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Classified flowers

During our visit to the 2018 California Spring Trials, we were fortunate enough to be given first looks and sneak peeks at several new varieties coming to the market and share our impressions with readers. PlantHaven’s first vertical wiegela collection, Tower of Flowers, was introduced at the GroLink stop during this year’s trials, where PlantHaven team member Tarek Alyusuf explained the colors and unique features of the new vertical weigela. For previews and takeaways of dozens of other new varieties unveiled during the trials, visit our videos page at www.gardencentermag.com/videos/.

See it here: bit.ly/2tUpnZg

What’s trending on Instagram

For some IGCs, this spring brought with it difficult weather conditions. Greenscape Gardens in Manchester, Mo., had a slow start to its spring season due to a snowy April, says general manager Jennifer Schamber. However, business picked up soon after, with custom combination planters selling particularly well. A photo of one of Greenscape Gardens’ vibrant and healthy custom containers, taken during a visit in May, was well received on the Garden Center Instagram feed.

See it here: bit.ly/2MBgOtJ

Your turn

Each month, we ask readers a different question about their retail operations, inviting them to answer via email or social media. You can send your answers to associate editor Conner Howard at choward@gie.net.

THIS MONTH’S QUESTION:

“What is your process for pricing your plants? How do you create value for your customers?”

Answers to this question will be published in a future issue of Garden Center.

5 stories in brief

Top industry news from our website

Raid on Corso’s

ICE agents raided Sandusky, Ohio-based IGC Corso’s Flower & Garden Center, arresting 114 employees accused of working in the U.S. illegally. 
bit.ly/2yWRlsQ

The aftermath

Following the ICE raid on Corso’s, the business released a statement claiming that it requires proper identification from all employees. 
bit.ly/2KubyaL

Representatives step in

Ohio Congressional representatives spoke out and got involved in the ongoing Corso’s/ICE situation. 
bit.ly/2KwwcqS

Customers shocked

Long-time patrons of Calgary, Alberta-based retailer Sunnyside Gardens were surprised to find the store was closing after 100 years in business. 
bit.ly/2IDDIyp

Losing a branch

Gardens Alive!, an online mail-order plant retailer, announced plans to close down its largest farm location near Grand Haven, Mich., and laying off 300 workers in the process.  
bit.ly/2tORicN

As I was shopping for annuals at my local independent garden center this past spring, like most consumers, I considered the prices.

This garden center tends to be more expensive than others, but to me, it’s worth it. Like many of your customers, I go there because it’s local and independently owned, it’s in a convenient location, the plants are well cared for, and I know I can get one-on-one help from staff.

While I was shopping for varieties in 3- and 4-inch pots and adding up what it would cost to create a container combination, I realized that each plant costs less than what I normally spend on an iced coffee (it was 90 degrees that day) or a pint of craft beer. When I finished shopping and carried my six annuals to the checkout counter, with the 30 percent discount they happened to be offering that day, the total was just $25. I didn’t know about the sale when I walked in, and regardless of price, I would have walked out with annuals to fill my porch containers.

Unlike drinks or dinner at a reasonable restaurant or two tickets to the movies, the plants will bring beauty and joy all summer long. Even if they aren’t properly cared for, chances are, they will last at least a few weeks, much longer than a meal, a beverage or a night out.

Eliza Blank, CEO and founder of The Sill, an online plant retailer with two locations in Manhattan, said in this month’s cover story that in New York City, where a cup of coffee can cost $6, spending $6 for a living green companion “feels a lot more rewarding.” Blank, who is also a member of Garden Center magazine’s advisory board, says her customers don’t really know what plants should cost or how The Sill’s prices compare to other companies, which has led to some interesting observations. You can read more about The Sill, its pricing strategy, and how the company is changing how consumers perceive houseplant.

In addition to the cover story, we’ve included companion articles about how IGCs can increase the value of their plants, both in terms of dollars and perception. You’ll read what happened when SummerWinds Nursery stopped discounting roses and increased the price of citrus trees due to shortages in the market (spoiler alert, customers still purchased the plants, and they increased profits.) Dr. Bridget Behe of Michigan State University explains how to price plants based on more than production costs. We also examine industries outside of horticulture to find out how they convinced consumers it was worth it to pay more for everything from craft beer to vinyl records.

In addition,you’ll read about how garden centers are using homepage banner videos to give customers a behind-the-scenes look at their facilities. One IGC features footage of their trees growing through the changing seasons, revealing the time and care it takes to bring them to market. The garden center’s theory is that the more customers understand what it takes to produce plants, the more they’ll appreciate and value them.

