When a big chain store opened near the Bordine's garden center in Rochester, Calvin Bordine says, he anticipated it might hurt his sales. That didn't happen. It's increasing the visibility of the whole industry. Garden entertainment To establish their own niche, some independents are sponsoring weekend events to reinforce the notion that garden centers can be entertaining destinations for families. Last October in Northville, Brickscape held a weekend Dutch bulb festival, complete with a pipe organ and Dutch dancers.
Some centers also sponsor free classes.
At Four Seasons in Oak Park, Goldberg has display water gardens and lets youngsters feed the fancy fish. He recently expanded indoor space to offer more classes and a seating area so customers can thumb through his gardening reference books. To compete with the retail giants, independents are moving to the latest retail technology and putting a renewed emphasis on sound operating principles, says Clint Albin, director of Garden Centers of America, which is based in Washington, D.C., and represents 2,000 independent lawn and garden centers nationally. The club draws 20 to 30 youngsters, whose parents are regular customers, to monthly meetings. At other times, owner Jane Riddle invites children shopping with their parents to play with the cats, dog and ducks at her nursery.