This is our story of green garden gates, the most successful group of 746 garden centers in the United States. Follow our adventure building our first store which starts at entry #1, A little Zen, some Zip Ties and a lot of Zinnias! We welcome your questions and comments by posting to this blog or by contacting nickhudson@earthlink.net
(copyright: nick hudson 2008)
The Patio Area is located in Section #W of the site plan. It is an area of introduction to green garden gates. All customers will pass through this area as they begin and end their shopping experience with us.The patio area extends the full length of the main structures. The area has a smooth machined troweled concrete surface with several floor drains, floor electrical outlets, irrigation sources and metal haloid lighting.
The Feel and Smells of a Freshly Mowed Lawn
Grass and lawn are such a part of gardening. We wanted a place for grass in our stores. We have retained several open square sections in the flooring for lawn. We will use these areas for display of benches and furniture and other accessories in landscaping of a home.
This is the “wow” place for our customers with all kinds of products and activity; new introductions, latest specials, newly arrived hard and green goods merchandise, small group seminars, etc.
The area is covered with a Cravo retractable greenhouse. This allows us to open the area to the sun and sky as well as close it to protect the products and customers during inclimate weather.
It is a dramatic place with this Cravo covering, tall, expansive and beautiful. We have been impressed with the use of Cravo retractable structures in retail applications and we wanted to use it as a major element of green garden gates, both in this patio area and to cover the nursery courtyard. The initial cost is steep but the payoff is enormous in its impressiveness. We contracted with the Cravo Company to build the structure and assure it worthiness and dependability. The money is well spent.
This area we call “the courtyard”. It is the central open marketplace for our customers of green garden gates.
It is primarily an area to display trees, shrubs, perennials, roses, vines, evergreens and most of the woody plants that we sell. however, we want to provide a mix of all plants and products to give our customers a blend of colors, textures, sights, and sounds.
As the season starts to wind down and the inventory shrinks, we begin to empty the walkway buildings and keep this area full of plants and products.
The concrete flat surfaced main walkways (we determined that the best width should be ten to twelve feet wide) are inviting and able to accommodate many shoppers moving in all directions as they search for plants. Some of the display “squares” are pea gravel and some are covered in fresh bark with smaller walks traversing them. We want the smell of fresh, soften bark in our plant display areas. We have placed typar underneath the coverings for weed prevention.
Some of the squares have electrical outlets installed for fountains etc. Some of the squares have hose bibs for easy spot watering.
In keeping with our philosophy of sheltering both plants and customers from the hard elements of weather, we had several choices that appealed to us. We could extend the Cravo retractable roof from the patio area (see entry #102) all the way through the courtyard. It is an excellent and classy covering that would serve the purpose well. The other alternative was to use a fabric call Nicotarp, a British product. Both of these coverings provide excellent protection, both will let in light for plants and atmosphere. Both provide shading; an extra fabric in the Cravos and a natural shading from the Nicotarps. The price difference is tremendous. Since this investment is one of the most costly of all parts of the project, the price is very important. The Cravos are ten times the cost of the Nicotarp construction.
We decided on the Nicotarps. The steel hoop supports are relatively inexpensive and easy to erect. The Nicotarps are lightweight and can be easily installed in the spring and removed after the season. (We will use members of a high school sports team do this each spring and fall and donate to their program as a payment for their work. There are no motors, cables or moving parts to the Nicotarp construction. We are concerned about the slowness of opening and closing of the Cravos because of the unexpected and sometimes violent wind and storms that occur in Oklahoma. The Nicotarps just stay in position all season long.
We will have the tarp sections manufactured with grommets all around the edges and a line of grommets down the middle of the section, to help control center wind lift. They will be laced to the pipes much like a boat slip cover in a marina. Others that have experience with Nicotarps have attested to their durability and that they will give years of service at a relatively
All “woody” outdoor nursery stock, Trees, Shrubs, Vines, Roses, Perennials,
How are you efficient and labor saving in this section?
We have designed this area to be efficient and labor saving for both the customer and our employees. We continue to refine this and all of our areas as we watch and listen. We have made several changes in this courtyard that differs from other garden stores.
First, we want our nursery salespeople to be available at all times to consult and sell to our customers. In most garden stores, nursery employees spend nearly all of their hours on the job supporting and maintaining the plants and facility, and doing procedural stuff. Selling is what they do when everything else is done, which rarely happens with plants.
