If they won't come to you have to go to them .Every flea market, farm market, trade days any place they will let you set up where there alot of people going through.Its alittle bit more work but worth it if you stick with it.If you have good quality product they will buy it and doesn't have to be cheap. Iam in the same spot you are 5 miles out of town ,I do 4 markets a week after the spring rush is over,and I have been doing that for 15 years--Works For Me---Upnortdareh

muddydogs, i'd drive 10 miles out of town for good plants from an independent grower, and happily pay more than the big box places charge. i know a lot of gardeners who feel the same way - we're out here, you gotta find a way to reach us :)

muddy, you sound so discouraged. Has business always been bad or has it gotten worse recently? What kind of plants do you sell and at what prices? Are people coming to your nursery and not buying or not even walking in the door? Give us some details and maybe we can help. In the meantime, try to buck up and fake a positive attitude even if you don't feel one, because I can feel your negative vibes clear from the East Coast! Grumpy owners definitely scare away the customers.

I agree with 'Upnortdareh' - you gotta go where the people are. With gas prices and everything else getting more and more expensive, building a business on the hopes that customers will drive across town to shop isn't gonna work for long. Convenience is the name of the game.

Grow what you enjoy growing, but you might consider adding in some stuff that sells well for other vendors (herbs? natives? tropicals?) but don't restructure your entire business on the whims of the marketplace - you'll never recoup the costs.

I sell home grown plants at the local flea market and it isn't the gold mine that people say it is either! Shopping has changed. Quality doesn't have the influence it had 5 years ago.

Kim, you are not alone! Business for retail nurseries in our area has been really off so far this season - it is more related to the funky weather we have been experiencing than to any other cause and I have heard the same comments from all my vendors as well as other retailers.

I don't know what you are growing or selling, but keep the faith. The weather will turn eventually and the season will start in earnest. Quality, inexpensive plants will always be a big draw in this area and unless you are located right next to a big box store, the customers will come. Plan now for some colorful displays at your entry to attract and draw customers and consider some creative signage.

FWIW, that same sunny Saturday at my large, well established nursery saw sales less than 50% of what they were the same time last season. Folks are just plain scared off by our quixotic weather and are waiting for spring to truly arrive. Today's dusting of snow is not a big help :-(

I just read an interested report that says retail garden center plant sales are flat. People have less time to garden, they want quick-and-easy when they do. More are hiring help (hence, the increase in garden services, including my own work). The housing trend is toward condos and cluster homes with smaller yards. And, the baby boomers will be replaced as the main consumers by the next generation in 10 years, and retailers need to focus on finding out how to appeal to "Generation X" to them and how to offer plants and products for tiny gardens, decks, window boxes and containers.

Some thoughts.

How to appeal to Gen X? We need to build little planters that can be attached to a Playstation/iPod/laptop, etc. Just joking. Kind of. Actually, I just read that the newest craze in Japan is a tiny little terrarium, under an inch tall, that clips onto one's cell phone. You take it apart and soak it once every three months. These people have reached their target market!

I hate to be cynical, but there is such an emphasis on indoor passive electronics that it's hard for Gen X and those who come after to get the appeal of sweating out in the dirt. Despite my best attempts, my own kid is an electronics junkie... She can't remember to water her one houseplant and she wants to buy plants but doesn't want to stick them in the ground, water or weed. Sigh.

But all pendulums swing back eventually. Remember the hippie houseplant and back to the earth movement of the early 70's? We should be due for a revival any day now. Keep the faith.

Clip-on terrariums? Sounds like an organic version of "Tamigochi" - remember those little computer "pets" you had to respond to whenever they whined for attention, or they bellied-up?

Found an online photo of the clip-on terrarium. You have to water once a month, not every 3 months, sorry.

Here is a link that might be useful: clip-on cactus for your cell phone

I hope people who buy it know that cactus need sun. They can't just stick the phone in their purse or pocket...
lol

Here is a snippet of info from an interview from todays greenbeam website: (I've included the first paragraph and the last, it seems to explain it all to me)

Industry business consultant Gary Hudson discusses the impact that low prices, shrinking margins and lack of promotion are having on the floriculture industry.

