Garden center consultant Perry Upchurch dies

Gift specialist Perry Upchurch, who helped Dallas-based Nicholson-Hardie triple gift sales in two years and who had consulted with several other garden centers around the country, recently was found dead in his apartment in Koh Sumai, an island off the eastern coast of Thailand. The cause of death has not been determined.

Upchurch, a frequent source for stories and blogs about gifts for Garden Center Magazine, had lived in Koh Sumai for four years prior to returning to the United States to work with Nicholson-Hardie's gift department.

Before turning his focus to the garden center arena, Upchurch had worked with gift departments at a variety of retail operations, designing, opening and servicing stores throughout the country. In his previous stay at Koh Sumai, Upchurch helped design upscale villas in the region.