Ideas please!

I work in a small garden centre and we have an area that the customers never seem to visit - like a blind spot.It is outside and I doubt if any buildings could be put up there.

We have tried tempters like putting various things there but with no luck. Like different plants and statues/pots etc.

The boss has asked us all if we can come up with any ideas!

Is there anything you can think of that you would like in your present garden centre that isnt there at the moment? I am thinking "outside the box " now and would value any ideas you may have!!



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What about having some sort of sale area or using it for reduced price plants. If you sign it up well people will get used to it and start to head that way each time they visit to look for bargins. You need not use the whole space for sale stuff, just something that will tempt people in that direction. I always head to the reduced stuff when I'm shopping for plants and often come out with extra plants to the ones I went in for simply because I can't resist a bargin.

 

maybe sound, will get them there, set it up ike a miniture garden, with a water feature or piped music, (birds) or animal sounds if you do a tropical garden...Dee..

 

Wilroda, can you describe the area more? where is it in relation to the shop? What is the accessability like? Is it sunny or shady? Where is it in relation to the plant area?

 

Let me describe it to you.
It measures about 40 ft by 20 ft. Backed by our tree line on one wide side ( area to sell trees) and our coffee shop patio on the other. (We really need something tha people will find attractive whilst supping coffee and eating loads of cake!)The narrower side has fence on one side and the other is the entrance to the area from the main plant area. It is off to the side of the main shopping area and accessability is good. Its a very sunny spot although the drainage is poor and there is no irrigation. We have gravel down but it gets very wet at times.

The Boss reckons we should make a garden there which would provide inspiration to the suppers of tea and coffee....with us maintaining and caring for it - all plants nicely labelled - which we would stock.It could work.....and is a nice idea but i am not so sure.

He has asked for other ideas too though.

I dont think reduced plants there would be particulerly attractive but thanks for the suggestion Dizziblonde

I was thinking along the lines of exotic plants but as it can get baking hot there i dont think thats viable.
Also maybe some architectural antique stuff intermingled with planting......I am thinking outside the box now!!
Any other ideas appreciated!

 

When I worked in a garden centre, I had an area like this. What I did was to use it to show people what they could grow in containers. One year I grew veg, next I grew trees, then bamboos and grasses, then exotics. Change it year from year, but, obviously, you need to point your customers the right way.:thumb:

 

without actually seeing the area it's hard to say, but do you sell ponds?

We had an area that was ignored (different situation, it just wasn't a very noticeable area) so we used a noisy waterfeature to grab people's attention. if you sell ponds, and pond equipment, it'd be a great way of demonstrating your stock, would lend itself to a variety of plants, and would also be attractive.

Who knows, in time you could get some fish. These are bound to attract kids, who'll nag their parents to visit just for that reason.

 

I liked the reduced plants area idea - it's my favorite spot in a garden entre too! Agree that 'bribin' the kids to want their prents to take them there is good business sense!

Some brainstorming:

A children's playarea - dragon's den/wonderland/fairy castle etc
A sculpture/art exhibition space
A wildlife area
A dry river bed
A seasonal display area
A secret garden
A 'spot the plant' display
A turf roofed undercover area featuring environmental ideas - composting display/water butts/solar features
A 'keep it local' area featuring local produce/outdoor crafts etc
A landscape in miniture with mural behind

 

Thanks for the nice ideas!

Daitheplant - a great idea! Container gardening is becoming very popular and as you say you need to get the customers to go there.Your idea would provide inspiration for the tea and coffee brigade and has endless possibilites as you so rightly say Signage would be very important...

Swanseadel - we do sell a few ponds and water features and the idea of a pond would be lovely - we could maybe erect some sort of pergola type thingy to give some shade but what would be a real headache would be the dreaded Health and Safety aspect.....kids could climb or fall in etc.Unfortunately keeping and selling fish is no longer easy to do. There are loads of regulations other issues too. ( there is also an aquatic centre nearby). Great idea though!

Keep em coming!!

 

Gosh Jarbax! you have worked hard there!!

Let me see, a play area would be difficult - Health and Safety/insurance etc etc - dont want to get sued!
We cant add any buildings or greenhouses etc etc to the area and we cant sub-let the space.
Secret garden sounds lovely! wildlife area would be hard to do as we are constantly tidying up after the customers from the coffee shop ( sugar wrappers blowing in the wind!) and removing weeds.....and it would get trampled to death.

I am coming round more and more to the idea of maybe a cross between the container gardening ( Thanks Datheplant!) amongst a low maintenance traditional cottage garden what do you think?

Unless you know of any other ideas!........

 

Wilroda, when I was given the job of plant manager, the owner stipulated one rule. I don`t care what you do as long as it makes money, and anything you grow in pots is for sale.

 

I like your style Daitheplant! We have the same philosophy at our GC........so it could work..

 

Where I worked we had a huge pergola to shade the best pot specimen (eh it was Italy, they would be fried to death else) this created areally intimate atmosphere and made the pot browsing alot more enjoyable for both workers and customers. The pots were a mix of big and small, dear and cheap. Grand tuscany terracotta (in front) and black plastic tubs (disguised, if possible, but without too much fuss). We had big important specimens and catchy summer bedding compositions in pot. That means there was a more or less static display of large expensive plants (shrubs,topiary, lots of topiary, small specimen trees) that were sold a bit at a time and only slowly flowed by, pepped up by an everchanging colourful collection of annuals that sell for peanuts and everyone can bring home without a major quarrell with the special other. It was easy to work in because it never looked shabby or empty, and the plants pretty much created their own microclimate so they were easily healthy and looked good. It looked very much like a garden, and it attracted several different kind of public. We always had something spectacular in front, large olive trees in huge low tubs, tall topiaries, espaliered roses in full bloom,you name it.

 

I like the sound of your seasonal display Jax! Cant say that i've seen anything like that in the garden centres around my neck of the woods.

 

One of the problems with garden centres is the 'sameness' - same plants in same places every time you go. I appreciate that the logistics dictate that this is so; so why not use your space to offer plants other than the normal ones - 'plant of the week/month' could attract the attention either in pots or otherwise laid out.
Not too keen on entering an area for 'sad plants' although everyone likes a bargain - garden centres amaze me by offering some awful potbound plants at outrageous prices and could do more stock clearance although not at the entrance.............