Take five minutes and read “How Indie Boutiques Are Luring Luxury Buyers Away from Department Stores.” If you’re worried that the Walmarts and the Lowe’s of the world will slowly whittle away your home-and-garden customer base, the topic and tenor of this piece will be like a Ted Lasso pre-game pep talk. According to this piece, battling the big boxes—and winning—takes one simple step, and that is commitment to service.

No, you don’t own a luxury clothing boutique in Beverly Hills, and your customers aren’t outfitting closets in faraway homes or shopping for vacations in Cabo. But what you do have is fabulous product that is similar to what a chain store nearby also sells. How are boutiques using customer service to not just stay afloat but also to surpass their corporate competitors? Here are a few things the boutiques are doing:

• Creating racks of requested items so customers can pop in to quickly try them on.
• Using their knowledge of individual customers to hold pieces they might like.
• Delivering pieces to try on at home.
• Taking customers on field trips to wholesale showrooms. (Oooo, I like this idea for us.)

I am so not into fashion, but I found so many great ideas in this article. Read to the very end to learn why I titled this the way I did—and then answer the question.

If it’s September, then Garden Media Group’s annual Garden Trends Report is being spread far and wide, and if you read Bossman Beytes’ Acres Online this week, you’re already aware of the 2025 Report’s debut. Chris presented an outline of the Report’s eight trends for the green industry, and what I will be doing over the next several weeks is detailing each one.

But first, let’s go over the theme that unifies these eight trends. “Nature’s Renaissance” highlights the movement to reintegrate natural elements into our lives, landscapes and communities of all sizes.

“This renaissance isn’t merely an aesthetic appeal—though more plants are certainly better—it’s about a growing recognition of the vital need for green spaces everywhere,” GMG’s President Katie Dubow said of this year’s theme. “Cities are increasingly adopting strategies that weave nature holistically into our daily existence.”

The first trend we’ll discuss is “Holy Moly,” but think of it as “holey.” They say that consumers’ fascination with houseplants in 2025 and beyond will be redefined by a growing trend among people who are gravitating toward plants with strikingly deep fenestrations. The Holy Moly trend spotlights exotic indoor varieties like the Monstera Esqueleto, Philodendron Tortum and Schefflera alpina.

Monstera Esqueleto

Yes, these are decorative plants, but they also hold a certain status indicating one is an “expert plant parent.” These plants, with their intricate leaf patterns and dramatic appearances, show off not just the plants, but also the spaces behind the plants. The deeper and more pronounced the fenestrations, the more coveted the plant becomes. Younger plant fans, in particular, are appreciating the unique nature of these species, and their ability to increase what could be called their “bookshelf wealth.”

Download the free report and read about each trend yourself HERE. Or, wait for my take on each trend in upcoming editions of buZZ.

In last week’s buZZ I shared with you the first of five trends that came from FedEx’s “From Screens to Brick-and-Mortar: 5 Trending Shopping Behaviors Driving In-Store” report. (If you didn’t see the item on placemaking and curating experiences, you can find it HERE). The next trend on their list is the emergence of multi-hyphenate stores.

First, what is a “multi-hyphenate store?” Well, it’s like that general store where I occasionally work—it’s a general store and it’s a café. Or how about those gas stations that serve barbeque out in back? Or it could simply be a yoga class offered at a clothing store.

Many of you are probably already multi-hyphenate stores that offer “non-core offerings.” Here are some numbers that FedEx included with this shopping trend:

• 8 in 10 consumers are interested in trying a new type of product/service at a retailer known for something else.
• 93% of Gen Z shoppers are somewhat interested and 57% are extremely interested in trying a new offering at a store they are already familiar with.
• 61% of surveyed retailers plan to offer more in-store options like a coffee or wine bar in the next 12 months.
• Nearly half of consumers purchased a retail item at a restaurant last year.

How many ideas are swirling through your head right now? Maybe partner with a local bakery down the street, or connect with a local restaurant to display and sell some houseplants. Any other ideas? Drop them in my INBOX.