For example, a garden center owner in Vermont insists that his nursery salespeople, after the sale to the customer, gathers up the plants personally and takes the material to the checkout counter for them. If the plants need to be delivered or planted by the company, he or she is to fill out the forms personally at a location far from the nursery. What ends up happening is other customers are left waiting for service in the nursery while this is taking place and that wait for help may take up to twenty minutes until the employee gets back to the plants. We understand that on slow days, this procedure is acceptable. However, on a busy spring day, the time when we must make hay, the most experienced employee, the person who has the knowledge and sales training to sell plants is gone from the nursery satisfying one customer and pissing off three other customers who are standing around cooling their heals.
We adopted another procedure. We use groups of young boys and girls, carry outs, who have the energy and ambition, who are not relied upon to sell, to support the nursery salesperson. He or she shadows the salesperson. When the sale is made, The carry out takes the customer from there, gathers the plants, fills out the paperwork, and finishes the sale, returning back to the nursery to shadow another nursery salesperson to do it all over again. In this process, the salesperson never leaves the plants and the customers and everyone is happy. We believe that since the salesperson is always available, there will be a noticable increase in plant sales, added plant sales and added items sold in fertilizers, soils and plant care products. This requires more staff of carry outs for this task and their normal tasks, but this group is the smallest expense in labor dollars for the largest reward in sales support.
We have watched customers, on their lunch hour, stumble around plant displays hunting and pecking for plants, getting frustrated, bewildered at the selection, with their eyes glazing over. After all, they are at the garden store because their wives are after them to get some “bushes” in the front of their new house. That’s it. They don’t need and they don’t want a lesson in horticulture!
We have arranged the nursery plants in blocks of “sun” “sun and shade” and “shade”, with explanations as to what this means. Then we included in these blocks the range of heights at maturity, “small”, “medium” and “tall”. With these two questions satisfied, we have narrowed the customer choices immediately. The nursery salesperson can then answer more specific questions; tolerating wet soils, or the color of the flower.
We have also taken our most convenient display blocks nearest the nursery shack to show about seventy-five most common shrubs, vines and ground covers and ten to fifteen of the most common trees used by homeowners in the region. The nursery salesperson can go directly to this display blocks to sell to the “bushes” guy without wasting time for either of them. We, of course, will have separate displays scattered in the area for special needs plants like “plants that attract butterflies”. We hope that with this arrangement, we will eliminate customers walking around like “Children of the Corn”. lol
Is there ease of movement and access for customers and employees?
Yes, the aisles are wide. There are no unnecessary obstructions. The area can be stocked with mechanical equipment easily. Customers can pass one another in the aisles and shop with little congestion.
Are the shopping carts and carrying devices convenient to this area?
Some owners place most or all of their shopping carts to be picked up when the customer enters the store. They believe that, like a grocery store, people are there to buy. We believe that a fair number of our customers are there to look, to check out the selection of our plants and examine our prices. They have no intention of filling up a shopping cart. However, they make a choice to buy while they are deep into the site and are forced to walk back for a cart or an employee has to break away from another customer to get them a cart. Nonsense. We have postioned carts and carrying devices all over the site for their convenience. We have designated a number of conveniently located “cart parks” in the courtyard.
Are there defined bins for the nursery stock?
Yes, these areas are defined. We do not have raised bins, like other stores. We want the flexibility to change and re-arrange the plants frequently and we want our customers to move directly to the plants without having to step over and into bins.
What about the sources of water for the plants?
We have made certain that water is plentiful and there are different methods available to apply the water to the plants. There are spray heads in each display square. There are hose spikets for every two to three squares (we want to eliminate dragging long sections of hose in the path of theshopping customer) Also, We are able to overhead water from water lines that have been attached above to the frame of the hoop supports for the Nicotarps. There are both automatic and manual systems in this area with shut off valves that can be controlled remotely by the nursery employees which eliminates running back and forth to a shut off valve.
Are there sources of electrical power?
Yes, we have installed weatherproof electrical outlets in various points in or around the nursery display squares.
Are there restroom facilities in or near this courtyard?
The public restrooms are very near this area. We also have a set of portable toilets installed near the rear of this area in case of high customer demand or emergencies in the peak selling season
Some customers will need help in getting around the courtyard area. Do you have equipment on site to help with this?
We recognize that some of employees are not able to walk distances because of age or health reasons. We have both wheelchairs and several motorized scooters for their convenience. Also, we make our customers aware that our employees will assist them in moving in any area of the store using one of our golf carts with a small trailer for their purchases.
Is there a place where I can sit down?