Michelle Simakis
msimakis@gie.net

Each year, plant breeding companies wow attendees at the California Spring Trials with interesting new varieties, innovative technology and inspirational displays. This year was no different, and editors from Garden Center and Greenhouse Management magazines traveled from Oxnard to Gilroy, Calif., in April to spotlight some of the new varieties and more from the event. Stay tuned for the second part of our coverage in the July issue, when we will share more highlights, and make sure to check out our video coverage at the links included throughout the article.

This year, we learned more about a few of the companies behind the plants, as well as new business endeavors for them.

Benary celebrated its 175^th anniversary with a living timeline, showcasing key moments in its history as well as new varieties. One of the most important dates for the company was 1946, when the Benary family left their home and company behind in East Germany the aftermath of WWII. Fritz Benary landed in West Germany and rode his bike throughout Europe, collecting seeds from customers to help restart the company. The company is honoring Fritz Benary’s ride and work in many ways, including tying his story to the introduction of Super Hero marigolds, an improvement on the Hero series. Spry, a 2018 National All-America Selections winner, is compact like the others in the Super Hero series and features maroon and gold flowers. Learn more from Jen Calhoun, marketing specialist for Benary North America, in this video interview: bit.ly/2HeJJpx

We’re always interested in learning about emerging technology that will lighten growers’ and grower-retailers’ loads. Perry Wismans, Global Head of Floriculture Innovation at Dümmen Orange, gave us the details on Basewell, a new plant product form that falls between a callused cutting and a rooted liner. These rooted cuttings are housed in an Autostix strip, but can be shipped either in an intact strip, or separated for those growers who don’t have the required machinery. So far, they’ve trialed 15 species with customers, and have plans for more soon. You can watch our interview with Wismans, where he explains more about the technology and benefits, and shows examples of Basewell cuttings at bit.ly/2qNHMVO

There was a lot to discover and celebrate at Hem Genetics this year. Hem Zaden celebrated 100 years in business, Hem Genetics 20 years, and this year the company introduced Hem Technologies. Through Hem Technologies, a new business venture, the company brought its petunia seed pelleting in-house at a new seed facility. Joe Messer, manager for North America, told us that the company was also working to demonstrate the possibilities of its seeds with the combination planters displayed at Spring Trials. Learn more in this video: bit.ly/2JhE6qN

These new varieties and collections were discovered and developed after many years of hard work on the part of breeders.

Well-known rosarian Ping Lim (pictured), director of ornamental plant research at Altman Plants, told attendees at the Floricultura stop about True Bloom, a collection of six “hybrid tea shrub” roses that took several years of breeding work to develop. With a 25-petal requirement, they have the look of a tea rose but the disease resistance of a shrub. They each have their own unique quality, as well, whether it be a powerful fragrance (True Gratitude) or an average 45 to 50 petal count per bloom (True Inspiration, pictured). All True Bloom roses are also compact and low-maintenance.

Sakata Seed America took selections from its Verano and Picasso mini cyclamen to create Veranda (pictured), another mini series of cyclamen specifically tested for outdoor performance. Greg Gabrels, ornamentals key account manager for Sakata Seed America, says mini cyclamen are the most weather tolerant, which is why they were selected for the landscape. Watch the video interview with him here: bit.ly/2rUEQYY

After hearing murmurings about this variety for a couple of years, it was exciting to finally see ‘Canary Wings’ begonia (pictured) in person. Bred by Jared Hughes and brought to market by Ball Ingenuity, this begonia’s unique yellow to bright chartreuse foliage sets it apart from other dragon wing type begonias.

Bailey Nurseries introduced Spring Trials attendees to the newest family member of the Endless Summer Collection, Summer Crush (pictured), a naturally compact Hydrangea macrophylla that features giant raspberry-colored blooms atop strong stems with shiny, waxy leaves. It grows 18 to 36 inches tall and is hardy to zone 4. Natalia Hamill, brand and business development manager at Bailey, shares more details in this video: bit.ly/2ka8Vzq

Spring Meadow Nursery has introduced a new evergreen shrub with its Proven Winners Juke Box Pyracomeles (pictured), which is a cross between a Pyracantha and Osteomeles but has no thorns, doesn’t flower and is fully branched to the ground. Juke Box has the look of a boxwood but is not susceptible to blight.

We couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw ‘SunBelievable Brown Eyed Girl’ (pictured). This new sterile sunflower is the fruit of Thompson & Morgan breeding and is being sold in a Monrovia pot in the U.S. Brown Eyed Girl doesn’t require PGRs and blooms for six months, producing a whopping 1,000-plus flowers per plant. Learn more here: bit.ly/2syac7o

These fashionable breeders showed off their style at their stops with fancy flowers, haute couture displays and more.

The red carpet was rolled out for Leading Lady, Runway Beauty and the other “personalities” that comprise the Hollywood Hibiscus collection of disease-resistant, prolific hibiscus from J. Berry Nursery . The Texas-based grower and breeder also added a brand new genus to its lineup — begonias — with the new Crown Jewel series of four heat-tolerant, compact begonias with enduring color. Plant performance is a priority at J. Berry, as is presentation; its branded containers come in jewel-tone hues, such as rose gold. Watch a video about Crown Jewel here: bit.ly/2wXoe7V

I’Conia, a subseries and extension of the existing brand of begonias from Dümmen Orange Portofino, features elegant flowers that sit on top of the foliage and are contained in a mounded habit. New colors include Yellow, Champagne and Hot Coral. Learn more details about the series in a video on our website: bit.ly/2H7zoXk

Attendees traded their traditional name tags in for all-access, backstage passes to Pacific Plug & Liner this year, as the 2018 theme for the always impressive Spring Trials stop was rock-and-roll. Displays were in perfect harmony, and the company even had Spring Trials “concert” merch on hand.

Syngenta Flowers showed off its surfer style with this gnarly display of Cabrio calibrachoa varieties that come in six colors, are bred for small containers and bloom during 10.5-hour days. The surfboards came from local thrift stores. Syngenta’s outdoor gardens, which attendees walked through to get to the greenhouse, also got a fashion-forward makeover with new varieties planted throughout, such as Snaptini snapdragons, which bloom early and continually, and colorful Delta Speedy pansies.

Showy plants abounded on the West Coast.

American Takii emphasized two plants that are AAS winners for 2018, South Pacific Orange (top photo), one of three new compact cannas that join South Pacific Scarlet to create a series, and Onyx Red, a striking, compact ornamental pepper. Learn more here: bit.ly/2Jjfspx

At Benary , attendees were intrigued by SUCCESS! Silver Vein petunia’s unique coloring. Watch the video with more details here: bit.ly/2smvy8o

The new Senetti Magic Salmon’s breathtaking color combination drew the eye, even from a distance, at the Suntory Flowers area of GroLink. Watch the video about Magic Salmon and more here: bit.ly/2wY1jcw

Sakata Seed America debuted a stunning selection of colors in its new SuperCal Premium series, including Cinnamon, Caramel Yellow and French Vanilla.

At PlantHaven, two plants with pure white flowers were attracting attention. Silver Fountain Gaura (pictured) stood out with its variegated foliage, sterile, nectar-rich white flowers and repeat blooming. Also of note was the Salvia VIBE Ignition White, which president Robert Bett said was a crowd favorite. Watch the video here: bit.ly/2Iy201t

We were ready to get inked when we saw Tattoo Vinca, a new series from PanAmerican Seed . Heat and humidity tolerant, Tattoo has four tasty varieties that were developed over the past 10 years — Tangerine, Papaya (pictured), Raspberry and Black Cherry. Check out this video for more: bit.ly/2kz3dYa

Pinkerbell is a new regal geranium offered by PAC that boasts great flower power and doesn’t require chilling. The company says it’s easy to force for Valentine’s Day. Learn more here: bit.ly/2La9R2p

Green Fuse Botanicals debuted new colors in its Staircase series of Lupine, including Blue and Blue Yellow, pictured in the foreground (photo on page 50).

Pretty Little Pink Splash is the first in a vegetative geranium series from Syngenta Flowers, with a “blanket of flowers” and similar heat tolerance as ivy geranium. Learn more here: bit.ly/2H9WJrp

In recent years, we’ve seen more fruits and vegetables at Spring Trials, and this year was no exception. Here are a few of the newest tasty treats.

