This is a view of the right side of the Outside garden.
By the wall are all the bagged soils and, further down, all the mulches.
The left side has tables as well--but the most left ones are under the "Hoop"
which is a roofed over part near the building wall. These plants need watering often--
as the rains do not get to them....
Other merchandise there is all kinds of pots and W-Boxes, and stakes and trellises,
and raised garden kits, statuary, etc.....
My only comment here is---UGH!!!!!
Would you have these in your back yard? I would NEVER have any one of these!!!
WHAT is it with the crazy colors the last few years????
OH, YEAH!!!
The moved about 30 carts of stuff across the street again --on the parking lot....
Do you have any idea what I have to go through to get the hose over there to water these?????
You DON'T want to know---Talk abut bad planning!!!!
Talk about total exhaustion getting a 100' rubber hose there and back----and watering everything....
SOOO--Lets move on to better things--like all these CRABS!!!
With all my company here--we went out to dinner and Crabs at "Jimmy's
Famous Seafood House"--and had a feast! There were 9 of us.....
You don't want to know what the bill was!!!!! We all shared, of course!
Old friends--Old times--reminiscing......All worth it...
Gita
Gita wrote: "Hey, Holly!!!!! How are YOU doing???? Not as "glamorous" as you thought--I bet...
Work is killing me--as I ,pretty much, spent my whole shift Tues. and Wed. watering...
My foot hurts so bad! It just is NOT getting any better.
No rest this week--as they have me doing the "Do It Herself" workshops.
One tonight 6:30Pm-8:30PM. (my day off otherwise) and the other Sat. afternoon--also my day off--usually...
Setting up--Standing on my feet for 2 hrs. and then dismantling the whole display. O-U-C-H!!!!
I really have NO desire to go out and work in MY garden after days like that!
OK! I will "quit my "...Gita"
And Holly responded: "Post #8518958
Quote
Gita, I was sure I posted a comment to you here. Well it said I wonder how you do it all. I like the job but I am exhausted when I get home. My poor tired legs and occasional aching back. I have a couple of younger boys with muscles as loaders but I am still doing a lot of loading and lifting myself. The last day I worked I moved pots for most of the day. It was a rainy day not very busy. Had time when I did have customers to really help them find what they were looking for. I taught a young couple how to read the plant tags so they could understand what they were looking at. LOL"
I've copied their comments from another thread here so I can chat about them on this thread. Hope no one minds the double post!
Chatting is what its here for!
I didn't think Holly would have so much lifting and moving to do.
I wish Gita could be lent a nice bar stool height chair from the patio furniture display, for a bit of rest behind her table.
Just looking at the 10 day forecast and seeing mostly rain. Hopefully we won't have the same spring and summer season as 2009. Had lots of rotten roses, tomatoes and other stuff that year.
Holly and Sally-----
I don't need to have a stool "lent" to me--I bring an old, wooden one myself.
Put my name on it---BUT-- I never sit down on it. If I do--it lasts about 15 seconds....
Holly, you and I are both "doers"----Maybe Type "A"'s???? We just are not slackers no
matter how hard it is....I bet you--if YOU or Me have a free moment--we look for work and we
"see" what needs to be done--and then do it. Right Holly?????
SO! We become the "sacrificial cows" when watering needs to be done---
because they KNOW that we will do it right. And--we will do it correctly!
As far as lifting things---one can attempt to do it. IF it is too heavy--like a water soaked,
large bag of garden soil--I cannot!!! And--I DO NOT! I an NOT stupid!!!
If all else fails--I say to the customer--"You lift one end--and I will lift the other"--and then
it is not so heavy after all. If they cannot--and you caNANOT--THEN THEY Have to wait for help.
Waiting for some new hire to help--who is about as big as matchstick--is not going to work.
They run around all day like deer in the headlights...with blinders on.......:o)
Holly---IF all else fails--you call for a Lot Attendant, or Loader, on your walkie-talkie that you
need assistance in the soil/mulch/stone/pavers/ whatever section. And--they should come.
We are females----do not attempt to destroy your inner organs lifting anything you cannot lift.
Moving pots around is different---you just grab the stem and drag it wherever it needs to go.
One never needs to "lift" huge pots with plants in them. Grab a handful of the top foliage and lift/drag it.
Holly--You will be exhausted until your body gets used to doing more heavy, physical work.
