I received a message from a couple that live here in northern California. They want to start a nursery on eleven acres of land. They are looking for advice. I came across this post I did back in December of 2007 and this one from November 2007. I don't think I would change anything I wrote except to say, embrace change! How quickly things change. Not so long ago we we're told that gebration x and y would power the DIFM (do it for me) trend. They just didn't like gardening and they would pay others to do the gardening for them. Poof! That's gone.  Here is a list of post's I have done on "Trends." I wonder how many other trends we have been told we coming down the pike are gone. Are those generation x and y people still intent on accessorizing their backyards instead of starting a vegetable garden? Here is what we we're told, “Today’s young homeowners want you to do the dirty work for them”...they “want beautiful gardens and outdoor rooms, minus the sweat and hard work that come with them"... "they take interest in environmentally sound gardening and raising organic vegetables and fruits-though they’d probably prefer to hire you to come over and do it for them…” Let's see, owe more on the house than it's worth, husband just lost the job at Wachovia, and the credit card bills are mounting. Let's hire someone to garden for us.

What seems to stand out now is how quickly our ideas of where we are headed change. That seems to be the one constant, change.  If I we're going to start a garden center today, and as I run the one we have now the one trait that comes in the most handy is the ability to roll with the punches, and still remain standing. You just cannot predict what is going to happen. It's almost as if we have known all along that the garden center business was changing but had no idea just how much. This latest economic situation may be the catalyst for a lot of us to make the changes we know we have to make, but have been hesitant to do before. Those that don't will be gone! We are headed into some choppy seas and I don't see it calming down until at least next year. Hold on.

Oh, don't think I am being negative here. It's just the way it is. Success will come to those who maintain a positive attitude despite the choppy seas. What choice do we have? Grab the wheel, steer your course, and stay optimistic. The storm will end. We just don't know what port we will be in.