• There are always problems when dealing with live plants—they die, they don’t thrive, or they don’t meet expectations.

• Complaints today often come by email, but in retail, they walk through the door.

• How serious is the issue? Watch the partner:

  • Shoulder-to-shoulder, nodding in agreement? This is a big problem, and it needs a resolution.

  • Partner standing a few steps back? Medium-level issue. We’ll talk it out.

  • Partner walks away as the complaint starts? They’ve heard this before, and they want no part of it. They are either stretching the truth a little or complain often. I dig in a little more than normal here.

2. Garbage Cans Are for Filling

• People were using our lot’s garbage cans as personal dumpsters—dirty diapers, McDonald's bags, you name it.

• I put up a sign saying “No food waste.” The result? More food waste than ever.

• Solution: Remove the garbage cans.

• Outcome: No more trash. People aren’t naturally litterbugs, especially gardeners. If you don’t give people an option, they won’t take an action.

  

3. The First 5 Seconds Matter

I can predict who will buy something the moment they step out of their car.

• Hands behind back? Browsing. No purchase.

• Beeline to the plants? Buying something.

• Straight to the carts? Buying a LOT.

• Headed for the office? A complaint, special order, or quick gift.

4. Women Are Much Better at Sharing

• My most successful ads targeted men. Why men? Women are much better at sharing. They are the mouth when you hear the term “Word of Mouth”.

• When women love a product, they immediately tell their friends.

• Men? Not so much. We don’t brag about our purchases the same way.

• Strategy: Market to men, but reward the sharers.

5. You Get 1.7 Chances

• The average customer visits a garden center 1.7 times per year.

• Some of our customers come 20+ times a year, but for most, we get ONE shot.

• That’s why spring flowers outsell summer bloomers 10 to 1.

• First 10 minutes matter. Everything customers see needs to be vibrant and blooming—right now, not later. My job was to turn them from a 1.7 to a regular and trying to peddle things that are good for later didn’t work. It’s a now thing in the spring.

6. Parking Lot Lemmings

• We didn’t have painted parking spaces, so customers took their cues from me.

• If I parked at an angle, everyone parked at an angle.

• If I parked straight, everyone parked straight.

• I won’t lie—controlling the parking lot every day made me feel a little powerful.

7. People Miss Conversations

• Many older customers came to the nursery just to talk.

• Our long-time employees (25+ years) became familiar faces they loved seeing.

• For many, our garden center was their social outing.

• There aren’t many places left where you can simply be around people—unless you join a church or a group.

• The nursery became a sanctuary of flowers and friendly faces.

8. Know Your Role in a Decision

When helping customers make a decision, I learned I serve one of three roles:

1. To Affirm – They already made up their mind. They just need me to nod and agree.

2. To Decide the Winner – If a couple is debating, I have to choose. If one is clearly right, I go with them. If not, I side with the one who loses most of the battles.

3. To Take Control – Sometimes, no one wants to decide. That’s my cue to step up, make the call, and assure them it’s the right one.

Final Thought

If you want to understand people, work in retail. You’ll learn more in one season at a garden center than in a decade of watching human behavior from afar

Shane’s Tools & Treasures for Your Garden 🏡🌱 

The Secret Weapon for Thriving Hanging Baskets

If I had to pick one soil amendment for my annual pots, it would be Oregon Green Moss. Most people think of it as a topiary filler or a pretty topping for planters—but that’s not even close to its best use.

Mix it into the soil, and magic happens. 🌱✨

Hanging baskets and sun-soaked pots dry out fast. We’ve all set out a petunia basket, only to find it crispy a few hours later. Adding moss cuts watering in half (according to Shane’s very scientific gut feeling). It holds moisture like a sponge, keeping plants happy longer.

There are fancy products like Soil Moist, but Oregon Green Moss is affordable in bulk, all natural and super easy to break down and mix in. Give it a try—your plants will thank you! 🌿💦

The Hose That Saved My Sanity 💦

I’ve wrestled with 100 miles of hose in my lifetime. Some of my biggest fights weren’t with people—they were with leaky, stiff, impossible-to-roll-up hoses. I know I’m not alone… because people are out here buying those awful expanding hoses in desperation.

I wasted prime years battling stubborn hoses. Then I found Flexzilla—and I swear, I shed a tiny tear of joy.

✅ Never stiffens up (even in the cold)
✅ Tough as a pro hose but lighter
✅ So good, our nursery crew would carry it to the next house rather than use a bad hose

Everyone who owns a Flexzilla loves it. Everyone who doesn’t? Well, they just haven’t realized what they’re missing yet. 🌱💧

1️⃣ Kintzley’s Ghost® Honeysuckle (Lonicera reticulata)

🔬 Lonicera reticulata
📏 Size: 8–12 ft tall, 3–6 ft wide
🌍 Zones: 4–8
✨ Why You Should Grow It: This vine is a showstopper with silver-dollar bracts and golden flowers that hummingbirds love. It’s a non-invasive native with a ghostly glow that makes your trellis or fence stand out. Low maintenance, high impact—and again, non-invasive. If you’re in the Midwest you may be one of the first with this in the landscape.

2️⃣ Estrellita® Scarlet Firecracker Bush

🔬 Bouvardia x
📏 Size: 2–3 ft tall, 2–3 ft wide
🌍 Zones: 8–11
✨ Why You Should Grow It: Red-hot, tubular blooms explode like fireworks all season long, attracting hummingbirds like a magnet. It thrives in heat and full sun, perfect for patio pots or garden borders. If I were to grow ONE annual this is the one. I can be of any variety but a firecracker bush. I am not exaggerating to say that there can be 3 or 4 hummingbirds at a time on it. If there is a hummingbird in the area they will be on this plant

3️⃣ 'Bobblehead' Ornamental Onion

🔬 Allium hybrid
📏 Size: 18–22 inches tall, 12–18 inches wide
🌍 Zones: 4–9
✨ Why You Should Grow It: Cheerful purple pom-poms dance in the breeze, adding playful texture to your garden. Deer and rabbits hate it, but pollinators can’t get enough! A must-have for easy, low-maintenance beauty. I' do wish it had a little more color in the flowers but if they really get up to 3” I’ll keep it. If not, I’ll just plant the purple bulbs. PS: Allium is the perfect mailbox plant. Nothing will kill it. Neighbor dogs pee, snow piled up in the winter, hose won’t reach all the way out there? No problems

4️⃣ Mop Top™ Buddleia

🔬 Buddleia hybrid
📏 Size: 3–4 ft tall, 3–4 ft wide
🌍 Zones: 5–9
✨ Why You Should Grow It: This compact butterfly bush delivers big blooms in a small space, making it ideal for urban gardens and containers. Non-invasive, pollinator-friendly, and blooms keep coming—this is a nectar buffet for butterflies! What I love most is the texture. It droops but looks fun, not sad. Will definitely be the “What’s that?” in your garden this year

Before You Go:
When the wife asks me to mow the lawn after work

@ryan_slice_

#viral #trending #fyp #foryourpage #comedy #jokes #funnyvideo #funny

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