Country Gatherings shop. It expanded into a 7,500 sq. ft. greenhouse about five or six years ago, says Mikayla Gray, garden center manager. A second greenhouse went up about two to three years ago.

An overall shot of one section of the greenhouse at The Gardens at Country Gatherings.

The store buys in all its offerings and they have a rather unique customer base in that a lot of it is tourist foot traffic (and there’s a lot of that coming through Amish country on a regular basis). That evens out their peaks and keeps business steady March through November. Of course, they still experience peak sales in May, but the valleys don’t get quite as low. She says they typically see 10,000 to 11,000 visitors a week throughout a good chunk of the year.

A couple of key points, because you’ll probably wander the whole complex: each store has its own buyer and its own look and feel. Within The Gardens, they do a really great job of creating a meandering, relaxed shopping experience with lots of vignettes and mixed products (books with small containers with plants with collectables, that kind of thing).

A fun display with lots of impulse. This is just one example of many.

Every fountain I saw was working with water bubbling through it, creating a lovely ambiance, and the greenhouse was cool and pleasant despite the rising temperatures outside. Mikayla told me windchime sales had noticeably increased this year, and that display was visible and audible in a prominent section of the greenhouse.

An example of one vignette as soon as you cross from Country Gatherings into the greenhouse.

This is less a store of “I want to buy 8 to 10 of a specific variety” (although you could if you wanted to) and more of a “I want that and that and that,” because of the impulse shopping aspect of the layout.

One other piece to note: I talked to Tara, who has worked there for a year now, who told me about their Gardenistas of Sheiyah VIP insider group. It started last July and already has 850 members. You can join by snapping the QR code posted in the store. Members are told first about unique plants that are coming into the market, and have an online community where they build plant wishlists and can receive plant consultations. Cool idea!

Customers interested in a plant community can scan the QR code to join the VIP Insider group.

They also had the benefit of a shared courtyard between multiple shops on the complex that made for a great space to merchandise more outdoor living products, including tables, chairs and accent pieces. Customers can get a respite from the sun underneath the structure and enjoy their goodies from the coffee shop.

The courtyard that serves multiple shops and also showcases outdoor living pieces.

You can check it out for yourself on this year’s Cultivate’22 Retail Tour, Saturday July 16. Along with these great garden center stops, your registration will get you transportation and lunch, as well as Dr. Bridget Behe as a bus guide. If you’re not familiar with Dr. Behe, she is a researcher at Michigan State University who has done research on the garden retail market and consumer purchasing. You can check out her Connect-2-Consumer PODCAST HERE.

Keep watching this space to hear about the final stop on the Cultivate Retail Tour. In the meantime, CLICK HERE to learn more about the tour, and REGISTER HERE!

Thanks for the write-up of what seems like a spectacular stop on the tour! The final stop will be in the next edition of buZZ!

Three varieties from Star Roses and Plants walked off with awards from The American Rose Trials for Sustainability program this year. The A.R.T.S. program is one in which roses are evaluated for sustainability, hardiness, pest-resistance and overall gosh-darn beauty.

Star’s winners for 2023 include:

Petite Knock Out. It’s the first miniature in Star Roses and Plants’ Knock Out Rose collection. Sure, it’s smaller but it has great flower power, disease resistance and that ease of care just like its bigger cousins.

Pretty Polly Pink. This is a pink polyantha rose with very good disease resistance and fabulous flower power from spring right up through fall. It’s a great compact rose for the landscape.

Pretty Polly White. Similar to the Pretty Polly Pink—very good disease resistance, excellent flowering, a compact habit—and with the added bonus of being nearly thornless.

Check out more about these varieties at the links above, or visit the entire Star Roses and Plants site at www.starrosesandplants.com.

The recording studio at the Ball Publishing World Headquarters is getting busy. Bossman Chris Beytes is hosting two webinars coming up in the next two weeks. Here is what’s on the agenda.

Edible Crops: Challenges of Organic Production in Greenhouses
Date: Thursday, June 2
Time: 2:00 p.m. Eastern/1:00 p.m. Central
What it’s about: Consumer demand is on the rise for many greenhouse grown, organic certified edible crops. Plant production can be a challenge for growers to select organic fertilizer programs, growing media and other inputs that comply with organic standards, and still produce quality crops. There’s a lot to choose from and hey, it can be overwhelming, for sure. Susan Parent, Horticulture Specialist–Northeastern U.S. and Eastern Canada for Premier Tech Growers & Consumers, will highlight some of the practices by growers, what challenges they face and how biological active ingredients in growing media are used to enhance plant growth. Sponsored by Premier Tech Horticulture.

Greenhouses: Traditional vs. New Technology
Date: Wednesday, June 8
Time: 2:00 p.m. Eastern/1:00 p.m. Central
What it’s about: Al Sray, Senior Account Manager for Prospiant, will address a range of topics when it comes to the topic of traditional vs. new greenhouse technology. He’ll include general greenhouse selection criteria, system selections and overall trends in the marketplace. Al will be joined by Brent Ford, Business Development Representative from Argus Controls.

The pair will also touch on the topics of greenhouse style, glazing, location, heating and cooling, light, air, irrigation … in a nutshell, everything on the topic! Sponsored by Argus.

Register for these FREE webinars at www.growertalks.com/webinars. And DO NOTE! The start times for both webinars are 1 hour later than Ball Publishing’s typical start times. Just make a note to have a late lunch that day.

There’s always too much stuff to include in buZZ! each week in its full form, so I’m giving you the short-and-sweet versions of a few bits of interesting and important information. Beginning with:

Cultivate: The hotel cut-off date for making room cancellations to existing hotel reservations is Wednesday—TODAY! All cancellation requestions must be made in writing by email to Maritz Global Events. Questions? Cultivate@maritz.com.

Farwest Show: I was reminded by Mr. Heuchera himself, Dan Heims, that if you want to go on one of the Farwest Show Tours, you should sign up at your earliest convenience, like NOW. They have both Retail and Grower tours and they sell out fast. Head over HERE to read up on them.

What do I always say? Follow grocery closely! McKinsey came out with its “State of Grocery in North America” report with both explanation of trends and five priorities execs should be focused on: 1. Value-conscious healthier eating habits. 2. Elevated omnichannel expectations. 3. Sustainability. 4. Planning and investment in tech. 5. Growth beyond a company’s core. These are your priorities, too. You need to read this!

It’s about communications. I’ve been kicking this article down the buZZ! pipeline for about a month now, and I don’t want to just delete it because it’s good and important stuff about communicating with your people. The gist: Poor workplace communication may not be the biggest reason people leave a job, but improving it is a big reason they’ll stay. Read it here to see how.

Due to May having five Tuesdays, buZZ! gets next week off! I’ll be back after June 6. But I want to leave you with the sweetest story in all of Puppydom.

“Little Dog Insists On Stopping to Smell Every Flower He Sees.”

This is courtesy of colleague Adriana, who’s own dog Nella is the spitting image of this pup. She's lucky!