Much of Sakata Home Grown’s focus this year was on earlier varieties. Several peppers finished in 60 to 75 days, including Crackle, a hot Thai type, and Lola (pictured), a sweet banana pepper with thick walls and good coverage against sunscald. Another early variety was Camaro determinate slicing tomato, which holds flowers in extreme heat. Learn more here: bit.ly/2JhmgEl

To drive retail sales and promote gardening, Thompson & Morgan is selling these Grow Kits, including “Salad Cut & Come Again” and “Rainbow Salad.” The company also partnered with a tea company to include a packet of Thompson & Morgan sunflower seeds with boxes of Dorset Tea.

Bushel and Berry debuted two new berries, Buckle Blueberry and Southern Bluebelle, this season. Find out more in this video: bit.ly/2LihmoQ

For the first time, Proven Winners is expanding beyond ornamentals and including produce into their collection with five new varieties — two tomatoes, two strawberries and a basil. Kerry Meyer, program manager, said that each of the varieties was brought into the collection for its look and performance, but also the story behind it, which you can learn more about in this video: bit.ly/2J5IXYA. For example, Amazel basil is the first Italian sweet basil to be downy mildew-resistant, and was discovered by a graduate student during her research. The tomatoes, ‘Garden Gem’ and ‘Garden Treasure,’ were the fruit (pun intended) of scientist Dr. Harry Klee’s three decades of research into taste, disease resistance and other desirable qualities such as performance in hot climates.

ABZ Seeds added another strawberry to its offerings with Summer Breeze, a double-flowered plant in two showy colors. Watch this video to see the varieties: bit.ly/2xrSyb7

Susannah Ball walked us through the new vegetables and technology available from PanAmerican Seed’s (6) HandPicked Vegetables group. Among the standouts were Habanero Primero Red (pictured), which ripens in 75 days, has good vigor and a small plant size, and Butterbaby butternut squash, which provides numerous, 1-pound sweet, personal-sized fruits on plant that can be trellised to save space. PanAmerican Seed is also offering more of its vegetable seeds in pelleted form for hydroponic growers. Learn more here: bit.ly/2JlUPJj

Vegetalis catered to consumers who want more disease resistance in their plants with its new vegetables, including several new hot and sweet peppers with Tobacco Mosaic Virus resistance and a new tomato, Summerlast (pictured), with Tomato Mosaic Virus and Late Blight resistance.

Tory Schwope says his most cherished childhood memories are from when he worked alongside his dad and uncle on their hobby tree farm. He grew up on Schwope Brothers Tree Farms, pruning suckers and pulling weeds, and it was where his passion for the horticulture industry was cultivated.

When Schwope was 9 years old, his father and uncle — who had separate, full-time jobs as a mechanic and salesman, respectively, sold the farm to a retail garden center in Blue Springs, Mo., called Colonial Nursery, and Schwope was devastated. The elementary school-aged boy vowed that one day, he would reclaim and restart the business his family sold.

About 20 years later, Schwope followed through on his goal, purchasing the business and reestablishing Schwope Brothers Tree Farms in 2005, just six years after he graduated from college.

About a decade later, he ended up buying Colonial Nursery, too.

An unlikely acquisition

Despite owning nine separate horticulture brands under the parent company Schwope founded called DCA Outdoor, which includes Schwope Brothers and recent acquisitions like Brehob Nursery — an Indiana-based wholesale nursery and landscape distributor — tree production has always been Schwope’s passion. Landscape distribution is the most successful segment of DCA Outdoor, and he never thought he would own a retail garden center, nor did he want to.

“You know, of all the businesses that I’ve been in or observed, the independent garden center business has to be the hardest one,” he says. “The real reason we started looking at [the Colonial Nursery] facility was we wanted to add another landscape distribution center on this side of the city. I mean, that was the reason why I wouldn’t buy it forever and ever. I didn’t know what to do with the retail, and I didn’t know what to do with the field.”

He was with his kids at a pumpkin patch when an idea struck him.

“I saw agritourism growing like crazy as an industry. I see all this demand for local food, and then all of a sudden it dawned on me: I don’t want to be in the agritourism business. I don’t want to be in the garden center business,” Schwope says. “I could certainly see being in both because they’re counter-cyclical, right? I mean, you could put them together, and now you have a totally different business.

“This is a business, something new and something exciting. So, I said, ‘OK, I’ll spend some time and I’ll invest in that.’”

Custom-built

Schwope purchased Colonial Nursery, which included 50 acres, in February 2016, and after two years of renovations, the company celebrated its grand reopening as Colonial Gardens during what was a snowy spring this past April. Because the store was open in 2017 during construction, some customers were able to watch the transformation.

