Minter Country Garden Store

I won’t give too much away about this one. Minter Country Garden Store is going to be our November cover story, so you’ll be able to learn all about it in that issue of TGC. But I will say that owner Brian Minter is doing everything right. The merchandising is spot on, and the garden center is filled with spectacular mixed containers. Kids enjoy visiting Minter Country Garden Store, too, because a miniature train takes passengers on a fun tour around the property.

Cannor Nursery: Abbotsford

Surrounded by box stores (including a Home Depot right across the street), this particular Cannor Nursery store has had to reinvent itself in recent years in an effort to cater to the higher-end consumer.

The store’s café, Tamaringo's, creates a cozy, inviting atmosphere that no big box could replicate, and it serves a delicious assortment of coffees, teas and other foods (including yummy gelato).

Cannor’s efforts to focus on “relationship selling” – building connections with customers so they won’t want to shop anywhere else – have been successful. The owners say sales are growing more every day, and they’ve found their niche with the more affluent customers.

Nordic Nurseries

Nordic Nurseries isn’t a garden center, but it was full of spectacular marketing and merchandising ideas, in addition to magnificent trial gardens.

The nursery is actually a grower of more than 300 varieties and is in the Proven Winners grower network – hence, the fantastic displays featuring Proven Winners point-of-purchase materials.

Tanglebank Country Gardens

The lovely Tanglebank Country Gardens hosted us for brunch on day three of the IGCA Congress. The boutique-style garden center started in 1996 and is in the planning phase of creating a new and improved store that will include a bistro – perfect for the weddings and other events often held at the garden center.

I really liked the way Tanglebank uses paint to add interest to otherwise ordinary benches. Owner Brenda Falk says she decided to add the splashes of green and yellow paint because in an area known for its rainy weather, the colors can make the garden center feel bright and inviting, even on dreary days.

The garden center also does a great job reinforcing its brand with signage and tags throughout the store that feature the logo.

Marigold Nurseries

A fourth generation family business, Marigold Nurseries is Vancouver Island’s largest garden center.

The operation also does its own growing and sells most of what it grows at its own store, but also wholesales to some grocery stores.

Marigold creates beautiful and unique mixed containers, which are displayed throughout the store, and although one of the employees admitted they might not necessarily sell each and every one of the containers, customers love the inspiration they get from them.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Marigold, the garden center’s resident kitty cat.

Elk Lake Garden Center

This grower-retailer really focuses on color and quality. The benches were fully stocked with perfect pansies and magnificent mums. Blooming potted plants are another big part of the business.

Elk Lake does a great job getting color out in front, too, making it almost impossible for passers by not to notice it.

Garden Works

GardenWorks has 10 locations throughout BC, and day two of the tour took us to the Vancouver Island store, where merchandising is the operation’s bread and butter. In addition to its already creative displays, GardenWorks uses a tremendous amount of point-of-purchase material, like the Rock Stars line, to make the plants really stand out.

GardenWorks also partners with local artisans to offer a unique mix of art and décor for its customers. One of the artists creates beautiful mosaics using pieces of broken china (pictured). The mosaics are durable enough to stand up to the elements and can be left outside in the garden, even during the winter (which tends to be pretty mild on this temperate island).