Perry Upchurch knows gifts, so much so that at his prompting, Dallas-based garden center Nicholson-Hardie completely overhauled its gift section -- and saw sales more than triple while increasing margins by 15% after sales and clearance, too.

As a consultant to gift operations at a variety of garden centers, Upchurch travels around the globe to find ideas he might pass to clients. This blog entry continues a series on items that caught his fancy during the recent Dallas Gift Market -- and features his take on each product.
 

 A.     B.

A. Caldrea from Patrick & Company is the all-natural and organic home-cleaning line for anyone caring about the earth and cleanliness. A full range of beautiful fragrances makes any task a little brighter.

B. A ceramic garden basket, available from Phoenix Precast Products in many colors, is a great Mother's Day gift.

 C.     D.     E.

C. Fruits & Passion has introduced a new line of hand purifiers with a huge drum of free samples with just a pump push.

D. Park Hill, in Donald McEvoy's showroom, offers many plant containers, but none more garden-oriented than this series with faucets. (501) 603-0600

E. Phoenix offers many new affordable planter sets in great colors and proper sizes.

 F.     G.

F. burton + BURTON had many stylish folks wearing informational electronic billboards on their chests roaming around the aisles of the Dallas Market Center. Wouldn't this be fun in your operation, too?

G. Knud Nielsen presents a full line of preserved mosses by the bag full.

 H.     I.     J.

H. California Floral has introduced a fancy moss-covered chair that holds a pot of any plant you choose.

I. Tag Ltd. offers a new Turkey-based wreath hanger for all sizes of wreaths.

J. Fragrance is the best-performing gift category in a garden center operation, and Archipelago introduces a way to sell the refills, reeds and bottles individually. This company's proven success with diffusers and candles makes this a win-win for your store and your customers.

 K.     L.

K. Allstate Floral & Craft has the best value in holiday "unreal" fall pumpkins and gourds ... an extensive range.

L. Knud Nielsen shows you how any outdoor planter could be turned into a work of art in just a few seconds -- with things you might have around.