New stats reveal state of the garden industry
Reports issued in the last few weeks show garden retailers have challenges ahead of them.
• The U.S. lawn and garden market racked up $24 billion in sales in 2006, according to a report from Packaged Facts. Sales are only expected to reach $25.7 billion by 2011. Organics is 1 category showing growth. This segment saw a 12%-14% increase over the past 5 years.
• Total lawn and garden retail sales declined 3% to $34.077 billion in 2006, according to the Nat'l. Gardening Survey. Total lawn and garden sales have not seen a significant increase in the past 4 years. U.S. households spent an average of $401 on lawns and gardens in 2006, 3% more than the $387 spent in 2005.
• Home centers have supplanted garden centers as the top outlet for garden purchases, Research and Markets reported. Garden centers have been forced to refocus on narrower, more specialized inventories to compete.

Home Depot to help revitalize American elm
Home Depot is trying to sell 12,000 disease-resistant elm trees, according to a report in USA Today. The trees retail for $110 to $275, depending on size and shipping costs. Each tree features a tag with "Return of the American Elm" describing the evolution of the disease-resistant tree. Elms were once prevalent in the U.S., but fell victim to Dutch elm disease, which was introduced in the 1930s.

Big boxes come in smaller packages
Wal-Mart and Home Depot are experimenting with smaller stores. The mass merchants hope compact sizes will help them penetrate urban markets.
• Small strategy. MarketWatch
• Depot's cozy digs. Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Half-size HDs. Int'l. Herald Tribune

Group launches 'call before you dig' hotline
People are being encouraged to dial 811 before digging holes for trees, shrubs and backyard ponds. The new national hotline was launched this month to help prevent injuries caused by inadvertently striking a utility line. Callers can request that technicians come out and mark the approximate location of all utility lines. The 811 number was created to eliminate confusion caused by multiple "call before you dig" numbers across the country.

Deadline nears for Pondemonium registration
Aquascape's Pondemonium 2007 will be held July 14-22 in the Chicago area. Education sessions, tours and hands-on workshops will be held for retailers and contractors. Early registration ends June 16. For more: (866) 877-6637.

Garden Center names Innovator finalist
Congratulations to Pasquesi Home and Gardens, Lake Bluff, Ill., a finalist for the 2007 Garden Center Magazine Innovator Award sponsored by Garden Market Expo. Pasquesi's new location, open a year now, has thrown down the retail gauntlet to the rest of the garden retail industry. Its high level of design and retail raises the bar of what's possible for an American garden center.

View from a blog
Chaos theory of a garden center spring. Open Register

Worth a visit
Call the category what you will -- Earth friendly, organic, sustainability -- this is a topic you will stumble across time and again, Garden Center editor Carol Miller says. Only on GreenBeam.com.