Carol asked what we did with the stuff we cleaned out of the garden store. Everything has been put on sale for 50% off. It’s really selling well now. Maybe we should order some more!

As we were going through the store I would ask Monica when the last time she sold this or that and if it was more than a couple of months ago, it’s gone. To me it’s amazing how we accumulate different t types of products that then just sit on the shelves. Gopher traps? Haven’t sold one in a year, put it on the 50% table and never order it again.

We are too small to be a one stop for everything store. Tools like shovels, hoes, etc. just don’t sell well here. Why do we keep trying to sell them? All they do for us is collect dust. Sure enough after we put the tools on sale and get rid of them someone will want to buy a shovel and we won’t have them. We’ll just recommend they go across the street to the hardware store.

What we do sell well we are going to increase the selection of. Organic fertilizers and pesticides are flying out of here. The RTU (ready to use) products like Neem oil are way outselling the concentrates. People don’t want to mix the products themselves. Soil amendments including potting soils and mulches are huge here in the foothills so we will keep the large selection of these products including two types of potting soil and planting mix. We carry lots of different mulches including shredded cedar, micro-bark, medium bark, coco hulls, and planting compost.

I am starting to think that the term “garden center” may be a bit played. We really are not a center but rather a garden with a nursery. The term garden center conjures up a place where all you gardening needs can be met. It’s just too hard to please all the people all the time. Better to be “remarkable” to the few than mediocre to the many.