BALTIMORE & CHICAGO – Registration is now open for the IGC Show Garden Center Tours, offering a look at a roster of successful independent retailers on Monday, the day before the trade show opens. The day-long event gives tour-goers the opportunity to network with fellow IGC retailers and energize their business with fresh retail strategies from independent garden centers counted among the best in the area. On-board moderators will begin by revealing the best practices that put the host stores on top in their market. Then attendees will explore each location in person. Transportation and lunch included. Conducted in conjunction with Garden Centers of America and The Garden Center Group. IGC retailers are encouraged to sign up early - the tours have sold out in previous years.
IGC EAST GARDEN CENTER TOUR - MONDAY, AUGUST 3
Conscious Corner, Clarksville, MD
With four retail store brands under its umbrella, independently owned Conscious Corner is committed to healthy, mindful living. It’s centered on the welfare of the community, the environment and animal life. You'll see all four of Conscious Corner's retail entities grouped together in a single plaza during this tour stop. At Roots Market, customers shop organic, all-natural produce, meats, prepared meals and other grocery items marketed as promoting health and wellness. If you're considering adding a cafe, take a close look at Great Sage restaurant's bold all-vegan fare, “created with organic ingredients and compassion.” Next, take a walk over to Nest, where customers find eco-friendly, fair trade and handmade goods for their “closet and home.” Then, Bark! Pawsitive Petfood, will spotlight healthy, ecologically sustainable and socially responsible items for dogs, cats and other small animal companions.
www.consciouscorner.com
With four retail store brands under its umbrella, independently owned Conscious Corner is committed to healthy, mindful living. It’s centered on the welfare of the community, the environment and animal life. You'll see all four of Conscious Corner's retail entities grouped together in a single plaza during this tour stop. At Roots Market, customers shop organic, all-natural produce, meats, prepared meals and other grocery items marketed as promoting health and wellness. If you're considering adding a cafe, take a close look at Great Sage restaurant's bold all-vegan fare, “created with organic ingredients and compassion.” Next, take a walk over to Nest, where customers find eco-friendly, fair trade and handmade goods for their “closet and home.” Then, Bark! Pawsitive Petfood, will spotlight healthy, ecologically sustainable and socially responsible items for dogs, cats and other small animal companions.
www.consciouscorner.com
Johnson's Florist and Garden Centers, Olney, MD
For more than 80 years, Johnson's Florist and Garden Centers has stood strong in its market as a leading family-owned operation known for its green goods and giftware. This flagship store, one of three for the retailer, opened in 1998, and is located on an expansive 35-acre property with two greenhouses. Customers can also shop the store's selection of exotic orchids, bonsai, tropical plants and cacti. Water gardening plants and aquatic life products are available for customers who have - or want to add - a water feature in their outdoor room. The staff's floral designers specialize in custom arrangements for a range of price points. Johnson's buys its flowers directly from growers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Holland, France, Spain, Iceland, Israel, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, Honduras and Zimbabwe. The staff will also share how they attract customers during slower periods with gardening education in the form of vendor talks, product demonstrations and events.
www.johnsonsflorists.com
For more than 80 years, Johnson's Florist and Garden Centers has stood strong in its market as a leading family-owned operation known for its green goods and giftware. This flagship store, one of three for the retailer, opened in 1998, and is located on an expansive 35-acre property with two greenhouses. Customers can also shop the store's selection of exotic orchids, bonsai, tropical plants and cacti. Water gardening plants and aquatic life products are available for customers who have - or want to add - a water feature in their outdoor room. The staff's floral designers specialize in custom arrangements for a range of price points. Johnson's buys its flowers directly from growers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Holland, France, Spain, Iceland, Israel, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, Honduras and Zimbabwe. The staff will also share how they attract customers during slower periods with gardening education in the form of vendor talks, product demonstrations and events.
