Invite Garden Writers To Your Store

Chalet Nursery & Garden Center gave home and garden writers and photographers an inside look at its farm, garden center and some of its landscape architects’ outdoor creations. In addition to the tour, the participants learned about the farm’s production capabilities (it produces 14 percent of the store’s plants) over a Chalet-provided lunch.

“There was no real hook for the journalists other than feeding them lunch,” says Owner Larry Thalmann. “It was really directed at horticultural writers as well as writers and photographers who focus on home design and decor. It seems they are always looking for stories, so this was right up their alley. The horticulture and garden writers are plant geeks, so they went gaga over the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at the growing operation and plant use in the landscape. They tend to have a more micro perspective looking at individual plants. The home design writers were equally impressed by a look at some of the beautiful homes and landscapes on the North Shore.”

The event also resulted in at least one glowing review on ChicagoNow.com from popular garden blogger Mr. BrownThumb, who praised the outdoor gardens designed by Chalet landscape architects and the mature plants and reasonable prices at the garden center. Mr. BrownThumb also gave an endorsement every garden center appreciates when he concluded his article with these magic words, “I recommend checking out Chalet.”