Biz Of The Month: The Bloomin’ Gardener, Oldcastle

OF THE MONTH

Planting The Seeds Of Success With The Bloomin’ Gardener

By Dave Hall

In the more than 20 years that Mike and Kelly Colasanti have operated The Bloomin’ Gardener, it’s safe to say they’ve never experienced an off-season such as the one that just ended.

“The times have changed, that’s for sure,” says Mike, just a few weeks after re-opening for the current season in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Along with hundreds of other small businesses across Essex County, the Colasanti’s have had to make major changes in their retail operations to keep their customers and staff safe.

“In addition to making these changes, we had to make sure we could hold on to our products, which were slowly maturing, as we waited for government approval to open our doors again,” explains Mike. He adds, “We don’t grow everything we sell, but our growth schedules and product arrivals are timed for a certain opening period so that everything is in perfect shape by the time we open for the season.”

Kelly Colasanti, Mike’s wife and business partner, admits it’s been a challenging off-season, but says, “We are happy to re-open. It’s what we do and it’s what we are very passionate about.”

With thousands of flowers, plants, shrubs and bushes in stock, the Colasanti’s would normally open for spring sales in mid-April.

However, this year, based on provincial government restrictions for most businesses, they were permitted to re-open in mid-May with a whole new set of rules for their customers, according to COVID-19 guidelines.

They include the mandatory wearing of face masks and customers must also remain six feet apart to abide by physical distancing rules.

The nursery’s washrooms are off-limits, children and pets are not allowed, only two members per family are allowed to shop and there are rules regarding the number of customers allowed at any one time.

Instead of asking customers to stand in line before being admitted, the Colasanti’s decided to ask their customers to wait comfortably in their vehicles before entering the greenhouse and sales area.

And in recognition of the work and sacrifices made by seniors and first responders during this pandemic, those two groups are able to shop from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

All of the changes and special hours are dependent upon further developments in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.

“We have two doctors in our family so we fully understand the importance of getting this right,” says Mike. “We think we’ve come up with a good system, which allows for efficient customer flow while at the same time keeping everyone safe.”

Since opening their doors in 1997, the Colasanti’s have supervised

Kelly and Mike Colasanti, owners of The Bloomin’ Gardener, pose in their greenhouse surrounded by scores of plants, flowers and hanging baskets they sell each year. Photo by Rod Denis.

slow, steady growth and now the business at 6673 8th Concession in Oldcastle encompasses 45,000 square feet of greenhouse space and a further 30,000 square feet of space for outdoor production.

“We could have grown larger much faster, but sometimes bigger creates more headaches,” comments Mike whose parents own and operate Colasanti’s Tropical Gardens in Ruthven. “At our current size, we are able to maintain a high level of quality control, while at the same time, offering our customers a vast variety of products.”

Kelly points out that they grow just about all their plants and flowers on-site, as well as designing and producing as many as 20,000 hanging baskets every year.

“We bring in trees, shrubs and perennials from the Toronto area and some tropical plants and flowers from Florida,” she also mentions. “We also have a big line of pottery, cement urns and other landscaping features, which we bring in as well.”

Colasanti believes the current health crisis may help businesses, such as his, as people decide to nest, stay close to home and work on their own properties and gardens instead of taking vacations.

“I’m anticipating a greater emphasis on landscaping, plants and flowers as people slowly emerge from this pandemic, but aren’t confident enough just yet in travelling,” he remarks. “If they are going to be spending more time close to home with family and friends, I believe they are going to put more energy into their homes and gardens.”

Repeat customers are the lifeblood of any successful business and the Colasanti’s are grateful to their loyal customers who started to come back as soon as the doors opened.

“We have a great following because we offer more than just plants,” Kelly states. “It’s a great place to just wander around, look for something new and listen to the music.”

For further information, visit: TheBloominGardener.com.

Take your business online!

People love to shop local! And now, more than ever, you need to be selling online.

Sell your products and services with a safe and secure website. We can help with: • Domain purchase and Wordpress eCommerce website set up • Design and Import your products with your photos • Set up payment options such as Stripe or Paypal credit card purchases • Shipping options including cash & carry