Q. You have speculated that numerous horticultural companies will go out of business this year. Why do you believe that so many companies wont make it?

A. I base this speculation, as painful as it is, on numerous observations around the country. Everywhere companies are finding their margins shrinking because they arenÂt able to raise prices while all the commodities and services they use continue to escalate in price. Fuel for heating and running equipment is a big part of the increased operating cost, but it seems the only thing not going up is the selling price of plants.

A number of operations have decided or are considering the decision to close their doors as they see the potential financial rewards and the return on investment, are no longer great enough to balance the potential losses they may very well incur. At the same time a number of banks are reconsidering their exposure as well and are drawing back from lending to the sector.

Many retailers, with the trend set by the box stores, are resistant to price increases from the grower, putting many greenhouses in a terrible financial squeeze. As a result, many who close their doors shouldnÂt be considered a business failure, but rather someone who decided to leave the industry while their business were still economically sound.

Q. The big-box stores continue to drive the floral industry. How is this good or bad for us?

A. As long as the big-box stores make price competition their only contribution to the market, they are bad for our industry. Yes, they move mountains of material, but if they are forcing growers to close their doors because of loss of margin and donÂt put money in to removing the mystery from gardening or to create new customers and converts to gardening, they are neutral at best and probably bad for the industry.

Have you ever read any of the "Guerrilla Marketing" books? I don't know how large your operation is, but there are lots of good ideas for promoting any size business without spending a lot.

Some other ideas we've tried:

* A brochure that tells about us, to hand out at garden shows, farmer's markets, etc.
* Develop a mailing list, and send a quarterly newsletter. We're sure to include local garden clubs, media people, and anyone else who might be interested.
* CLASSES. We have been trying to position ourselves as a "go-to" place for great plants, information and, just as importantly, ENTERTAINMENT.
* Offering to speak for free at garden clubs, the library, Master Gardeners, etc.
* If you have space, offer to host garden club meetings. Or, start your own garden club with price breaks on plants for members on meeting days.
* Coupons. Give someone a coupon for a free $2.50 plant, and they'll usually come in and spend another $25.00 or so.
* Senior citizens discounts once a month.
* Press releases to the (free) community bulletin boards with the local newspapers, TV, radio, everywhere we can think of, to tell them anything we're doing.
* Events. Big or small, they invite people to come and have fun at your place. We started six years ago with a holiday open house with a crockpot of cider and a couple of plates of cookies to promote our fresh Christmas wreaths and our new (tiny) gift shop. Now our biggest event brings in hundreds of people and lots of sales.
* Networking with local arboretum, parks, zoo, etc. etc., on mutually beneficial events or classes.
* Press releases to the (free) community bulletin boards with the local newspapers, TV, radio, everywhere we can think of.

We've been in business since the '60's, but most of the above has come about in the last 5 years. We have a small but dedicated staff (and several customer volunteers helping on the big event). But probably the biggest thing we've done to get things rolling was to sit down and come up with a Mission Statement and a set of goals.

It's funny - whenever we start "stirring the air", it seems that things start picking up in odd, coincidental ways.

I love our place. I loved it for years while I was a customer, and I love it even more now that I'm priveleged to work there. It takes an enormous amount of dreaming and planning to keep coming up with fresh ideas, and not everything works. On the whole, though, the results have been very gratifying. I'm not saying that we haven't been having rough years or that our gas bills aren't back-breaking, but getting our customers enthused also helps keep staff and management attitudes positive. That's CRUCIAL.

I've always believed that customer service requires a degree of acting ability - keep a smile on your public face (and in your public voice), no matter what. Great plants at a low price are only part of the package - I feel that customers are looking for a positive experience, as well.

This is way too long, I know - but I passionately believe in local garden centers. I hope that you'll find a way past the negative, because your community needs you. They just don't know it yet, and you need to find a way to tell them! Hope this helps even a little... and that Spring helps a lot.

