Episodes

  • Houseplants & Replanting Tips

    Houseplants & Replanting Tips
    Apr 18 2023
    • Shannon joined Garden Supply Company during COVID and takes care of houseplants and tropical plants.
    • The houseplant industry exploded during COVID; interest in rare plants has tapered off, but basics and standards remain popular.
    • Snake plants, also known as mother-in-law's tongue, are Shannon's favorite due to their hardiness and variety.
    • Ideal time to repot houseplants is at the beginning or end of the growing season, not during dormancy in winter.
    • Using a nursery pot inside a decorative pot has multiple benefits, including reduced weight and easier monitoring of the plant's health.
    • Customers need to learn about their plants' specific needs, as factors like humidity, sunlight, and proximity to air vents affect their growth.
    • When repotting, increase pot size by no more than two inches to ensure the roots can colonize the space and prevent stagnant water.
    • Overwatering is a common reason for houseplant failure; establish a consistent watering schedule and check moisture levels.
    • Use warm water and consider adding soap to help with water absorption and break surface tension.
    • For exterior plants, soapy water can help with dry spots in the lawn or soil under hedges.
    • Maintain consistent watering and monitor plant needs for healthier houseplants.
    • The podcast hosts recommend feeling plants and checking for moisture, not just watering on a schedule.
    • Repotting during the growing season is ideal to avoid disrupting growth.
    • Experiment with different soil types to accommodate various watering habits and preferences.
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    14 mins
  • Seed Starting Masterclass

    Seed Starting Masterclass
    Apr 11 2023
    • Keith and Shannon discuss starting seeds for various plants including flowers, trees, and vegetables.
    • Seed starting can be challenging; success comes from good direction and proper technique.
    • Start with an open flat, plant seeds in rows, and mark each variety.
    • Use vermiculite as a top layer for seeds to retain moisture and encourage growth.
    • Use LED or fluorescent lights to provide ample light for seedlings and prevent weak stems.
    • Transition seedlings to larger containers or the garden once they are a month old and have strong roots.
    • Harden off plants by introducing them to outdoor conditions gradually, including wind and temperature changes.
    • Some seeds, like beans, corn, peas, and leafy greens, can be directly sown in the garden.
    • Use humidity domes or bags to maintain moisture levels for seedlings.
    • Starting seeds is a fun and educational activity for kids, encouraging them to eat homegrown produce.
    • Potatoes are an easy and rewarding plant to grow, with many varieties available.
    • Use a seed starting mix and pre-moisten it before planting seeds to improve success.
    • Cool season veggies can be planted twice a year, while warm season veggies go in after April 15th.
    • Starting seeds early in containers can lead to earlier harvests for certain plants.
    • Encourage everyone to try growing their own veggies and involve kids in the process.
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    8 mins
  • Services at the Garden Supply Company

    Services at the Garden Supply Company
    Apr 4 2023
    1. Keith and Shannon discuss Garden Supply Company's emphasis on customer service and a variety of services outside the garden center.
    2. They tier their services according to customers' specific needs, from landscape consultation to DIY advice.
    3. Garden Supply offers expert plant advice for DIY customers to help them select the best plants for their gardens.
    4. Professional landscape consultations are available to help customers make informed decisions about their property investments.
    5. The company offers a one, two tree program for customers who prefer on-site advice for specific areas of their property.
    6. Garden Supply's delivery fees are reasonable and include a flat fee for truckload deliveries or one or two trees.
    7. The company employs knowledgeable and experienced gardeners who care for the plants, ensuring customers receive healthy plants.
    8. Additional services include repotting, insect problem evaluation, bee and pollinator classes, and bonsai consultations.
    9. Customers can bring in pictures and measurements to get advice from experienced gardeners, especially during slower times to avoid waiting.
    10. Garden Supply's gardeners have diverse backgrounds, including small business owners and avid gardeners with extensive knowledge and experience.
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    11 mins
  • A Flamethrower on a Bike - The Origin of Garden Supply Company

