Retail Nurseries

Sustaining pollinators

By Mike Darcy — Posted August 1, 2015

Retailers can take advantage of the buzz that’s been building about the benefits of gardeners who provide habitat for honeybees, hummingbirds and butterflies.

Farwest: It’s not just for plants anymore

By Crystal Cady — Posted July 1, 2015

When it comes to products and ideas, retailers can expect to find far more at this year’s Farwest Show

Attracting hummingbirds — and customers

By Mike Darcy — Posted June 1, 2015

Certain plants can act like magnets for hummingbirds,
and where they fly, gardeners flock, too.

Making hay when the weather stinks

By Curt Kipp — Posted October 30, 2014

We’ve all heard of making hay when the sun shines. The Garden Corner retail nursery in Tualatin, Oregon — which is known for its creative marketing — recently did the opposite. Owner Jonn Karsseboom put together this clever video showing the impact of recent wind and rain at his nursery: Jonn then used his email marketing […]

Customers will pay more for the green label

By Curt Kipp — Posted October 28, 2014

Will retail customers pay more for plants that are labeled “water conserving” or “disease free?” According to Dr. James Pease, professor of agricultural and applied economics at Virginia Tech, the answer is yes. Dr. Pease conducted a survey and found that the difference, in fact, could vary from 9 percent to as high as 60 […]

Consumers are willing to pay more for eco-friendly plant containers, study says

By Curt Kipp — Posted October 15, 2014

Previous studies conducted by the Horticultural Research Institute have shown that consumers are willing to pay a bit more for eco-friendly plant containers. Now, a new study recently published in the Journal of Environmental Horticulture puts some numbers on how much consumers value sustainability and the environment. Plant buyers were willing to pay: 16.7 cents […]

Farwest Seminar: Garden Retailing

By Curt Kipp — Posted August 22, 2014

John Stanley, renowned garden center and retail consultant, gave tips to garden retailers that will help them build a successful business now and on through to 2020. Stanley started by discussing customer demographics: Millennials (those 33 and under) are very interested in gardening, but they are more interested in buying experiences, not products. To […]

Oregon launches loan program for young farmers

By Curt Kipp — Posted April 25, 2014

Demographic tides are moving farmers, as a group, in an older direction. The average U.S. farmer is now 59.6 years old — up from 57.5 in 2007 and 54.9 in 2002. Oregon is not immune to this trend; in fact, Oregon farmers are, on average, even older. It’s a trend that state officials and industry leaders […]

Website educates public on invasive pest threats

By Curt Kipp — Posted April 3, 2014

Although the agriculture community is well aware of invasive pests and pathogens — including the emerald ash borer, sudden oak death, the giant African snail, the citrus psyllid, the Asian longhorned beetle and many others — agriculture cannot fight them alone. These pests can be transported unwittingly by the general public; therefore, public awareness is needed to […]

The way to a Gen Y gardener’s heart

By Curt Kipp — Posted March 28, 2014

Here’s another article pondering what it will take to get today’s people in their 20s and 30s to start gardening. Janet Eastman of the Oregonian interviews a young Medford couple that has taken up vegetable gardening. According to “The 20–30 Something Garden Guide” author Dee Nash, whose book is cited in the article, edibles are […]