Yes, we have positioned a number of sitting areas all through the areas of the store. The courtyard is particularly important for sitting places because it can be very warm and there are a lot of miles to cover
What is the walking surface of the courtyard?
The surface is concrete. Some garden stores use asphalt for their aisles, but we have found that the weight of heavily loaded supply racks causes those wheels to sink into the asphalt during very hot days.
How about lighting in this area?
We anticipate some days that are dark and we also anticipate some nighttime store hours at green garden gates. There will also be times when we need to move through the nursery for security reasons and to check or cover frost prone plants perhaps in the middle of the night. We have installed rows of energy saving florescent light bulbs attached to the hoop house structure that will serve this purpose.
Is there a source for customer drinking water?
Yes, we have a drinking water cooler installed right in this area that is convenient for our customer
Is there weather protection for the customers?
Yes, the Nicotarps virtually cover the courtyard. They are impermeable to rain and snow and shelter them from wind. There are some areas of the courtyard where we refrain from covering with a Nicotarp. For example, the trees are large and need more sunlight. This and some other selected areas are open to the elements.
Are there resource storage containers scattered through this area?
We do not want our sales employees carrying a bunch of papers around when they are showing our plants to customers. The traditional method is to use common mailboxes for this purpose and it is a good one. We position mailboxes in strategic locations that house price information, plant descriptions and current sales sheets. They are completely waterproof and keep these papers clean and dry.
How about umbrellas for the customers?
We have umbrellas available in selected locations all through the entire store. They are branded with our logo and colorful. (Our vendors purchase them and are able to logo their products on the umbrella)
Customers, especially women like to wash there hands after handling plants. Is there a wash-up area for them before they proceed to checkout?
Yes, we have a utility wash basin in the courtyard and in other strategic locations in the store with clean towels and disinfectant soaps
Is there superior directional signing in the courtyard?
We take pride in our signing system both in locating kinds of plants as well as directing the customer to other areas of the store. They are easily read, large, bright, and colorful and all in a standard theme and design.
Is there a large map posted of the area and the store in general?
We do not believe that maps work well in garden stores. We consider directing customers a personal interaction with our customers. Locations of plants change frequently and we have found that maps often are outdated and confusing.
Are there outdoor speakers for announcements and background music?
Yes, there is a speaker system all through the store. We announce through the speakers quite infrequently as we have found this “blue light special” chatter is very annoying to most customers and really annoying to our employees who have to endure this stuff hour after hour. We announce as the store is getting ready to close and perhaps if there is a special seminar or event that day. Of course, we announce if there is weather or some other kind of emergency on our site or in the area. We do play background music in the store changing the kinds of music throughout the day.
“I have a boss who insists on the same kind of music, the same songs over and over again all day long. It drives us employees completely nuts! We can’t wait to get out of that place just to get away from that music. If I hear “yesterday” one more time, I am going to go “postal”. He doesn’t have to listen to it or he would go nuts, too. Give us a break. Change the music. I feel like I am in a mental hospital!”
Garden store employee
Ohio
Is the courtyard nursery display area near the check-out area?
Yes, very close and convenient to checkout.
Is there frost protection for the nursery plants available and convenient?
The Nicotarps keep frost away very nicely as do the walkway buildings and other covered structures. However, we do have frost blankets, portable propane heaters, and frost blankets conveniently located if they are needed.
Will customers stumble over hoses and water wands as they shop?
We are determined to avoid this at all costs. First, we have placed lots of spikets in this area to eliminate long sections of hose. Second. Our hoses are never coiled on the ground. When not in use, the hose and water wands are hanging on simple inexpensive hose hangers. We hate bunches of hoses in the pathways.
Getting tired of your employees pulling hard on a hose and breaking the connection to the spiket? First only use brass or metal fittings on the hoses. Then take several black only heavy duty electrical wire ties and secure the hose to the stand pipe (be sure the stand pipe is secured to something solid). When the employee pulls hard on the hose, they pull on the wire tie and not on the fitting. It works like a charm!
Can customers view this courtyard and the plants and products from our indoor facility?
Yes, customers entering the store have a direct view into the courtyard and a convenient path to get there easily
There are some times when some nursery plants are out of stock in the display area. Can the customer get to back stock of these items easily?
Yes, in the heat of the season, there will be times when employees cannot get the areas fully stocked all the time. The overflow stock is located conveniently through a gate. We ask that our employees accompany the customer to this area.
Is there an information booth in the courtyard?