    A Flamethrower on a Bike - The Origin of Garden Supply Company
    Mar 28 2023
    • Keith, from Garden Supply Company, shares his background and passion for gardening, inspired by his parents.
    • Despite his parents considering gardening a hobby, he pursued a career in horticulture.
    • As a teenager, Keith did odd jobs in the neighborhood, including cleaning out a chicken coop where he found a flamethrower.
    • He utilized the flamethrower to offer unique services like cleaning out areas under trees for his customers.
    • Keith had always been a horticulturalist at heart, even growing plants and rooting boxwood cuttings as a young child.
    • Garden Supply Company is now in its 27th year and started as a five-person landscape company, offering delivery, installation, and landscaping services.
    • The company's focus has always been on service, from small jobs to larger landscaping projects.
    • The opportunity to open a garden center arose when a previous one closed after six months, allowing Keith to step in and grow the business.
    • The company has grown steadily over the years, now employing around 75 people and offering various services.
    • The COVID-19 pandemic led to an explosion in business growth for Garden Supply Company, contrasting with other businesses that struggled during that time.
    • The company attracted many new customers and even employees who changed their careers during the pandemic.
    • Garden Supply Company values its customers and is grateful for their support throughout the years.
    • Keith's hands-on approach in the early days helped shape the company's success, with him personally assisting customers in every step of their experience.
    • The company fills a market void between DIY gardeners and large landscape companies, catering to different customer needs.
    • Today, Garden Supply Company is a well-oiled machine, consistently growing and adapting to the market's needs.
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    9 mins
  • What's Next?

    What's Next?
    Nov 29 2022
    Shannon: What's next in garden supply? . Keith: I'm here with Shannon from Garden Supply Company. We're talking about what's next what's next for Garden Supply Company and what the stuff we've got coming in and changes we're making. We're moving away from. Some of the mass produced products and going with more local products a new look.Or an old look if you will, a modern sixties, seventies kinda look. But she's got a long list of stuff that we've, that we're bringing in that Renee and the girls are picking up in Atlanta and from local vendors. But it's exciting.It's, we're changing it up and trying to come up with a new look. Shannon: Yeah, they're really doing an amazing job. Picking out some products turning our boutique more into an outdoor living space. Which is really exciting. Yeah. Keith: And, and working house plants, They go hand in hand. Yeah. Interior furniture with house plants and with. With new modern containers and that kind Shannon: of thing. Absolutely. And also that patio living. Absolutely. We've got some bistro sets coming in, the little table and two chairs. Sure. And then some family gathering type of things like outdoor games.Which can always be fun. Yeah. There tons of fun serving sets. Keith: Yeah. We were just talking about how bad TV was. Yes. So that's getting away from tv, and getting back to board games and things that bring families Shannon: together. Absolutely. Some of that like backgammon almost. Keith: Sure. We did an outdoor living space recently and when I'm not out there, it still makes me really happy because it's I'm viewing it from afar.. But it's, it's a covered space. It's got a ceiling fan and, there's outdoor furniture out there and it's just a, such a relaxing, fun Shannon: space. I've seen it and it really turned out stunning. And then the way you've brought in, Plants, like the white bird of paradise right out there is just, Keith: yeah.And they're thriving out there because they're in the North Carolina humidity and got a fishtail palm out there in, real modern pots. And, that's a way you can change up the look of your, the front porch or the look of your back porch. Is to update the pots and get away from some of the big heavy urns and start incorporating, you know, more modern pots and containers.Shannon: Some of the ones I love that Renee's been able to bring in are those lightstone. Or light white pots, the fiber clay. Yep. It has that look of concrete or ceramic but is so lightweight that I can pick it up all by myself. And Keith: especially like the two that we just talked about that are in my backyard the fishtail palm and the whiteboard of paradise.Both of 'em are six foot plants, seven foot, seven foot plants. In the next week or two I'm gonna be bringing them in because of frost. You can separate the plant from the pot and easily carry both of them inside and give 'em a nice, warm spot for the wintertime.Shannon: Absolutely. And really, even with those type of pots, you don't even need to separate necessarily. Keith: Exactly. They're light enough to. Shannon: for a one or two person job. Keith: Yep. Yeah, you were talking about the bistro sets. And I don't know, it's a folding type chair. I don't know if I'm, if I can destru describe it exactly, but we've got 'em on order now.We've got a couple of 'em in but they're an old sixties chair. Mm-hmm. That kind of folds up a clam shell type of design. We've got 'em in natural Jude and we've got 'em in black. I love the look of that. It's beautiful. It's Mac May material and MACRA Mays come back in with, of course it has with with hanging house plants and wall hangings and that kind of stuff.So that's a fun, fun piece of it.I love Shannon: the palettes that we're bringing too. The colors of all of this. We've got this soft blue sage, green, matte gray, and a blush color right, that are. On point for the trends. They are, Keith: and I, we're talking about updating pots and containers, I think updating wall colors. We do it in the store all the time., every time we change a set or come up with a new idea we're do, we're changing the backdrop of the color. It's something you can do at your house too. Going out and picking some of these colors that are really, The color of the year or that fits with, the furniture you've got and the new stuff that you're bringing in.Really update the space. It Shannon: does, and it's not that you have to revamp and redesign every single thing or change out all of your furniture. You can do it with just a quick little Walt color change or a pot color change. A blanket, a throw, some of. Some of that stuff that we've brought in too has Keith: been right.And if you've got a room that's painted white, I just painting one wall in, in the background or two walls in the background, you can paint half the room and still give it a great updated look. Add some of this, a change of furniture, change of pots or containers, and I think you see, really see an ...
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    8 mins
  • Unicorn Plants Part Two