Before, Colonial Nursery looked and operated like a traditional garden center, with retail, landscaping, irrigation and wholesale divisions. The business grew annuals and perennials in greenhouses across from the property. Now the garden center, which was established in 1969, has changed both aesthetically and philosophically.

The architectural style of the new building is Modern Prairie with a monoslope roof, which is complemented by the striking tropicals and bedding plants growing within it. The indoor retail space is illuminated with natural sky lights and soft LEDs and lined with reclaimed wood — giving it a warm, rustic but modern feel. There are some traditional departments, like birding and a beautifully merchandised miniature gardening area.

Then, there are the elements you don’t find at many garden centers. A local market at the front of the store is stocked with produce (grown in Colonial greenhouses once used for annual production,) locally sourced meat, cheese, eggs and more. The building is air conditioned and includes a classroom for workshops and seminars and comfortable restrooms.

Outside the store is a lathe house where nursery stock is sold through a satellite location of KAT, the nursery-turned-landscape-distribution company Schwope started in his early 20s. High-quality materials from KAT, including Techo-Bloc pavers, were used to construct the store’s courtyard, which also features a stone fireplace and outdoor stage. Colonial hosts special events, seminars, and soon, weddings, there, plus the space serves as inspiration for landscape design customers who want to purchase materials. The Bean Counter Café, owned by Sara O’Bryan, who leases the on-site restaurant, can also be accessed from the courtyard.

What exists at Colonial Gardens today is just the first phase of what Schwope hopes will become an entertainment and agricultural destination. Driving around the 80-acre grounds, Schwope points to open fields that will be future features, like an amphitheater for outdoor concerts and other events that can host 1,000 people, a “you cut” field for customers to create their own fresh flower bouquets and to harvest bulbs, and a site where he hopes to build an office building and lease commercial space.

He also hopes to add more land in the future to create garden plots that customers can rent. Though it may seem overwhelming at first, all of the segments of Colonial Gardens are part of what Schwope believes garden centers need to be successful in the 21st century. Instead of repurposing outdated or unused spaces to meet the demands of changing consumers, he’s custom-building Colonial Gardens to meet the needs of current and future customers.

A new model for garden centers

Colonial Gardens is undergoing both physical and philosophical changes.

The focus is food — whether customers want to grow their own vegetables and herbs, learn how to garden at one of three to five weekly seminars and workshops offered, shop for Colonial branded basil and carrots to cook at home or premade food at the local market, pick their own apples, peaches, apricots or berries from what will be “you pick” fields, dine surrounded by trees, annual beds and combination planters at The Bean Counter Café, or celebrate sweet corn and salsa during summer harvest festivals.

Also in the works is a six-week fall festival with a different attraction each week, including activities for kids, various musicians and a beer garden. In December, the courtyard will transform to the Winter Wonderland, with Christmas trees, hot chocolate and a visit from Santa.

The food focus is apparent from some of the other features, too, like the aquaponics system set up right in the greenhouse, or the information on pollinators displayed near rows of plants.

“At Colonial Gardens, you can experience food at any level. If you’re not interested in growing a garden or you’re not interested in cooking, you can still come in to eat,” Schwope says. “… But if you like to garden, we’ll help you through how to grow. We just want to create an avenue where you can intersect with food at any different level that you want.”

Schwope’s mission to “reinvent the retail nursery business by introducing events, entertainment, food and local agriculture to the traditional garden center model” also makes Colonial less vulnerable to the seasonality of the retail garden business, as there will be events that follow the bounty of each season.

But he is concerned that customers may be confused by all that Colonial Gardens offers.

Gradually developing the site and slowly introducing customers to the revamped store is key, and one way they expose people to the new Colonial Gardens is by hosting free events, such as Wine Wednesday, where customers can sit on the patio, hear local musicians and explore the new garden center and all that Colonial Gardens has to offer in an informal environment. Interest — and sales — have been strong so far.

Keri Lauderdale Olson, senior director of marketing and agritourism, who develops and executes Colonial Gardens’ events, educational curriculum and more, said that while Wednesdays are typically slow, 26 percent of the day’s sales happen during Wine Wednesday, which is held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Staff stick around to answer questions and man registers.

“Because people are asking questions, while they may not buy that night, we’re seeing them back the following week to explore,” she says.

Leadership philosophy

Overseeing the nine businesses that DCA Outdoor encompasses is manageable because Schwope leaves the details to a talented team of experts. He keeps his focus on the company vision and hiring the right people.