This FedEx report, which aims to help retailers understand what is driving in-store shopping, is a great segue into a response I received a few weeks ago to my question, “What keeps you up at night?” Elizabeth Russell-Skehan of Russell’s Garden Center here in Massachusetts replied with something that might be keeping you up at night, too: How do we get customers to realize the importance of shopping at brick-and-mortar stores instead of shopping online?

“Do they know that we’re professional buyers and they are not?” she posited. “They check reviews, but those reviews are often from fake customers. Professional buyers have actually seen the options firsthand and have compared them and chosen the best ones to carry. Also, buyers may find something much more interesting that they never knew existed in a store.”

“Do they know that the prices online are not always less than the ones in local stores? Do they realize that local stores employ local people and pay local taxes to help their community? Have they experienced the happiness they get by seeing the selections available in a store? Do they appreciate the amount of knowledge shopkeepers and their employees share to make them happier with their purchases? I’m concerned that the appreciation for small independent retailers and garden centers is slipping away, and the popularity of ordering online keeps rising.”

Elizabeth also points out that a late Hanukkah and an uncertain election year will likely make it a challenging fall and holiday season. “We will have to be more creative and inspiring than ever this year!” she said.

First, the 2025 edition of the GrowerTalks Insecticide, Miticide, & Fungicide Guide is out and ready for your use. It’s in digital form, so you can use it immediately if you have the need for it.

Filling the spaces between the fungicide, insecticide and miticide charts and useful disease and pest management programs, our corps of leading pest experts have prepared articles on the latest developments in horticultural pest management. Such as? Downy mildew, foliar disease preparation, preemergence herbicides, application techniques and sustainable practices. Thanks to sponsor BASF, you can download the English-language version HERE now. A Spanish-language version will be ready soon.

Second, I want to let you know there’s a new horticultural conference to put on your calendar, and it’s coming up in October. It’s the brand-new Ohio Floriculture and Nursery Conference happening Thursday, October 17 at The Ohio State University Controlled Environment Agricultural Research Complex (CEARC) in Columbus, Ohio (it’s also happening virtually if you can’t make it in person).

Organized by W. Garrett Owen, OSU’s Sustainable Greenhouse and Nursery Production System Specialist, the event will bring internationally and nationally renowned speakers to talk about the key areas of plant nutrition and growth regulation, biostimulants, water quality, root-zone substrate sciences, disease control and sampling. Find out more about the program and register HERE.

National greenhouse manufacturing company Stuppy Greenhouse Inc. is expanding their presence and enhancing their services in Colorado and Northeast Iowa. They are doing that through two staffing moves.

Chad Gooley, Stuppy’s Midwest Regional Sales Manager, is now heading the company’s efforts in Colorado. Chad’s been with Stuppy 17 years and has some deep industry knowledge, making him the perfect fit to help drive growth and customer success in the region. “We’ve seen steady growth in Colorado over the past few years, and I’m thrilled to deepen our focus here,” Chad Gooley said in a press release on the announcement. “Helping clients design optimal growing environments, managing budgets, and seeing their visions come to life is incredibly rewarding.”

Jen DeShaw will take on the role as Upper Midwest Regional Sales Manager and will be based in Northeast Iowa. Jen has more than 15 years of sales experience, four of which have been spent specializing in the horticulture industry. She specializes in delivering tailored solutions and exceptional customer service. “We’re here to ask the right questions, find the best solutions, and ensure our customers thrive,” she said of her new position.

Questions for Chad or Jen? An email sent HERE will surely find their way to them.

I saw my first holiday ad of the season on Instagram this morning. It got me thinking about what Diane and Gail at National Garden Bureau say about Pinterest users—how they are searching for items and ideas often months in advance of when they will act. Maybe Instagram’s algorithms are heading in that direction.

Anyway, Gail sent along this week’s Pinterest global growing trends for NGB’s followers. While they aren’t searching for holiday décor and crafting ideas quite yet, they are indeed interested in winter season plant and gardening topics. Searches for “overwintering geraniums” are up 371 times over the last 90 days. Searches for “hellebore” are up, too—135 times.

Fall is a long season, so searches for fall-related terms are still dominating. “Fall container gardens,” “fall planters,” “asters” and “chrysanthemum” are all up.

What’s trending at your store? Drop me a note about what’s selling like hot cakes HERE.