Responsive Merchandising Print
There’s hardly anything more soothing than the sound of a fountain. Even more so in a garden in one of the driest states in the Union.“The theme of our display was in direct response to the majority of our customers who regularly come in asking how to create a garden that will encourage butterflies, hummingbirds and other wildlife into their yards,” explained Holly Cassity, manager of Sweetwater Garden in Riverton, Wyoming — one of the top ten entries in the 2008 Perennials Marketing Contest sponsored by Plant Publicity Holland and the Perennial Plant Association.

The small, yet effective, display incorporated an array of nectar-producing flowers such as Delphinium, Liatris, Sedum and Physostegia paired with the bold colors of Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Hemorocallis and others.  The selected perennials were set around a simple water feature and the whole ‘shebang’ was placed in the middle of a high traffic area of the garden center.

Sweetwater’s centrally located water feature, surrounded by nectar producing plants that attract birds, butterflies and bees, was in direct response to customers’ inquiries.
 How ‘on message’ is that!? Look closely and you’ll see the hummingbird daintily sipping delphinium nectar.
“Wyoming is a very dry state,” continued Ms. Cassity, “so adding a water feature to one’s landscape greatly increases the number and variety of birds that will visit and nest in and around the garden.”  

Plants are Sweetwater’s passion. As such, staff know which perennials thrive in the area’s high alkaline soil and which creatures are attracted to them.  “Most of all,” Ms. Cassity elaborated, “we want our customers to be successful in their endeavors.  We don’t just sell the plants, we help customers create their own paradise, which we prefer to do with perennials so our gardeners don’t have to replant items year after year.”

“Perhaps the most exciting thing about our display was the visits from dragonflies, butterflies, bees of all kinds, and our personal favorite, hummingbirds.”

No doubt Sweetwater Garden’s sales of water features also increased due to their effective merchandising display – creating a win-win selling season.
 

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