Julie

Thanks for the response. I like to grow plants the best but lack public relation skills. Our 10 year anniversary is coming up and I am too stressed out to make it work to my advantage. WA state has a high minumum wage, high employment taxes, and high L & I. So I try to do it all with my husband and part time help. The weather has kept customers away but not people wanting donations or deals.
I should reclassify as a non profit organization. Too many people are wanting donations and deals. I just got screwed over by some guy for 60 pampass grass plants. Shook my hand said he needed them right away. Quoted 3.99 per gal. Got em in, called and the lady on the phone said that he was their employee and had no authority to do that. She was very concerned about the situation.There were no plans and she needed my help in deciding if that was the right thing.
I look at the sight and no way am I gonna sell her pampass grass for a wetland project in heavy clay. I'll sell her my red twig dogwoods, swamp iris, willows, but not discounted by more than 10%. I'm stuck with 60 pampass grass.
Then a local newspaper columnist calls wanting good deals, wholesale he says because he needs about 60 plants. He bought a landscape design at an auction. The past two springs he's wrote about other nurseries with praises. But I've tried to do the best that I can for him for a long time, selling him plants at a low margain. I faxed him back with a bid and that 9 yucca plants would be free cause a great customer was getting rid of some.
Also I donated a mini greenhouse to a local school scholarship auction today.
I really don't want to give it up to work at somewhere where I'll make more money. My son is 10 and the school bus drops him off at the nursery. I'm an old mom at 52. Worked at nurseries since 78. If it wasn't for my son I would be having an auction. Selling out.
Hanging in there!
Kim

Hey Muddy,

Where is your nursery located? If you don't want to or can't post it you can email me. If it's not too far away I'd like to visit.

jb

Some good advise here...for anyone, not just if you are in financial trouble.

Muddy, I quickly learned you NEVER special order anything for anyone without a deposit...I usually charge 50% of the total. A good customer will understand. If they complain or drag their feet...it usually means trouble.

muddydogs, there is lots of great advice but let's spin this some for you. WA is like every place else getting hit big time price wise, electrical, heating oil, gas and prices keep going upwards. Folks will tend to not purchase for the gardens at this time and do the cheapo route. Deposts for special orders are the way to go. Giving a local newspaper writer a deal for an article, well in my book is bunk. Do you get to read what he states before he writes it? I have see folks us others like you wouldn't believe and you need to put your foot down, it's your busiess. On another account a MG wrote an article about the plant I specialize in and gave out information that was gathered from a Seattle paper, full of errors. When I corrected the local newspaper she wanted to come out and promised to correct it, well that was over a month ago. My bet is she can't find anyone locally that can tell her about them and doesn't want to use what was given to her besides I'm not liked! Not one of these lackeys as they are called here, special favors get you where they want to keep ya. Some times bad press is better than no press.
Let's take this further. I'm being hit with higher prices I thought I would seek a job on the side since I can do what I need at night. I applied at a nursery, mind you it's a drive to get there but what the heck it's a nursery and in their offices. Well what a joke! How about we wanted you to come in and talk plants since you grow what we want or have seen? Mine you, I have visited one of their sites a couple of times. Miss labeled plants, and will I wouldn't buy a plant at this site as my standards are higher. I gave them a few pointers but was really unconfortable with how they went about this. They weren't to happy when they found out I have a business license and when they wanted my cuttings in the fall, all I could say is I would rather give them out to newbies for postage. Not a happy camper on this but ya know I won't be used either. muddydogs, do what you do best and enjoy being at home.

March sales were the worst since 1997. Rainy cold Western WA weather ruined gardening. Die hard me did little outside. On the up beat side cool customers from the city 40 miles away like what I have and are bringing their friends spending 40 bucks or more. I don't know where the locals are going. This best designer guy from Seattle WA moved here and likes my plants and his clients have cash to spend. I think I won the lotto.

Pampas* grass has been reseeding locally in recent years so it would be just as well if it was not used in a wetland planting. Rotting off or running wild, either way possible problem results.

A few years back I noticed a great clot of it (multiple plants) growing along part of Fauntleroy Creek, in Seattle, just across the street from the entrance to the ferry dock. Looked like seeds had washed down the creek and germinated where it might have been milling a bit before going under the street.

*As in pampas (grasslands) of Argentina