www.johnsonsflorists.com
Johnson's Florist and Garden Centers, Kensington, MD
Johnson's urban shopping center location in Kensington opened in 1984. The small-footprint store is strategically designed to fit a wide selection of green goods, hardgoods, birding supplies and a flower shop in 2,000 square feet of space. Browse the candles, greeting cards, jewelry and other niche offerings in the gift department, which changes regularly each season. Johnson's also has a website that features an online ordering and delivery option for customers who don't have the time to travel to the store but still want to shop the retailer's quality selection of plants and supplies. Johnson’s offers garden design as well as a planting service for customers who purchase green goods from the store but don't want to dig. The garden center also uses secret shoppers to review the shopping experience through the customer's eyes. Ask them how it works here.
www.johnsonsflorists.com
Johnson's urban shopping center location in Kensington opened in 1984. The small-footprint store is strategically designed to fit a wide selection of green goods, hardgoods, birding supplies and a flower shop in 2,000 square feet of space. Browse the candles, greeting cards, jewelry and other niche offerings in the gift department, which changes regularly each season. Johnson's also has a website that features an online ordering and delivery option for customers who don't have the time to travel to the store but still want to shop the retailer's quality selection of plants and supplies. Johnson’s offers garden design as well as a planting service for customers who purchase green goods from the store but don't want to dig. The garden center also uses secret shoppers to review the shopping experience through the customer's eyes. Ask them how it works here.
www.johnsonsflorists.com
Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD
Brookside Gardens is an award-winning 54-acre public garden with 32 acres of cultivated displays located within Wheaton Regional Park. Two joined glass conservatories house the tropical plant collection, as well as seasonal displays. “Wings of Fancy,” a live caterpillar and butterfly exhibit contains hundreds of North American, Costa Rican and Asian butterflies that fly freely inside the conservatory. In the other conservatory is a showcase of summer color, with the leaves of elephant ears and taro forming umbrellas of foliage over begonias, petunias, impatiens, lollipop flowers and shrimp plants. Coleus and caladium add to the tropical mix of reds, pinks, greens and yellows. In the Trial Garden, asymmetrically curved beds formed by brick walls of varying heights house a vegetable display bed, a low-maintenance plant bed and a bed of annuals from All-America Selections.
www.montgomeryparks.org/brookside
Brookside Gardens is an award-winning 54-acre public garden with 32 acres of cultivated displays located within Wheaton Regional Park. Two joined glass conservatories house the tropical plant collection, as well as seasonal displays. “Wings of Fancy,” a live caterpillar and butterfly exhibit contains hundreds of North American, Costa Rican and Asian butterflies that fly freely inside the conservatory. In the other conservatory is a showcase of summer color, with the leaves of elephant ears and taro forming umbrellas of foliage over begonias, petunias, impatiens, lollipop flowers and shrimp plants. Coleus and caladium add to the tropical mix of reds, pinks, greens and yellows. In the Trial Garden, asymmetrically curved beds formed by brick walls of varying heights house a vegetable display bed, a low-maintenance plant bed and a bed of annuals from All-America Selections.
www.montgomeryparks.org/brookside
The Behnke Nurseries Co., Beltsville, MD
Founded in 1930, The Behnke Nurseries Co. continues to sell from its original Beltsville, Md., store, serving gardeners in the communities of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore with a selection of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, vegetables and herbs. The garden center's Baysafe program places an emphasis on natives, identifying noninvasive plants suited to the state in signage and handouts. The store is also partnering with an environmental nongovernmental organization to demonstrate examples of stormwater-management projects customers can put in place at their homes with cost-sharing reimbursements from the county. These eco-smart projects include green roofs, rain barrels, rain gardens and strategic tree planting. For the summer, plans are underway to introduce a special section in the store called Tiny, dedicated to Stepables, Treadwells, Sunny Border Alpines, fairy garden plants and other miniature gardening elements. Inside the store are displays from Walpole Woodworkers - Behnke receives commissions on sales of the products. Be sure to stop by Korean-born Bonsai Master Ducky Hong's “store-within-a-store,” featuring several hundred mature bonsai for sale. Other niche categories at the garden center include Talavera pottery, wild birdseed and accessories, and terrariums.
