Is spring off to a good start in Southern climates?

[Delilah Onofrey]

Hello. I've heard encouraging news that spring sales are off to a good start in California due to great weather. I'd like to hear from those of you in warmer climates. How is the season kicking off?

This is what the grower in California told me:
"Yes, California is starting out strong, both So Cal and Nor Cal. Sales are good and the weather has been fantastic. It makes me think that it is the weather, duh! All our carefully laid plans taking the economy, last year’s sales, etc. etc. into account and it really is all about the weather in our industry. But we will see how the rest of spring goes."

Will weather trump the economy? I sure hope so. We can't control either but at least with the weather, we have hope.

[Paul Brumfield]

Good post Delilah! Last week we had highs in the 40's and 50's and lows in the low 20's and high teens. This week we get to enjoy highs in the upper 70's and lows in the 50's! As growers, we would like a little more consistency than that, but it seems to have lifted everyones mood a bit! I hope you are right about the weather trumping the economy, there really is nothing like a new spring season to put everyone in the "buying" mood! I have seen much promise from commercial builders and landscape companies in the last month. It looks like projects that were put on hold are moving forward and pretty rapidly. I won't get too optimistic but the next couple months do look promising!

[Carole Barton]

Hi Delilah- Hope you and yours are well!

The weather here in central AL has been beautiful the last four or five days. We had snow Sunday a week ago and by last Friday it was 70 with an absolutely glorious weekend. With the good weather, the locally-owned garden centers (thanks Lloyd T for converting us from "independent" garden centers to LOGC) are reporting good traffic and customers with spring fever who are sick and tired of awful weather and dreary economic news and ready to get outside. Looks like the weather will backslide to wet and cool in the next couple of days but if the last few days are any indication, the weather may be just as important a factor as the economy this year. Best wishes for a long string of sunny weekends to all you locally-owned garden centers out there!

[Rick Brown]

The Florida market is starting later but stronger than it has in years. This is following the coldest number of winter days witout significant sales that we have recorded. We also have had the most widespread cold damage to our tropical landscapes that I have seen since the 80's. We had not had a hard freeze in Central Florida for 5 years. The tropical look of the state is coming back especially along the coastline but the interior as far south as Naples had several fronts with temps in the low 20's so there are more folks doing a spring cleanup at the same time than normal. Sales are strong statewide but it needs to last. This is a LaNina year and we are below average for rainfall and with all the frost their is a larger amount of fuel for the heavy spring fire season predicted. In the 2007 LaNina the state had 80-100 fires at any given time in April and people were advised to stay indoors and they did and it killed sales for what is always our biggest month. Consumers are spending now but they need to keep coming to the garden center for this spring to be successful.

[Delilah Onofrey]

Thanks for the postings, Paul, Rick and Carole.
Everyone wants to know how normal or abnormal 2009 is going to be. From my vantage point, it's the same challenges and trends but just worse or amplified. I really hope people staying home will choose plants. I've been seeing a lot of press about people who do have money feeling uncomfortable buying designer bags, shoes and clothes, but I bet they would feel good buying something that no one would perceive as materialistic, which would be plants. Plants and flowers are purchases people can only feel good about. And the vegetable gardening trend is the best one all around. I was telling my boss, Richard Jones, it would be interesting for a garden center to set out some vegetable plants with the projected yield equivalent side by side with brown grocery bags filled with tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, eggplants, etc. Talk about a bang for your buck anyone could who ever went grocery shopping could identify with. I get all this for that? I'm sold!

[Michael Pawelek]

Here in my location near Houston in S.E. Texas weather is going to play a large roll in sales this year. The Houston area has moderate Winter weather and most weekends bicycle and motorcycle clubs take advantage of the cool weather and get out on the roads as does just about everyone else. Folks is S.E. Texas stay out of doors almost 12 months of the year with activities. Our first week open in March was actually the best one we have had in 36 years of operation despite the economy. The greenhouses looked spectacular and the crops first rate. We held prices to last years levels despite increases in overhead. Unfortunately last week (second week in March) was a bust as we had drizzy, rain and cold temperatures for 6 days straight. Our local farmers, ranchers and home owners needed the rain desparatley but it killed sales. This week most of the children are out for Spring break and their Mom's use the time with them to come out so we are hoping for sales to match week one in March as the weather is great once again!
We received many comments from customers our first week open that they were sick and tired of the dismal TV and radio reports on the economy and came out not only for plants but to "get away" for a while. We are located in a rural area just out side of Houston. I really underestimated folks planting vegetables and we sold out in 4 days what I had planned for the whole month. :)
Michael Pawelek
Pecan Hill Nursery
www.pecanhillnursery.com
PS- When I keep using the word "we" I am referring to my wife and I. We are a Mom and Pop operation. No corporate bail out here!!!

[Maureen F. Murphy]

65 degrees in Maryland today and our phone is finally ringing off the hook!