    Unicorn Plants Part Two
    Nov 22 2022
    Keith: So today I've got Shannon here with me from Garden Supply Company., we've talked about unicorn plants plants that are just, you just don't think you're gonna see 'em out there. Things that bloom throughout the year that are evergreen, that will handle wet or dry, that really fit a landscape plant kind of qualification.What are some of your favorites, Shannon? Shannon: So we talked already in the previous one, about sun unicorn plants. Yeah. But now I wanted to talk about shade. Of course camillia is one of the first things that comes to mind, but so many people think about cams as being these huge. Giant shrubs and they don't have to be right.We've got quite a few that are three to four feet tall and wide. The first one that comes to mind is the October Ruby Magic. . That's a great plant. Yeah. Flowers red in the late October to Christmas almost, and stays within that realm. Controllable. Keith: Yeah. So for people that don't know, su sanks are gonna bloom in the fall.And then japonica is bloom in the spring. Su sank was are the smaller leaf cames and japonicas are the larger leaf and flowers that you know. . The su sanks are always the smaller leaf and smaller flowers, but they have more flowers. Japonicas will have great big rose like flowers or piney like flowers.And and then they flower, winter into spring. Shannon: And truly the waxy leaf of that evergreen is so beautiful all year round. It is, it doesn't matter if it's flowering or not, it's a stunning shrub. It's, Keith: it looks perfect 12 months out of the year. Shannon: Exactly. And I know you know this, but I'm from Wisconsin and the only evergreens we have are conifers, right? And it's a very limited number of conifers. Yep. That will stand that zone. And so to be down here with things that will stay evergreen. And flour. To me it truly is a unicorn . Keith: It's the same as a crate myrtle in the middle of the summerside.Exactly. People come down there oh my God, what is that plant? I have to have three of 'em. Yes. The Chails work really well. I The japonica, some of the larger japonicas really work well as a accent plant or something off the corner of the house. And in that case it's a smaller plant in a lot of cases than like in Nellie Stevens, Holly.To . Put off a two story house or a, one and a half story house where you got, you've got the space for it to fill out. Shannon: Absolutely. And they can be worked as a privacy shrub as well. They can in the shade. Yep. Or afternoon. Yeah. Keith: Shade a little bit. The only thing with the chails that, that that people need to know is they're a little bit slow to establish and, but you put 'em in and you take, give 'em some.And they're, they definitely have the value in the end. Shannon: Absolutely. One of my personal favorites, and I can't think of the name of it, is the it's one that flowers, pink, red, and white, but is all completely, Keith: yeah, I can't remember. Okay. It maybe Deb, Debbie to It Shannon: might be, we'll have to circle back to that, but we will the Andromeda?Yeah. Or PIIs. Yep. My ultimate favorite. Yeah. In that Keith: section. That's a great plant. I always tell people to put one of one of 'em in at a time as a more of a specimen plant. , because they'll, they tend to grow on, irregular in shape, which is of the beauty of the plant. Like a Japanese maple almost take, they take character, but if they, if you don't if you put three of 'em in, it's likely one of 'em will be slow to take off and one of 'em will grow really tall and one of 'em will grow really wide.So I always. Like 'em by the ones, but it is, it's a perfect plant. Shannon: It is the veining in that evergreen leaf. It's a narrow leaf, but the veining in the center is really pretty and I love how the new growth comes up. And is either bronze or the mountain fire red? Yep. That comes up. It looks like it's flowering through the summer.Yeah. But that's just the new leaf growth. Yep. And then in the fall, those buds that come up and. Tiny little bell flowers. Keith: Yeah. It's a perfect plant, I think. . Absolutely. It really is. One of my favorites in the landscape is sweet Box Sara Coca. Yeah. That, that plant only gets four feet tall, four feet wide takes a little bit a little bit of time to get going, and it doesn't really want to be pruned.It needs to have a natural, like waterfall type habit, like a. Like a versaci, but in the early, late winter, early spring, it blooms, and the blooms are insignificant other than they're very fragrant. Oh. So it's a nice shiny leaf plant and as, and the fragrance is there, so and it handles dry. It's something that's gonna handle dry shade really well. So that's one of my all time Shannon: favorites. Yeah. We've gotta talk about the anus as well. Yeah. Perfect plant, the woodland, ruby, and, but I also love the Florida sunshine. Cause when you have that deep, darker shade area that char yellow comes out like a So brilliant.Yeah. It just Keith: ...
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    12 mins
  • Unicorn plants

