There's a lot of talk in the industry lately about how to attract Generations X and Y. That's great. We absolutely should be coming up with ways to attract new gardeners. But not at the expense of the seasoned ones.
Take my mom, for example. She's retired, but not tired. In her case, 67 is the new 47. She's always on the go, but she also spends a considerable amount of time in her garden. I'm sure she would love it if her local garden center offered classes that catered to her generation. 
Perhaps a session on low-maintenance plants? She is spry, but that doesn't mean she enjoys lugging a heavy watering can or hose around the yard twice a day to keep her water-guzzling plants looking good. Or, if you offer ergonomic gardening tools, what if you offered a pruning demonstration session in which you used some of these tools? That surely has the potential to beef up your tool sales, I would think.
Perhaps a session on low-maintenance plants? She is spry, but that doesn't mean she enjoys lugging a heavy watering can or hose around the yard twice a day to keep her water-guzzling plants looking good. Or, if you offer ergonomic gardening tools, what if you offered a pruning demonstration session in which you used some of these tools? That surely has the potential to beef up your tool sales, I would think. The other thing my mom loves are Wednesdays at Kohl's. Why? Because it's Senior Discount Day. All she has to do is flash her driver's license to save a few dollars on her purchase. Even if she doesn't need anything at Kohl's, if it's a Wednesday, there's a good chance you'll find her there, and Kohl's has gained a sale it otherwise might not have. Just a thought ...
