Page 37 - MNLGA Free State Summer 2021

One way of extending the Garden sPOTS season is to do fundraising

projects in schools. Again, they offer Make & Take materials, and the

children make their own containers. “We provide gloves and talk them

through doing the planting themselves. We do the same in the fall, and

we plan to take the concept to apartment complexes and social groups.”

Customer shady balcony flower boxes Deborah delivers a custom planter

February. They’re a mini-version of our planter business regularly and our ‘3 Quick Tips’ newsletter has been well
but these kits focus on the plant life cycle.” received. We have a ‘Care and Feeding’ page on our
Most of Garden sPOTS’ online sales are in spring, but there website that answers basic questions about watering,
is a second burst of sales in fall. One of the most popular pruning, and fertilizing. We’ve also made a wide range
products offered on the Garden sPOTS website is the of videos that are on our YouTube channel. We take
“Spring Magic sPOT,” for which containers are planted pride in our customer support and frequently offer online
with pansies and bulbs. The pansies live all winter, then help. One advantage of a small business is that we can
the bulbs come up in early spring. The venture proved respond to email. Keeping customers engaged is a huge
extremely popular last year, with people sending pictures boost to business. They know they can rely on us and it
of how well their containers looked. keeps them coming back.”

Other marketing ideas Scanlon and Lessne are exploring People do come up to them at farmers’ markets just to
include subscriptions and ways to create an arrangement ask plant questions. “That’s nice, but we wish they’d
that will overwinter — not with living plants, but with birch buy something!” quipped Scanlon. “Still, they see us as
branches, twigs and small evergreens, as opposed to friendly and as a resource for them. That does nothing
cut greenery that doesn’t last past January, leaving an but help us.”
empty pot. Another way to grow their business would be to expand

“Marketing and building community relationships are an into more regions. For now, they have Montgomery
ongoing priority,” said Scanlon. “We post on social media County covered, with Scanlon living in the east, Lessne in
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Get Active. Stay Involved. • SUMMER 2021 37