    Unicorn plants
    Nov 8 2022
    This morning I've got Shannon with me from Garden Supply Company. She's got a, a couple subjects we're gonna talk about. Shannon, what, what did you have in mind this morning? I wanted to talk about some unicorn type plants that I consider customers who come in and look for something that's evergreen flowering.And can tolerate full sun. Yeah. We get that question all the time. They want, they want something that's bulletproof, that, that flowers all year long, that's evergreen. That handles sun and shade. And there are few of those out there. Isn't that a plastic plant? , I mean, I mean, a plastic plant always works in that situation.Exactly. But sometimes people just don't wanna stick that plastic plant. It gets sun damage after a while. It's kinda fade. Looks like a cemetery. I put a plastic plant in my mailbox thing. You know how that mailbox got plants in the back sometimes. Yeah. And my wife is like, Man, that plant's doing well. I'd just be it.Spot it for my Kia. Yeah.home run Ron. Yeah. So I just wanted to talk about that a little bit. One of my personal favorites is the Laura Petal. Yeah. Laura Pet's a great plant and so many people come in and when I talk about it with them, they immediately think about the 12 foot one that they have in their yard that's overgrown.Yeah. And has been there for years. But there's so many other varieties that will. Actually do what they say they do. Exactly. Yep. That will stay small. Specifically, specifically that purple daydream. Mm-hmm. Purple. Purple Daydream's. A great plant. I love that one. Flowers twice a year stays that beautiful purple dark color.Color. Yeah. The color's a good contrast with just about any other plant in, in the landscape. I think the way it contrasts with that dark. in any other landscape with Boxwoods or Hollys. Yep. Or blue plants or another plant. And I think we, we had talked about in that list is a gold thread, Cypress. Yes. You know, so you take the gold thread cypress and then put the, the lower pedal up against it.Oh, it's stunning. Yeah. Those are two perfect plants. I really love those. And when you mention the sunshade, wet dry, right Nandina, so many people have negative opinions of it. They think it's invasive, right? Because it has that bamboo. Quality. Right. And there is, I mean, there's, the, the, the na and domestic I think is probably seeds itself and spreads a little bit more than other plants.But even that, where I see it naturalized in the woods mm-hmm. , it's not clogging up streams or taking up native habitat. It's just an additional plant in the landscape. Exactly. And not on, like, so I, when I moved in four years ago to my place, there were several of the flirts. and sure some of them have send out babies, but the babies are making it look like a nice full shrub.Exactly. The ones that have become a nuisance, I've just pulled out up the most and it's easy. Yeah. It's so easy, Lord. And Dan is a magical plan. I think I agree. The way the the leaves are bluish silver and then that new growth comes up, that bright red is. It's beautiful. Yeah. And nandina is definitely, you know, there are, there aren't a lot of plants that I think without, without question you can say wet or dry sun or shade.Mm-hmm. , no insect, no disease problems. I mean, pretty hard to beat. The only thing, you know, Van Nandina, when it goes in, it takes a little bit of time. It, you know, it could shed some foliage, it could thin out. You've gotta, you've gotta push it with a little bit of fertilizer. But can handle the drought, can handle the wet, can handle shade.So if you've got a situation where you're the, you know, front of your house isn't mm-hmm. , you know, half sun, half shade, that's a plant that can tie the whole thing in. Absolutely. Absolutely. And I love the way it puts out berries over the winter, so it gives it that seasonal interest. Yeah. And so both of those plants that we've talked about are both I mean, it's a, it's a wide range of plants and, and heights and color and everything else.Mm-hmm. . You've got obsession that gets three to four feet, you know, so it's three to four foot shrub or, or a flirt that gets, you know, 1, 1, 1 and a half feet. So you've got a wide range and they needed domestica that that'll get, you know, six, eight feet tall if you let it get that tall. Absolutely. And mushroom out probably to stick to eight feet tall.So lower pedals the same way. You've got, you've got a wide range from, you know, a foot or two to, you know, 10 to 12. Right. Zoo lore petal and makes a nice tree, almost like a crate Myrtle. You just have to keep it brewed and mm-hmm. take care of it. Yeah. The dark fire is also one of my favorites.It seems to hold the color so much deeper and darker than the rest. Yep. I love that one. Yeah. Dark fire is an amazing plant. Yeah. Another one too is the abi. ABIs a great, one of my favorite things about ABI is growing up there was, they were always pollinator plants. You know, you, ...
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    12 mins
  • The Power of a Local Business

