Garden Center magazine’s Best of 2013

Each New Year provides an opportunity to reflect and recharge, and at Garden Center magazine, we’ve taken time to review and compile some of the best, most-read and most important articles of 2013. We hope some of these articles help spark ideas for 2014 as you reflect on your own independent garden center’s performance and industry trends.

Best of 2013

Cover Stories

State of the Industry 2013: Not your parents' garden center, September/October 2013

We surveyed more than 370 independent garden center owners, operators and managers to find out which plants and products are hot, which are struggling and what customers are looking for. We displayed the data in charts and graphs that are not only easy to read and understand, but easy on the eyes.

Daring displays, June 2013

The 2013 California Spring Trials featured some incredible, innovative displays. Browse our roundup of mesmerizing merchandising that will surely get customers’ attention.

Think outside the (big) box, August 2013

Who are your customers and what are they looking for? We surveyed nearly 800 gardeners across the country and asked them several questions about their buying habits, plant knowledge and preferences.

Trend Spotlight

A backyard orchard

When it comes to trees, many gardeners, especially young, urban dwellers, are looking for plants that can fit into containers and that grow edible fruit. This article includes a list of some of the most popular varieties and how to help customers care for them successfully.

Real foodies grow their own

Take the ever-popular edibles trend to the next level and teach gardeners how to cook with their bounty.

Website to go

Mobile-friendly websites are increasingly important, if not essential, and don’t require bells and whistles. Here’s what you should include and how to build a free page.

IGC Inspiration

Keeping it hot

Nick’s Garden Center & Farm Market uses roasted chilies to bring customers in during slower months.

BLOOM! Series: Founded in 2013, On the brink

First-time independent garden center owner Traven Pelletier reflects on the challenges and joys of launching BLOOM! garden center in our ongoing series about this Michigan-based business and what it’s like to start a garden center in the big-box, web-savvy era.

European leader

We traveled outside of the U.S. to bring you inspiring merchandising ideas from the 50-year-old Dinger’s Gartencenter based in Cologne, Germany, that excels in using bright, bold colors and vertical displays.

Irrigate your profits with ponds

Dave Anness' passion for and understanding of pond plants makes his business, Dancing Waters, a destination garden center. Here we hone in on some of the strategies that have made him and other pond plant gurus successful.