FROM THE BOARD 



PAUL BELHUMEUR 



A SMALL GLIMPSE OF GARDENS FROM THE PATIO AT COOMBE AbBEY, COVENTRY. 



We boarded a plane, soared over 

 the Atlantic Ocean, and six 

 hours later landed in a different 

 world! The hustle and bustle of 

 Heathro Airport. ..the unnerving ex- 

 perience of customs. ..cars on the 

 left side of the road. ..what a trip! 



Last fall, a large delegation of 

 New Hampshire growers partici- 

 pated in the England Garden Center 

 Tour, hosted by Nursery Business 

 Consultants of Elk Grove, Califor- 

 nia. The Granite State growers in 

 attendance were Rick Simpson from 

 Rolling Green Nursery, Frank, 

 Mary, and Tim Wolfe from Lake 

 Street Garden Center, and George 

 Munson and myself from Bedford 

 Fields Garden Center. 



The purpose of the trip for 

 George and I was to discover some 

 fresh ideas for our garden center. At 

 Bedford Fields, we expect to expand 

 by adding retail greenhouses and 

 more nursery areas. 



The tour included stops at four- 

 teen garden centers. The informa- 

 tion gathering process was rigorous. 

 We were surprised at how different 

 retailing is in Britain. The contact 

 between the customer and garden 

 center staff is the classic "soft sell" 

 approach. Even the vendors at 

 "GLEE," one of the world's largest 

 trade shows would not attack at first 

 glance. 



All of the garden centers we 

 toured featured large parking lots, 

 ample signage, and a restaurant or 



cafe. These centers are prepared for 

 their guests. Garden center owners 

 place a high priority on making sure 

 the customer's every visit is a posi- 

 tive experience. 



The store layouts are all designed 

 in the "race-track" format. This 

 concept helps to lead customers 

 through different departments and 

 eventually out into the nursery area. 

 The beauty of it is that the custom- 

 ers are oblivious to the fact that 

 they are being guided along an in- 

 tentional path. 



Almost without exception, the re- 

 tail nursery areas are paved with 

 concrete, brick, or asphalt. All have 

 covered walkways to help reduce the 

 inconvenience of inclement weather. 



WINTER 2003 