    The Power of a Local Business
    Oct 4 2022

    Keith Ramsey: [00:00:00] Hey, Keith Ramsey with the Garden Supply Company. I've been talking a lot lately about hiring and our team, the length of time our team has been there, what a difference a good team makes, and how to manage them.

    I think it's the key part of a business. It's having the right people and people that enjoy people; owning a local business is a core in the community. You want people to. To look forward to coming out and seeing people they know, you see the same faces.

    You get the same advice from people, and it's, so it's not all about selling somebody, something. It's about creating a space. Where people can come and enjoy themselves, where they can unwind, people [00:01:00] consistently say garden supplies, their happy place. And when you need to be perked up, going and standing around in a bunch of green and flowers is not bad.

    It's a great environment. But when you show up there and people that you've known for 25 years. they're seeing the same people, so their friends are theirs.

    They're their friend that knows how to garden, a friend with an answer. I feel like that's probably like one of the biggest successes we've had is having a really good team. When we're looking for new people, we're looking for people that have a great attitude, that wake up in the morning, excited about going and doing something.

    And that have an extreme interest in gardening. They garden with their grandmother or they garden with their mother or their father. Stay-at-home moms, that, it's more interest than it is like strong knowledge. And [00:02:00] then, when you have somebody that's excited about the world, excited about waking up and going out and doing so.

    They'll figure it out.
    Then we train, we're constantly training people and teaching people, but I just feel like, every time I go into a business that is thriving and that and that you're excited to go to it's because of the team. Yeah. Just, it makes all kinds of difference.

    , we've got lots of people that'll that it's a second job for 'em, they're they've, a lot of times I'll find people regular customers that I've known for, you know, back to the, how long have you known some of these people? I've known most of my customers I've been there 26 years.

    So it's they're like friends, they're like family, you're excited to see 'em when they come in. But then there'll be people. They'll come in. They're talking about what's going on in their life. And we just got back with the grandkids. I retired two weeks ago. And I'm like, well, you're gonna get bored. So when you know, it's somebody, I already know, it's a friend, it's, and you know, what kind of gardener they are and how much knowledge they have. And so we'll, I'll talk, people like that into coming into the team.

    And it's just, I feel like having people that like [00:03:00] people and that and that like plants it creates an environment that's welcoming and people are excited to, to come in and see their friends basically. I just thought that was worth mentioning. I think it is crucial.

    Making an inviting, fun place in the community where you've got, you've got a friend in the gardening.
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    4 mins