At home you have always had Ric to rely on. At your job--you do not. It does take time!
Here's a "mantra" of sorts.......practice it! "IF I DON'T MIND--IT DOES NOT MATTER"....
Look at ALL the physical work as FREE body-building---strength training--endurance exercises, etc..
You DO NOT have to pay $$$$ to join a health club! You can do it free--every day at work!
Just think about how many miles you walk each day as part of your job! No need for a track!!!!
Believe it or not----I actually turned one man's WHOLE mindset around who works in Millwork here.....
He is in his 50's....and one day as I stopped to talk to him--he started bitching about all the physical work
he had to do--and how he was too old for this----and how he was going to quit--because he did not
want to do all the lifting, and walking and bending and reaching.....
I stood there--and, pretty much told him all that I just wrote above.
From that day--his whole mindset changed! He realized the good all this physical work was doing him.
He has told this story to many people--even in my presence---how he appreciated me "opening his eyes"
to all the good this kind of hard work can do.
SOOOOO! Try to change how you look at all this.....It is FREE conditioning.....
Many new hires at the HD/Lowes will lose about 15lbs in a couple of months--mostly because
of all the walking....bending...lifting....not munching all day long....NOT smoking all day long....
Wear a pedometer, if you want and see for yourself!
For these "beanpole" new hires? Watch them put on some muscle! Get all "buff".....
NOW the girls will look at them differently.....
Besides--these "newbies" learn discipline--courtesy--team work--responsibility to others--
"cause and effect" (if they party too much the night before and are late for work--and, eventually,
get fired)---complying with Company policies, even if they do not agree---learning that there is NO
place for age-discrimination, because that 60-year old next to them can do a lot more than they can!
They learn that proper grooming plays a big role in how they are perceived as well....
Such amazing Life Lessons!!!!! Just because you work for a Big Box Store! or--anywhere else--
IF thy have strict guidelines.....You either DO--or you DON'T-----the choice is theirs!
NOW----I hope everyone reading this will give all the common complaints a second though!
Loving life,,because I have all this in MY life!!!! Gita
You are right Gita,
Remember I worked for years in the warehouses. Lifting and carrying aren't new to me. But since I retired I don't do as much heavy work as I use to. I am getting some of those old muscles back in shape and you are right it is good for me. And I have dropped my gym membership at least for the summer.
Sally there is always a few bags of mulch or dirt to load really I probably do more as I am a willing hand. Always offering to help the customer or other employee. Anything big we get the loaders to take care of.
Hi Ladies - Had very busy last week or so. Haven't been to Dave's for about a week or so it seems. Anyway.....glad you posted all that you did Gita. I loved the photos and your store looks in top notch condition. I have been to stores when now that I think about it, the bosses must have been away for the day because the displays looked nothing at all like the beautiful ones you showed here. I am quite impressed.
I haven't been going to very many stores at all as of late. I did get an inkling to go after looking at these pics though. I love a garden center, love, love, love. Truth of the matter is that after Judy's (Buttoneer) visit two weeks ago I have enough houseplants that need re-potting to keep me busy for a while. That is not even speaking to getting some things potted up for the swap. Has a thread been starting to list wants and haves yet?
Over the winter I always root a lot of house plants and many of them need to be potted up soon too. John has a little side business going with some of his plants again this year and I might see about sending a few of my spider plants along with him to see if they will sell. A bachelor neighbor of ours has requested some house plants for his place and so far I have only one potted up for him. I even bought a squirt bottle for him to use because I want to send specific instructions on their care. I would really hate to think I am just sending something I so carefully nurtured, to its death.
Well, it is wacky Wednesday......have you hugged you wack today? hahaha Just thinking of a way to end this note. I will do so by wishing everyone a great week and weekend ahead. Thanks to Gita and Holly for the run down on how the big boys do things. It is very interesting to hear what goes on at the larger stores. Gita, that the many plants were destroyed would have been sickening for me to watch also. Hate to hear of it.
Ruby
Hi Ruby, LOL Wacky Wednesday. Well Ric bought a scooter to run his errands on. He has been talking about getting one since he retired and finally decided it was time. It is a cute little thing and I took it out for a short spin last night. He needs to go to DMV today to get it licensed hopefully by the end of the day we will have everything we need to take it out for a real run and see how it does on our bigger hills.