www.behnkes.com
Founded in 1930, The Behnke Nurseries Co. continues to sell from its original Beltsville, Md., store, serving gardeners in the communities of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore with a selection of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, vegetables and herbs. The garden center's Baysafe program places an emphasis on natives, identifying noninvasive plants suited to the state in signage and handouts. The store is also partnering with an environmental nongovernmental organization to demonstrate examples of stormwater-management projects customers can put in place at their homes with cost-sharing reimbursements from the county. These eco-smart projects include green roofs, rain barrels, rain gardens and strategic tree planting. For the summer, plans are underway to introduce a special section in the store called Tiny, dedicated to Stepables, Treadwells, Sunny Border Alpines, fairy garden plants and other miniature gardening elements. Inside the store are displays from Walpole Woodworkers - Behnke receives commissions on sales of the products. Be sure to stop by Korean-born Bonsai Master Ducky Hong's “store-within-a-store,” featuring several hundred mature bonsai for sale. Other niche categories at the garden center include Talavera pottery, wild birdseed and accessories, and terrariums.
www.behnkes.com
IGC CHICAGO GARDEN CENTER TOUR - MONDAY, AUGUST 17
Rock Valley Garden Center
Rockford, IL
Wild bird feeding tops Rock Valley Garden Center's categories, bringing in 37 percent of sales, followed closely by green goods at 27 percent. The store is recognized as a leading provider of wild bird feed, feeders and accessories, as well as other niche departments, including indoor gardening and water gardening. Offerings also include garden art and decor, statuary, birdbaths, wind chimes, local specialty foods, fairy gardening, pottery, and garden tools and supplies. The store's aquaponic offerings allow customers to raise fish and grow plants in a symbiotic system. Rock Valley sells 10 tons of birdseed a week, including its private label brand. It grows the majority of the plants it sells, including annuals, perennials, orchids, bonsai and succulents. Check out the vertical growing systems, engineered in-house to maximize space and keep up with the demand for fresh, quality plants. As you browse the state-of-the-art production greenhouses, ask about the in-house vacuum system that helps keep it clean.
www.rockvalleygardencenter.com
Rockford, IL
Wild bird feeding tops Rock Valley Garden Center's categories, bringing in 37 percent of sales, followed closely by green goods at 27 percent. The store is recognized as a leading provider of wild bird feed, feeders and accessories, as well as other niche departments, including indoor gardening and water gardening. Offerings also include garden art and decor, statuary, birdbaths, wind chimes, local specialty foods, fairy gardening, pottery, and garden tools and supplies. The store's aquaponic offerings allow customers to raise fish and grow plants in a symbiotic system. Rock Valley sells 10 tons of birdseed a week, including its private label brand. It grows the majority of the plants it sells, including annuals, perennials, orchids, bonsai and succulents. Check out the vertical growing systems, engineered in-house to maximize space and keep up with the demand for fresh, quality plants. As you browse the state-of-the-art production greenhouses, ask about the in-house vacuum system that helps keep it clean.
www.rockvalleygardencenter.com
Gensler Gardens
Loves Park, IL
Both of Gensler Gardens' locations spotlight 100 percent “homegrown” annuals and perennials, including more than 550 varieties of perennials and 450 varieties of annuals. Every year at its Davis Junction growing facility, Gensler Gardens grows about 22,000 hanging baskets in a multitude of varieties, giving their customer an expansive, quality selection. Many of the stores' plants are grown in color-coded containers that denote price, with slow-release fertilizer pellets in the soil to ensure they remain healthy and grow long after the customer takes them home. Opened in 2007, this 14,000-square-foot Loves Park store includes an information desk, then glass doors that lead out into the greenhouses, surrounded by a courtyard out back. Take note of the open-roof venting system and heated floors in the greenhouses. During peak season, produce grown at Davis Junction is shipped to this store and stored in a large cooler on the sales floor to keep it fresh for customers.
