Mike Darcy

Putting a new spinney on an old word

By Mike Darcy — Posted March 24, 2023

Different industries have their own language. Often a word, or a combination of words, has a different meaning to those who know the jargon. For example, a television crew might say that they are going to “shoot” in a garden, but the word “shoot” in this connotation does not refer to a gun, but instead […]

Perpetuating the popularity of pollinator plants

By Mike Darcy — Posted January 30, 2023

We are now into the second month of a new year, and a reflection into the past year reminds us just how unpredictable the weather is — and how much the garden business depends upon the weather. Looking back at 2022, there were many weather extremes. Parts of western Oregon had snow in March, then […]

The importance of being customer oriented

By Mike Darcy — Posted November 29, 2022

With 2022 ending and a new year approaching, it seems like a good time to discuss independent garden centers and what customers want and expect from them. All businesses strive to be better, or if they don’t, they probably won’t survive. At one time, garden centers had almost a captive audience of customers wanting to […]

Blooming container plants that stand up to the heat

By Mike Darcy — Posted October 3, 2022

This summer and fall, gardeners have been asking what will survive in the intense heat. Here’s a listing of plants that seem to adapt well to hot weather and full sun.

Selling the fall season

By Mike Darcy — Posted July 21, 2022

The 2022 spring garden season in the Pacific Northwest is probably not going to go down in the annals of history as a record sales year for local garden centers. After two robust years, the sales did come on the scene, but it was as if the air was let out of the balloon. Garden […]

Goodbye to Buchholz Nursery

By Mike Darcy — Posted May 25, 2022

When the owner of a nursery decides to retire, what happens to the business? If there is a family member involved who would like to take it over, then that might become a solution to keeping the business alive. But, if family involvement is not an option, then what? A nursery is unlike most other […]

Trees that stand above

By Mike Darcy — Posted March 18, 2022

This issue of Digger is devoted to trees,and this made me reflect on some of the many benefits they provide for us. Perhaps Henry David Thoreau summed my reflections best in his famous words: “I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” Trees certainly do contribute much to our […]

Emerging with confidence

By Mike Darcy — Posted January 25, 2022

As we enter year three with COVID-19 and its variants raging around us, it appears that most garden centers have made the necessary adaptations to stay open. Initially there was much confusion, and rightly so because we have never been in a situation like this. Many garden centers were temporarily closed to make the necessary […]

An endless source of joy

By Mike Darcy — Posted November 28, 2021

Maurice Horn and Mike Smith founded Joy Creek Nursery in 1992 with a simple motto: “We are creating the nursery we always wanted.” Sadly, after almost 30 years, it was announced in October that, Joy Creek Nursery would close on November 7, 2021. Much has changed since 1992 when they opened a specialty nursery in […]

Let’s address a dry topic

By Mike Darcy — Posted September 22, 2021

In the August issue of Digger, I discussed some of the effects of the very dry summer season, not only in the Pacific Northwest, but in much of the western United States. Many readers and other gardeners commented about the article. As a result, I looked more closely at the surrounding neighborhood, as well as […]