Hey Gita, My job is pretty much what I expected. I was thinking today that I haven't done all that much watering. I spent almost the whole day sweeping. Started at one end and finished at the other. Took care of a lot of customers too, with all day sweeping between them. Had a display that I needed to move so that took awhile. We are still having a good bit of rain in our area so maybe there will be more watering as it gets hotter and dryer.
OK, you are two very smart women. When I go in a Big Box or any nursery and see dying plants because the root ball is dry, I wonder why are they not using a very large container full of water to water these plants. Much easier than a hose. Put in some PCV with faucets in different sections.. Short hoses to fill up the large containers. Time is money. So you fill the large container, close by the area you are watering. Dunk each plant and place it back. First it waters the root ball so it does not need to be watered everyday. In the long run it will save the large box many hours of employees watering plants.
If you need someone to sell this to the stores, just let me know. LOL. Sharon.
And I agree, do not lift anything heavy.
Sharon you're brilliant. Why have they not thought of that at 'corporate? Take some material they already sell and construct temporary shallow large bins.
I bet it is because customers would complain about pots leaking and dripping in the vehicles.
Holly, good looking scooter. I couldn't decide which was more beautiful, the yard in full bloom and looking so inviting or the new scooter. Oh my gosh, they look like fun but I am afraid driving or even riding one of those things left me when I reached fifty years old. hahahhaha
Great to see you Sharon. Yep, if the idea needs to be sold to Corporate, you are the woman to do it. I miss you gals from clean and clutter free. Really quiet over there these days. I bet your yard is looking really great by now.
Hi Sally and anyone else I missed. Hope that everyone is enjoying their weekend. We head out to visit friends in Northern VA tomorrow. Ought to see some beautiful spring sites along the drive. I feel as though I haven't left this hillside for years.....
Ruby
My sister just got her motorcycle rating added to license- they have a Vespa- 80 mpg sure sounds nice.
By the way, Gita gifted me by mail with a lovely piece of wild bird and flower wrapping paper, passing along one of those promotional freebies. THanks Gita, so nice to be thought of!
I asked this patio associate at Lowes where I could get Quackers for my duck pond. I never did get a straight answer. This ones for you Gita! Ric
Holly---
You look right into your element!!! Nice picture----
Thanks, Ric
Potluck and swap lists threads are up for Luckets/ Aspenhill swap
Yippie....we can now begin the excitement that always occurs pre-plant swap. Will list my haves to offer later today.
Ruby
ps....cute sales associate Ric.
Holly, hope you are over your verbal beating. It just kills me when I go into Lowes or HD and see plants, especially hanging baskets dying. They are being watered with a spray hose. When the root ball gets that dry, the only way to get it wet again is to soak it in a large bucket of water.
Do you know if HD or whomever you work for owns the plants they sale or if they are on consignment? I know at Lowes they are on consignment. So they water but they really do not are if thy lose some. Currently here because of water restrictions, they can only water 3 times a week. Sharon.
I'm at Lowes, Some we own some are owned by the vendor. That is why they tossed all those bulbs as they belonged to the vendor and he said trash them.
Worms---
I work at HD. They do not own the plants until they are sold--so, on a consignment as well.
The Nursery that provides the plants takes care of the merchandising. culling, throwing out, etc...
They really do a great job--as the plants on display are always nice and well displayed.
Anything wilted. stressed. been there too long--DOWN THE CHUTE they go.
They take the loss.....
They also bring in the trees and shrubs and Tropicals--but, I believe, it is a different arrangement.
I think HD owns them....somehow....
HD associates are responsible for watering all the tropicals, Trees and Shrubs--and any
Non-blooming plants (eg Hostas, perennials, Azalkeas, Rhodos (shrubs!), Grasses, etc...etc...
That is the hard part--watering all that.....That is what I spend most of my time doing nowadays...
Brutal! In the hot weather....dragging those 100', heavy hoses around....
You are dreaming IF you think anyone would have time to dip HB's in water....
There are hundreds of them!!!! They CAN be properly watered--must soak the pot--NOT the plant!
Sometimes--I go over things like this twice. First time to moisten the root ball--second time to
soak it well.
It is ALL in the knowledge and experience how, and when, to water....I have both.
Gita
I love a woman that knows her business. Sharon.