www.genslergardens.com
Loves Park, IL
Both of Gensler Gardens' locations spotlight 100 percent “homegrown” annuals and perennials, including more than 550 varieties of perennials and 450 varieties of annuals. Every year at its Davis Junction growing facility, Gensler Gardens grows about 22,000 hanging baskets in a multitude of varieties, giving their customer an expansive, quality selection. Many of the stores' plants are grown in color-coded containers that denote price, with slow-release fertilizer pellets in the soil to ensure they remain healthy and grow long after the customer takes them home. Opened in 2007, this 14,000-square-foot Loves Park store includes an information desk, then glass doors that lead out into the greenhouses, surrounded by a courtyard out back. Take note of the open-roof venting system and heated floors in the greenhouses. During peak season, produce grown at Davis Junction is shipped to this store and stored in a large cooler on the sales floor to keep it fresh for customers.
www.genslergardens.com
Village Green Home & Garden - Riverside
Rockford, IL
Village Green Home & Garden has been in business for 50 years, and offers thousands of varieties of annuals and perennials, most grown and brought in from the greenhouses at its second location on North Main St. The 8-acre Riverside site is landscaped with trees, shrubs and annuals. All of the displays at Village Green are carefully designed and cross-merchandised so customers can visualize how the products would work together at their homes. Casual furniture is a focus here, with more than 100 groupings. The main building's 30-foot-ceiling glass atrium streams natural light into the 11,000-square-foot retail space, where cobblestone walkways lead customers through raised deck and patio displays. The brickwork extends to the outdoor nursery yard, where many of the plants are displayed in circular configurations with a central island anchored by a large tree or container garden. For inside the home, Village Green showcases furnishings with a metropolitan designer look, as well as accessories including lamps, artwork, rugs and more accents.
www.villagegreenrockford.com
Rockford, IL
Village Green Home & Garden has been in business for 50 years, and offers thousands of varieties of annuals and perennials, most grown and brought in from the greenhouses at its second location on North Main St. The 8-acre Riverside site is landscaped with trees, shrubs and annuals. All of the displays at Village Green are carefully designed and cross-merchandised so customers can visualize how the products would work together at their homes. Casual furniture is a focus here, with more than 100 groupings. The main building's 30-foot-ceiling glass atrium streams natural light into the 11,000-square-foot retail space, where cobblestone walkways lead customers through raised deck and patio displays. The brickwork extends to the outdoor nursery yard, where many of the plants are displayed in circular configurations with a central island anchored by a large tree or container garden. For inside the home, Village Green showcases furnishings with a metropolitan designer look, as well as accessories including lamps, artwork, rugs and more accents.
www.villagegreenrockford.com
Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Rockford, IL
Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden spotlights an unusual assortment of plant life, with 155 acres of trees and woody plant species, mapped and labeled. The property's specialty gardens are truly spectacular in summer. Sit under the trellised gazebo and relax to the trickling sounds of the water fountain in the Fountain Garden. Step back to a time before man in the Prehistoric Garden, landscaped with plants that grew when dinosaurs roamed the planet. Get inspired at the Nancy Olson Children's Garden, where rainbow- and alphabet-themed plantings encourage kids to explore nature. More display garden ideas await in the Butterfly Garden, Herb Garden and Daylily Garden. Stop by the Plant-a-Row Garden and see what vegetables are being grown for the local food pantries and shelters.
www.klehm.org
Rockford, IL
Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden spotlights an unusual assortment of plant life, with 155 acres of trees and woody plant species, mapped and labeled. The property's specialty gardens are truly spectacular in summer. Sit under the trellised gazebo and relax to the trickling sounds of the water fountain in the Fountain Garden. Step back to a time before man in the Prehistoric Garden, landscaped with plants that grew when dinosaurs roamed the planet. Get inspired at the Nancy Olson Children's Garden, where rainbow- and alphabet-themed plantings encourage kids to explore nature. More display garden ideas await in the Butterfly Garden, Herb Garden and Daylily Garden. Stop by the Plant-a-Row Garden and see what vegetables are being grown for the local food pantries and shelters.