“I’m not very good at running a business. I’m the builder. All of my companies are based on what’s called EOS [Entrepreneurial Operating System.] It was laid out in a book called ‘Traction: [Get a grip on your business],’” he says. “The biggest thing that I learned from EOS, that was different than what I was taught about business in school or anywhere else, is that most small- to medium-sized businesses should have two people at the top. One person’s job or title is to be the visionary, to have ideas to chart a path of where we want to go, to handle big relationships, to basically create the vision for the company, to play a role in the culture. And the other position at the top is called the integrator, the integrator runs the company. Their job is to develop the business plan and the processes and manage the results.”

By focusing on the vision of the brands under DCA Outdoor, and hiring trusted, talented integrators to manage the businesses, Schwope has been able to grow the business as a whole and is “poised to continue this expansion,” he says.

Schwope’s leadership team at Colonial includes Keri Lauderdale Olson. “Senior director of marketing and agritourism” is a title you don’t see often at garden centers, and her day-to-day responsibilities include everything from writing marketing materials, to surveying customers for workshop and seminar feedback, to getting the local market up-and-running, which included finding vendors and acquiring food and liquor licenses.

Schwope spent nine months searching for the perfect person to fill the role, because it’s essential to the mission — giving customers a meaningful experience and offering several opportunities for people to connect with agriculture and food, whether that’s through a workshop, a concert or a festival.

When Lauderdale Olson, who has a background in marketing and event planning, read the description, she says, “I felt that it was written for me.” But she grew up in Blue Springs — she went to school with the kids of the former Colonial Nursery owners — so she wasn’t sure how the business would transform or what to expect from the new owner.

“Even though [Colonial Gardens] is already an established business, it’s almost like a startup,” she says. “I think it’s very insightful that Tory has the vision to treat it like a startup so we can try new things, we can test them, and we can build upon them.”

Another trusted adviser to Schwope is Kevin Keilig, director of greenhouse and nursery operations, who, with the help of staff, maintains a meticulous greenhouse.

“I train them, [and explain that] if you wouldn’t buy a plant, pull it. Studies show that once a customer sees a bad plant, it’s 10 feet before they’ll look at anything else,” Keilig says. “As plant people, you hate to throw anything away, but sometimes, you need to.”

Alan Platz, operations manager, is another essential member of the team and has worked at Colonial Gardens for more than 30 years. He says he “loves” the updates. Even Platz’s dad, Wayne, who lives across the street and used to co-own Colonial Nursery, visits the store three to five times a week and took photos as construction progressed.

“I wasn’t a real big change person, so I was kind of scared [of the future changes] at first, but it’s just been great to watch the changes over the last year and a half,” Platz says. “It needed a facelift, it really did. I like the openness of the building now. It was pretty sectioned off before.”

He takes informal surveys of customers — watching their facial expressions as they first walk in and asking them what they think of the changes. He says most are happy with the new store, but are also relieved to see familiar faces, experts like Platz and Gary Lyngar, who has worked there for more than 40 years.

Schwope is involved in operations and guiding principles, however. For example, when constructing the greenhouse, he made sure the loading dock was right outside of the back exit so that trucks could easily move in and out and plants could be brought in and set up quickly. Schwope also insists on selling only plants that will do well in the Kansas City-area climate.

Repurposing old materials is also a non-negotiable for Schwope, who purchases old military vehicles, like the 8x8 semiaquatic “Colonial Cruiser” he plans to use for marketing, driving it at parades and hayrides during fall festivals.

“A lot of the wood that’s on the [retail store] walls were trees that were in the way at the farm … [or from] a barn that was falling down. For our bioswale, we used old tires for the retaining wall and used old rubber tracks for annual planting beds,” says Schwope, who also expanded a pond that was on the property to use for water storage. “It’s crazy to think about how much waste we produce in this country, so I try to be a little bit more creative in how we can repurpose everything.”

Lauderdale Olson says it’s inspiring how excited both the Colonial staff and customers are about the transformation of Colonial Gardens and the future changes in the works.

“We built a pretty cool facility, and we brought together a really great team of people. We’ve got an opportunity to achieve our goal," Schwope says. "[But] you can’t just snap your fingers and it happens. The whole idea is to create an experiential environment where people can connect with green infrastructure, local food gardening — all of these things in one closed loop, one continuous circle. And the hope is that over time, they associate Colonial Gardens with healthy, good-for-the-planet and the right way to do horticulture, whether it’s in your lawn or on your dinner plate.”