Gita, Holly and Worms,
The wholesale/retail nursery plant industry is huge......like factory farms but for plants. Grower/suppliers have acres of greenhouses with finely tuned automated programs for producing uniform plant material that will uniformly bloom, etc at precise times to be distributed over hundreds of miles in many cases to fill the alotted display space at your local big box store. What is shipped in and when is based on the previos years' sales plus a projected increase determined by corporate for "garden".
Garden space at big box stores is assigned and allocated to the products that will generate the maximum PROFIT PER SQUARE FOOT, which I think would mean your idea of several watering tubs would be a hard sell to corporate space wise Sharon. Many of you may have noticed over the last several years, rows of riding mowers and fancy grills where roses and petunias used to be displayed, or indoor green house areas filled more with patio furniture than tropical plants
Basically the function of live plants at big box stores is as a lossleader, meaning to draw people in so they will buy the mowers,and patio sets and some cute plants in designer colors while they sign-up to have a deck or gazeebo installed and load bags and bags of mulch and pavers into their SUVs. Home improvement is all about curb appeal/looking good/appearance/status CONSUMING, not gardening, imho. lol
There is a world of difference between hardgoods and livegoods an the big box stores around here atleast have mostly outsourced the "live goods" care and maintainence to merchandizing companies like Bell at HDsor Plant Partners at Lowes. Holly, Neither of these companies may yet be in your area although they are in Philly...Depends who your palt suppliers are as merchandizing is some sort of adjunct of the growers/venders
If the garden center "looks good" when the corporate big wigs do their walk thru (fast paced walking with several store management keeping
up) then all is well at least for the garden center if their sales figures are at all reasonable all of which can be played with if the store has any advanced notice of a surprise walk thru. lol and now there is Twitter!!!
Anyhow, fun to hear about what was my chosen game formany a season afterall the small, local, specialty nurseries retired or went out of business. Sigh
Its interesting hearing the other side. Coleup, your observation about consuming VS gardening is spot on.
I saw an ad for Bell plant people== ?? term they used- Merchandiser. What do they do?
We are loosing more and more small nurseries in our area. There were several that I used to visit that are now gone. When I got my job I was told that the purpose of our area is to move plants and that sure is what we do. They come in and go out so fast I can hardly keep track of what we have and where it is.
Sally----
OH! Can I tell you what they ( Bell people) do!!!!! Have compassion for them..PLEASE!!!!
We have ONE "Bell" person all day long trying to re-arrange all the carts and displays--
Water all that they "should" water....re-merchandise all that is called for....
Just because that is what is expected on thisTHIS particular week....It is brutal!
They have "Planograms" like all the other departments do. They have to comply!
These change--as all the higher ups are given THEIR rules to pass on.
Some examples:
--NO more than two kinds plants/colors per Mega-Rack in front of the Store--out on the "apron".!
--NO more than two varieties of plants on an End-Cap....NOPE!!! Cannot have three!!!
--Everything has to be "striped"--which means that if you have couple of shelvings to display plants--
top to bottom--they have to be "striped".....I am sure you have noticed this...Top--bottom--all the same.
This is now "Universal" in all retail Merchandising....Even Grocery Stores....
When the "Biggies" of the Region come to "Walk" the Store---That is what they look at and expect.
Doesn't matter that a week ago it was all different.....THIS week--TODAY!!!!--it better be what is dictated...
It is SOOO hard in out store--as we have such a minimal number of associates...
To comply with what a "Regional Walk" wants--RIGHT NOW!---disrupts the whole day and saps all
the energy from the few people on hand in the whole store....
There are endless calls for "HELP NEEDED" on the Walkie-Talkies. You just hope someone answers...
ONE person per department, as it is in our store, makes all this extremity difficult.....We do our best!
I WILL tell you all this! There is NO neater, more organizes store in our area than ours!
We have an amazing "expectation" from all the hired associates--and they try to live up to it.
Much of this is because of our amazing Store manager--Donn....and his standards for the Store.
By now we all KNOW his standards--and we all do the best we can to comply to them...
Today--ME! I watered from 8AM till 5PM--with only a lunch break. No one has to tell me what needs
to be watered! I look! I see! I DO! Even if it is NOT under our responsibility (vs Bell's)--
I feel sorry for that ONE person they have allotted X-# of hours to get the impossible accomplished...
She is ONLY human as well! NOT a miracle worker!