www.klehm.org
Gensler Gardens
Davis Junction, IL
This original Gensler Gardens store opened in 1981, when the business got its start as a fresh produce market. The layout in the retail stores for both locations changes each season. Displays at the front of the stores are changed out weekly with fresh, new merchandise. Gensler Gardens brings in product that reflects the trends in the gardening industry, updating the mix with the latest in garden decor, statuary, tools, pottery and birding. The gift shops round out the merchandise selection with niche categories of women's scarves and jewelry, gourmet food items from Stonewall Kitchen and Plentiful Pantry, and fairy garden supplies. Gensler Gardens maintains its vegetable-growing roots with a 250-acre farm that grows sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, melon, green beans and cucumbers in the summer and pumpkins in the fall. Some of the produce grown there is sold wholesale to local grocery stores.
www.genslergardens.com
Davis Junction, IL
This original Gensler Gardens store opened in 1981, when the business got its start as a fresh produce market. The layout in the retail stores for both locations changes each season. Displays at the front of the stores are changed out weekly with fresh, new merchandise. Gensler Gardens brings in product that reflects the trends in the gardening industry, updating the mix with the latest in garden decor, statuary, tools, pottery and birding. The gift shops round out the merchandise selection with niche categories of women's scarves and jewelry, gourmet food items from Stonewall Kitchen and Plentiful Pantry, and fairy garden supplies. Gensler Gardens maintains its vegetable-growing roots with a 250-acre farm that grows sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, melon, green beans and cucumbers in the summer and pumpkins in the fall. Some of the produce grown there is sold wholesale to local grocery stores.
www.genslergardens.com
Pepper Creek
Rockford, IL
Pepper Creek is known for the freshness and variety of its green goods. It grows 95 percent of the annuals and perennials it sells, and consistently ships in additional varieties every other week from Florida for its flower shop. By sticking to a five-year plan for store improvements, Pepper Creek has upgraded its facilities, distinguishing its shopping experience from the competition. Take note of the open sightlines in the 25,000-square-foot greenhouse and 6,000-square-foot gift shop, where customers can get a broad view of the plants and merchandise across the entire selling space. In the last three years, Pepper Creek has invested in making product more visible and accessible by widening aisles and changing the retail layout in the greenhouse to a square configuration. A sliding door in the back of the greenhouse now allows shoppers to easily transition outdoors to the display gardens, where they can have a seat and admire the seasonal splendor from park benches. Pepper Creek's product mix changes from season-to-season, even year-to-year, by 30 percent to 50 percent. The main retail building, designed to resemble a cottage, houses women's jewelry, scarves, purses, home decor, seasonal gifts, candles, personal care items and wall art as some of the niche categories that round out the store's offerings.
www.peppercreek.com
Rockford, IL
Pepper Creek is known for the freshness and variety of its green goods. It grows 95 percent of the annuals and perennials it sells, and consistently ships in additional varieties every other week from Florida for its flower shop. By sticking to a five-year plan for store improvements, Pepper Creek has upgraded its facilities, distinguishing its shopping experience from the competition. Take note of the open sightlines in the 25,000-square-foot greenhouse and 6,000-square-foot gift shop, where customers can get a broad view of the plants and merchandise across the entire selling space. In the last three years, Pepper Creek has invested in making product more visible and accessible by widening aisles and changing the retail layout in the greenhouse to a square configuration. A sliding door in the back of the greenhouse now allows shoppers to easily transition outdoors to the display gardens, where they can have a seat and admire the seasonal splendor from park benches. Pepper Creek's product mix changes from season-to-season, even year-to-year, by 30 percent to 50 percent. The main retail building, designed to resemble a cottage, houses women's jewelry, scarves, purses, home decor, seasonal gifts, candles, personal care items and wall art as some of the niche categories that round out the store's offerings.
www.peppercreek.com
For more about the IGC Shows and to register, visit www.IGCshow.com. Attendees registering by June 30 are entered into a drawing to win one of 10 Apple Watches.