Revolutionary 100 - Southeast Region - Today's Garden Center Website - Today's Garden Center Website

Southeast Regional Winner: Boulevard Flower Gardens

This garden center in Colonial Heights, Va., takes full advantage of its avenues to customers via seminars and newsletters advertising new products.
“In our local newspaper article I write weekly, I will talk a little about a recent trip I was on to a trial garden and give the reader an idea of some new plants to come,” says co-owner Mark Landa.

Company Name	City/State	Locations	Years	Revolutionary Concept or Idea
Across The Pond Inc.	Huntsville, AL	1	3	Provides training to employees via manufacturer reps coming into the retail store, as well as other specialty trainers on site, and through training provided by associations.
Countryside Gardens	Hampton, VA	1	4	Signage forms relationships by mentioning employees; pointing out their work in display gardens.
DeWayne’s Home & Garden Showplace	Selma, NC	1	17	Offers outdoor living resale program to landscapers so they can purchase at a discount and resell to their customers.
Fairview Garden Center	Raleigh, NC	1	20	Uses radio advertising year-round – 52 weeks – with an ad agency creating the scripts, to stay in the public’s mind.
Greenbrier Nurseries	Roanoke, VA	3	49	Participated in an ABC Extreme Makeover Home Edition show in Blacksburg, Va.
Holcomb Garden Center	Hixon, TN	1	42	Uses technology to keep in direct contact with customers through e-mails with Garden Club members, as well as track member purchases.
Homewood Nursery	Raleigh, NC	1	40	Has implemented relational retailing philosophy. Training employees to relate to the customer.
Johnson Nursery & Garden Center	Cookeville, TN	1	37	Changes the layout of the inside store area four times a year. “(We) try to move displays around to give the appearance of new merchandise.”
L.A. Reynolds Garden Showcase	Winston-Salem, NC	1	25	Hosts weekly television gardening segment on the local news channel; keeps the weather desk stocked with seasonal plants.
Nature Scapes	Bunnell, FL	1	23	“My customers know that we always have the most unusual plants and garden art.”
Nobles Greenhouse & Nursery	Live Oak, FL	1	22	Offers bridal showers on-site. Closes store that day, displays a landscape plan already done for the bride and encourages guests to buy gift certificates or plants for the bride.
Pike Family Nurseries*	Norcross, GA	28	49	Works with pond experts to host Build-A-Pond Days to teach customers how to install and maintain their own ponds. The $29.99 registration fee includes lunch and supplies.
Wallitsch Garden Center	Louisville, KY	1	61	Coordinates just-in-time deliveries, as well as buys seasonally and limits SKUs for better margins.
Wingard’s Nursery & Garden Center	Lexington, SC	1	38	Uses POS system to track purchases and vendors and make notations on each shipment. “We intend to use this information to provide a supplier scorecard at the end of the year.”
Woodley’s Garden Center	Columbia, SC	2	26	Buying fewer varieties to simplify buying decisions for customers, as well as buying bigger sizes of perennials and annuals for better margin.
Young’s Garden Center	Fort Mill, SC	1	9	Hosts a local garden spot with a weather personality on the 5:30 p.m. news called “Weather in the Garden.” “It is all followed through with direct mail, newspaper and in-store signage.”
* = Garden Centers We Chose for the List

Revolutionary 100 - Southeast Region

Boulevard Flower Gardens earns the top spot on this regional Revolutionary 100 list. Read about this garden center as well as othre forward-thinking retail operations.