Sponsoring community events is one of the best promotional opportunities garden centers have. For Northern California residents, the annual blooming in Daffodil Valley is a rite of spring, and Alden Lane Nursery is intricately associated with the festival in the public's mind.

The Garden Centers of America Retail Swap Shop exchange provided the inspiration for this program. Connecticut's Van Wilgen Landscaping and Garden Center presented its success with Project Daffodil Branford. As I listened, it sounded as if we could transplant this wonderful community beautification idea cross-country.

A very profitable nonprofit partnership was formed. We teamed up with our local garden club. The goal was to plant daffodils in public places and in private street-side gardens. My notion was to transform Boot Hill, a high-profile, ugly hillside into our community's version of Daffodil Hill, a popular California Gold Country destination. The club's enthusiasm for the project took it to a global level. The committee expanded the program to a four-city beautification project. Daffodil Valley was under way.

How it works

We partnered with the Livermore-Amador Valley Garden Club. The nursery sourced the bulbs. Bulb supplier Davids and Royston provided great counsel and special pricing for the project. We worked hard at variety selection. We wanted to make sure that the bulbs would reliably naturalize, providing years of enjoyment.

The bulbs were passed along at cost plus tax to the garden club. The club added 5 cents per bulb to cover promotion, with the thought that if there were any remaining monies they could help fund additional civic plantings.

Bulb orders were booked in spring. Order forms were included in the nursery's garden newsletter. The garden club distributed forms at public gatherings and via service clubs.

A $500 grant was obtained from the Livermore Rotary Club. These monies were used to purchase additional bulbs for city plantings.

The garden club used the summer months to recruit volunteers for packaging and planting. The bulbs arrived at the nursery in September. Girl Scouts helped repackage bulbs in bags of 50.

A weekend in October was designated for the bulb pickup. Garden Club members handled the logistics. What was wonderful was that the nursery acted as the distribution center. We got to meet lots of new customers. This also helped to equate the beautification project with the nursery.

The garden club orchestrated the community plantings that took place in November after fall rains softened the soil.

The garden club created a Daffodil Trails Map that detailed all the planting locations. The maps were distributed via the garden club and the nursery.

Over a three-year period, this team effort found homes for more than 250,000 daffodils. Boot Hill was transformed into our own version of Daffodil Hill with more than 100,000 bulbs providing an inspirational display of color. The daffodil bloom time has made our community a destination for garden clubs to visit each year. The Livermore Amador Garden Club won national recognition for the project. Alden Lane Nursery is warmly remembered with the beautiful flower display that takes place each spring. It reinforces the nursery's deep commitment to the community.

Other daffodil opportunities

Because of our involvement, a wonderful opportunity presented itself. Local daffodil enthusiasts asked if Alden Lane Nursery would be interested in hosting the Northern California Daffodil Society Show. We were delighted. The second weekend of March has been reserved for the show. It is a spectacular event and is a wonderful way to kick off our spring season. Hundreds of blooms are judged. The public is encouraged to exhibit but more importantly to come learn and marvel at the beauty and diversity of this flower group. Society members provide expert care and culture tips. Show goers are treated to tables filled with miniature to full-size flowers from the clearest yellow to the purest white, even those with a tinge of green. We are treated to first-time nursery visitors who we're sure will remember us for their future gardening needs.

Publicizing events when they are associated with a nonprofit group becomes effortless. In this case, the garden club provided the press releases that were immediately used. The nursery was always mentioned since we suggested and co-sponsored the event. What a win-win situation.

Other profitable nonprofit partnerships

Art Under the Oaks co-sponsored by the Livermore Art Association. This weekend event in July draws thousands. Fifty artists show their wares and provide art in action. Our bare-root fruit tree vendor sponsors a fruit tasting (we have our next year's list available so customers can preorder particularly delicious varieties). Friends of the Vineyard pour wine tastes with the purchase of a glass. The Community Band and Suzuki Strings play.

Fall Rose Show co-sponsored by the Mount Diablo Rose Society. This show is on the first weekend of October. We rent a tent and fill it with cut rose entries. This is a great opportunity to kick off our preseason rose sale. Show goers can smell the roses and fill out their order form. A 25-percent discount is offered if roses are ordered and prepaid. These sales are over and above regular season sales.

Fall Festival. This month-long event revolves around farm and country. We partner with 4-H youngsters who bring their farm animals. Girl Scouts earn a community service patch for assisting with weekend children's events. Antique farm equipment is borrowed from the county fair.

Pet photos with Santa co-sponsored by Valley Humane Society. We heard about this great idea from Earl May Seed Co. Pet owners don't do a lot of buying when they're here but there's a tremendous amount of goodwill.

© 1999Branch-Smith Publishing