SO! I water and water and water---even the things that THEY are supposed to water....
NO matter! We are a TEAM! Some choose NOT to be a member of it--and some others
pick up the slack and do overtime to do what has to be done....I am one of those people....
We have a common goal--to have the Garden Dept. as neat and clean and pleasing as it can be.
That will make all the customers want to shop HERE!--NOT "over THERE!"...
THAT is what brings in the $$$ this time of year....
I hear it every day i am out there---how much more variety of plants we have--
and how much better everything here is taken care of....THAT is the reward for all the hard work!
Small as we are--we have an amazing TEAM of people--and we also have an amazing
customer/contractor loyalty because of it. Parking is available right at the front door.
Our store is NOT bogged down in some cluttered parking lot in some cluttered Mall area.
WE stand singly available--Drive up--Load up--and GO!
IF I can be just a minute part of making all this happen--I am proud of my contributions to
OUR store.
One loyal employee! MOI! Gita
So far this year I haven't been a customer at either of two stores we are discussing. I keep hearing how we are running out of planting space. Tis true, but new beds are in the planning stage. When John saw the list of wants I was writing yesterday from the plant swap he said, I better get busy preparing a new bed or two.
I know that in the past I have been thrilled when finding deals in these type of stores in the garden department. I have what is labeled as a Money Tree that I purchased some years back for fifty cents. The tag had $14.99 on it and that is my kind of deal. It has done exceptionally well and for the life of me can't figure why it was marked down so much.
Still, my stomach turns over when thinking of plants going down the chute that with a bit of TLC would survive and possibly thrive.
Ruby
Here's a link to an article about a company I merchandized for , and who supplies most annuals to Lowes around the mid atlantic. They are the largest greenhouse growers in the US and have made some innovations on the production side of the floiculture industry.
http://www.metrolinagreenhouses.com/article.aspx?id=20
If you go to their site you can see some videos of their technigues and facilities...
Bell Nurseries basically "runs" the plants in the Garden Centers at HDs in our area. They have been very innovative in the merchandizing/ care side of retail sales and have been recognized as leaders in the industry
http://www.skipjack.net/sfi/impacting_an_industry.html
http://www.bellimpact.com/index.php?page=home
This message was edited May 5, 2011 10:43 AM
Thanks for the links coleup.
Bell has 9 pages of job listings. (multi states) Mostly the seasonal merchandisers who work at a particular store, March thru June, and maybe some Oct.
Judy--
Thanks for the links....
I copied out the contents and will pass it on to my Garden Manager.....Just--FYI...
Information is worth it's weight in gold! Or--just worth the information it contains...FYI....
Gita
Hi, just found this thread!! With the lure of "anything goes", I couldn't "skip to new" fast enough and tripped over some of the musings and ramblings in between. I see there are some Neil Diamond fans here, great! I would participate more if I could get highlights more quickly and find out how to "skip to new" without scrolling a thousand posts first.
Big high today is: my red poppy opened and is a knock-out! The low is I found out I got a Reine des Violettes rose instead of a Reine Victoria rose. But even so, RdV smells awesome and it is BLOOMING even in its 4-inch nursery pot that it came in a couple of weeks ago. A record for new roses here!!
NE PA tornado warning right now!!!!! Get in your basement!!!!!
Foxnfirefly- envying you your awesome scented rose! There's nothing like a real good rose scent.
Glad you found us FNF. I thought the software program was set up here that it automatically took a person to the last post they commented on. Doesn't seem to always be happening now that I think about it though, so maybe a glitch that administration needs to be informed of. ????
You missed a great swap FNF. Let's hope you will be able to attend when Jill has one this fall. As always, I believe everyone went home very satisfied with their plant trades and definitely had their bellies full of good food.
Thanks for the warning Jen. So scary what is occurring across the country recently. A person doesn't seem to be safe any where. Always good to hear from you Jen. Hope that every thing is going well for you and yours.
Later everyone.
Ruby
Hey Ruby!!!
Looks like 2 counties got hit in PA, but not a lot of news coverage because of the coverage in Joplin
Oh yeah Jen, that is the way it goes.....the bigger badder one gets the most coverage. Are you located near PA?
Ruby
I can get there in 10mins
Congrats Sally, Just saw your answers on Ask a Gardner. I haven't visited that feature before so I didn't know you were a contributor to that feature. Great answers.
