Talks for landscapers, garden retailers, and other horticultural professionals.

Educating Your Customers or Employees About Perennial Plant Maintenance

If we want our customers and clients to keep coming back for more plants or continued maintenance, they need to remain happy about their gardens long after the plants have been placed in the ground. Garden center customers and landscape crews need to know the strategies for keeping their perennials looking good all season. And green-industry professionals need to know how to convey this information to their customers.

This talk is about demystifying and simplifying perennial plant maintenance for your clients, customers and crew. Covering basic maintenance, simple strategies, commonsense reminders, and educational aides, this talk is geared to garden retailers and landscape professionals.

Cultivating Success
Creating an Educational Program for Your Customers

Garden centers are often the first place the public turns to learn about the plants in their yards and gardens; like it or not, we are in the education business as well as the garden retail business.  This talk explains how, without spending much time or money, any garden center can develop a comprehensive educational program that will benefit you and your customers.  Subjects include: attracting program attendees, building repeat customers, winning presentations, cross-merchandising, using the off season, and information stations. 

Instant Coffee, Color Sells, and Polka-Dot Plantings
Garden Design Bloopers

This talk looks at design mistakes that are commonly made by landscapers and home-gardeners alike. I explain the reasons why some garden designs look better than others, and how to provide plantings that please your customers on the day the job is finished, and for years afterwards. 

What Our Customers Need To Know 
and how to teach it to them!

A humorous talk about the garden from our clients point of view. How we, as green industry professionals, can help our customers/clients be successful (and therefore happy) in their landscape. A talk that is both entertaining and informative, suitable for keynotes or break-out sessions.

Guidance to Go
Consultation Services
Does your garden center or landscaping business make house calls?  This talk explains how on-site consultation services can build customer loyalty, boost sales, and position your business as the local go-to source for landscaping needs. 

Getting the Word Out 
Communication Skills for the Green Industry

Whether you are a volunteer Master Gardener, an employee of a garden center, or the owner of a green-industry business, you need to be a good communicator.  This presentation will teach you the various means of effectively connecting with the public.  Writing effective newsletters and handouts, being a dynamic speaker, and using the local media are a few of the topics that will help you to assist the public and position yourself as the local gardening authority.  Learn how your communications work to create loyal customers and successful gardeners.