We do not have a designated information booth. We want all of our employees to inform the customer. The nursery shack acts as an information booth for more specific information. It is centrally located, well signed. We believe that an employee standing at an information booth hour after hour is a waste of resources. Nearly all the questions can be answered by employees’ right on the spot
Are there permanent plantings in the courtyard nursery display area?
We believe that every inch of this valuable space in the courtyard is for plants that can be purchased by our customers. There are no permanent plantings here. We want our customers to see the plants in a mature state and we have designated areas on the site for these plantings. However this is not the place for that. Permanent plants are often messy and there are times when they look awful, not appealing and they can take up a lot of room crowding out plants that we want to sell. We have another key reason for no permanent plantings, expecially trees. The sometimes violent storms that are common in Oklahoma will cause these large display trees to break and pose danger to the customers and staff during these incidents
Are there computers, plant books and other resources available for our customers in the courtyard?
There are computers with internet capability in the nursery shack as well as resource book and information. Customers who have specific or technical questions can consult with an employee at the shack. We do have specific information and handouts in the mailboxes all through the area.
Are there areas in the courtyard for wall displays?
Yes, some outdoor plants need wall space rather than laying in a nursery bin. There are designated wall spaces for this purpose.
Do you have the capability of displaying and selling companion products with the nursery plant?
In many garden stores, the customer has to walk all over the place to gather up a bug spray or a fertilizer that is needed for the plants that are purchased. We want our employees to sell success in gardening and that means all the products that will keep the plant healthy. We want those products at the employee’s fingertips. We have designed, in all areas where we have plants, displays of these products. In the courtyard, we have positioned small weatherproof “kiosks” complete with information about those products. We also positioned pallets of soils and amendments near those plants in this courtyard. Our goal is to have all the products needed for plant success in the shopping basket when the customer leaves the courtyard. We want no hunting for the stuff.
There are all sorts of sign holders on the market. What kinds of holder are used at green garden gates?
There has been a gradual evolution in sign holders that identify, describe and price specific plant in garden stores. Some owners who have some high quality high volumegarden stores are still using the old dinosaurs, metal wire pushed into the ground or the one gallon can filled with concrete holding a wooden stake and a metal sign holder. Tacky! Some have purchased expensive fancy sign holders for this purpose. We found a garden store owner in WesternWashingtonState who devised an innovative sign holder and we like it. It is cheap, very versatile and practically indestructable. Let’s us describe it for you.
We purchased several sizes of “Clay beaters” heavy duty plastic round pot saucers.(These saucers are deeper than most and can hold a lot of concrete for weight). Next, we purchased lengths of one half inch thick walled white PVC irrigation pipe and bunches of one half inch “slip slip” no thread white PVC connectors.( Use pipe that is schedule 40. Schedule 20 pipe is too flimsy for this purpose) We found and purchased plastic holders with a spike at the base. Next, we purchased a heavy duty laminator and plastic laminating pouches and rolls of commercial grade three quarter inch Velcro.
We contracted with a woman who produces concrete statuary. She poured concrete into the Clay beater saucer and inserted flush into the center of the saucer the PVC connector. She popped the concrete out of the saucer and cured it for several days, using the Clay beater saucers over and over again. She charged us 1.00 a piece for each finished concrete base.
We cut the PVC irrigation pipe into several standard lengths with a chop saw. We inserted the pipe into the connector imbedded into the concrete base and pushed the spiked sign holder into the other end of the pipe (no glue! If anything breaks, we can disassemble without damage to the base or the pipe.
We produced a sign using Microsoft Word and printed the sign on a standard printer using the heavy duty card stock paper. We trimmed the sign according to any size desired with a paper cutter. We laminated the sign and trimmed off the excess. We cut the Velcro into two inch strips and attached the strips to the sign holder into a uniform width apart. Likewise, we attached the Velcro in a uniform width apart to the back of the laminated sign. We placed the sign on the sign holder, sticking the Velcro pieces to each other. Presto!
We have sign that is nearly indestructible, inexpensive, that the wind will not blow down, and can be interchanged and replaced by simply pulling off the sign from the Velcro. It also gives us complete versatility to produce any size and sign design we want or use other pre-produced signs and no have to with different sign holders to fit those signs.
Items needed
A chop saw
A paper cutter
Reams of heavy duty card stock paper
A computer with Microsoft Word
Lengths of PVC thick wall one half inch white irrigation pipe
The area is covered with a Cravo retractable greenhouse. This allows us to open the area to the sun and sky as well as close it to protect the products and customers during inclimate weather.
