Making a living with Integrity: Not all plants will survive a hostile environment!

Penn State Trial Garden 2015. Landisville, Pennsylvania

I'm not sure you would agree with me when I call our Nebraska environment hostile but that's what it is. If you are going to grow beautiful flowers all summer, and do it in Nebraska, you must understand the hostility we endure. The heat, the wind, the temperature fluctuations, all are brutal on plants.

Our customers buy flowers for many different reasons. Some buy a planter or basket to decorate for a weekend party and on Monday morning they throw it away. Some drive from Denver to spend Mother's Day with their mom, buy her the most expensive planter they can find and drive back to Denver the next day. I'm not sure they care if it survives the summer as long as mom feels really special the day they give it to her. I have become accustomed to moms buying lots of flowers to decorate for a graduation, knowing that she isn't going to water and they will die. I do understand all these reasons to buy flowers but I want you to know it is not part of our mission.

Our mission is quite simple. I think it has a lot to do with being raised in a large family and appreciating the value of a hard earned dollar. Every day I run this business, I imagine myself as a customer walking in the door and wanting to buy my product. I would be a horrible customer! I would have very basic, but high expectations. I would absolutely expect to buy a plant that should grow well in our hostile environment. I would expect it to last all summer and still be pretty late in the fall when it starts getting cold. I would expect to water it with the water that comes out of my garden hose and have it thrive. I would expect that it should take a pounding rain on Monday and recover nicely on Tuesday when the sun comes out. I would expect it to take a cool, wet spring if we get one and if it won't take it I would expect somebody to tell me so before I leave the store. I would expect the guy who sells me a plant to firmly believe that this plant has a good chance of surviving our hostile environment.

Penn State Trial Gardens 2015

Kelli and I have made it part of our mission to study plants. We've traveled a mile or two to look at some spectacular trial gardens in an attempt to see new genetics in bloom in August. Nearly all plants flower beautifully in May but only the great ones flower beautifully in August. There are hundreds of varieties of verbena, petunias, impatiens, geraniums, and many others. We believe that what goes into a Bump Up Pot is the best of the best. There are certain genetics that are literally the most beautiful colors imaginable as long as they are in the greenhouse. The minute you put them in our hostile environment they will collapse and never return. You won't find them in a Bump Up Pot. I've walked through the competitors greenhouses and at times I shake my head and wonder why they are selling that plant when there are so many good alternatives. They either don't know or don't care that there are better alternatives. Our industry is looking for a new generation of buyers. Every year I hear my baby boomer grandmas tell me, "Clark I'm just not planting as much this year. My knees hurt. It's hard to get up when I get down and I'm just slowing down". As I age I get this. I also know that if I am to win over a new generation of buyer, I must provide them with plants that will not only survive, but will flourish in our hostile environment. I want you to know that we work hard to accomplish this. It's not only about making a living but it's about knowing and growing the best!