7 minute read
Cover Story
Member Highlight on Boulevard Flower Gardens
In the early 1950’s, Maybelle and George Landa built three glass greenhouses, establishing a local landmark on the well-traveled Route 1, also known as “the Boulevard”. Boulevard Flower Gardens began selling houseplants, seasonal annuals and homegrown florals in 1955.
By 1982, the roots had grown strong. Maybelle declared retirement and son Mark Landa with his wife, Francine took the reins. In 1986, 72 acres of farmland was purchased three miles north at the I95 interchange on Ruffin Mill Road in southern Chesterfield County. Greenhouses were constructed to increase the growing opportunities for plant production; pumpkins and strawberries were planted for future “pick your own”.
Throughout the 90’s, the Boulevard retail location continued to grow. With an increased selection of annuals, perennials, fresh flowers, water gardening, interior plant scaping services, nursery stock additions and a landscaping division, the business was profitable but the 1.5-acre site could not offer enough parking to meet the needs for future growth. The Route 1 location closed in 2007, transitioning to Chesterfield as BFG began a new chapter. This site was closer to their growing operation which had expanded to 16 greenhouses for production on 24 acres. The new retail building was 33,000 square feet and included a cafe, offering wine and meeting space. The business was honored as “Top Revolutionary Garden Center in the Southeast” by leading industry magazine, Garden Center/Meister Media that year.
Tough lessons were learned when moving an established business and then struggling with a downturn in the economy. The next five years only strengthened the determination to meet the needs & interests of the community. An acre of asparagus was added to the seasonal PYO, and the customer base was slowly increasing with opportunities for educational gardening classes, school field trips and venue options.
Mark and Francine were sharing business knowledge and the love of gardening with their two daughters, Madison Williams and Casey Landa. By 2016, they joined the leadership team, to eventually share and assume ownership within the company. With offers to sell the road frontage that year, intentional and strategic moves were made by the family. The girls were convinced they could continue the dreams of their grandmother, Maybelle. Plans fell into place as the third generation grabbed the wheel and planned the future layout of their next sales space.
on cover of Garden Center magazine.
In 2018, a new Garden Center building opened with a smaller footprint of 4,500 sq. feet. This smaller and more efficient retail operation was built adjacent to the growing houses, playgrounds, event space and farm animals for families to enjoy. During this transition Madison and Casey took the opportunity to explore and invest time into expanded social media and ecommerce platforms. Madison was awarded “RBI Young Retailer of the Year” and recognized by industry magazine, Green Profit in 2019. She commented, “…Alongside my sister, we can share the successes and challenges of the business together and also enjoy raising my family in the garden center environment.” As she worked on the business and website, Casey worked in the business, promoting sales from every angle and through every platform available to a new generation of garden & houseplant enthusiasts. The combined early efforts of these sisters proved most beneficial when the pandemic changed the course of doing business in 2020. Direct communication to their customer base now includes a weekly email newsletter, loyalty program and shopping directly online for floral arrangements, as well as curbside pickup/local delivery. Casey created a unique marketing plan for the 500 cut Fraser fir cut trees arriving at Thanksgiving.
All were given name tags. Customers were encouraged to “Bring home a new friend for the holidays!”
Many annuals, perennials and houseplants are grown on site. Specialty crops include 6,000+ mums raised on outdoor mats with the majority dedicated to fundraisers in September. The processing of these orders changed dramatically in 2022. Previously, mums were committed to groups as they pre-sold them, then pulled, sleeved, loaded, and delivered to different sites within a one-week period. The counting and grouping of colors alone were tedious. Rental trucks and hands-on labor costs were increasing. With a new perspective from the younger generation, Madison threw a curve into the process. She offered a 20% discount to shoppers buying any fall plants during a set week in September if they mentioned their favorite non-profit who had pre-registered. Those groups spread the word among their members & the communication multiplied! Customers walked into the garden center, saw even more than mums, paid, and carried them home. This cut delivery costs, increasing the profit margin at the same time. This year’s fall fundraising resulted in more foot traffic and raised sales 30% that week. Registered non-profit groups received checks for the 20% in the customer discount! Win-win for all.
Poinsettias, once grown for the Ukrop’s family grocery stores and supplied to 6 of their locations, ended when the chain sold to Martin’s. In order to fill this void, the focus turned to holiday fundraising opportunities and within two years, the growing space was filled, dedicating nine of the greenhouses to poinsettias as an opportunity for soccer and softball teams, school and church choirs, boy scouts, high school bands and other non-profit organizations to raise much needed income in a short period of time. Mark comments, “This allows us to use our production space, with greenhouses full during the late fall season and operating at maximum efficiency. We focus on raising 4,000 plants to provide for their orders. The community likes to support their groups and we are happy to support that effort.”
For Boulevard Flower Gardens moving forward, the mission is to “Educate and Grow.” The team working alongside the family shares that interest and enthusiasm to maintain this ongoing success story. Two key players, Kathy Griffin and Kelli Ewick have each provided over 27 years of support & dedication to keep the quality and integrity of the business consistent through their daily work. Aside from the four owners, there are seven full time and twelve part-time employees with years of gardening experience and various certifications. With the addition of 20 part time/seasonal, environmental enthusiasts during the peak season, it has proven to be a cohesive, knowledgeable and effective team that will generate an average of $2 million in revenue yearly.
The Boulevard Flowers business model prioritizes customer experience and plant education. The business continues to strive for excellence in maintaining healthy plant material and provide local families with the best experience and advice along the way. Continuing as a third generation, family owned and operated garden center, Mark and Francine Landa remain part-time, halfretired players and see the future of the business in good hands.
Casey Landa adds, “We hope if you’re in the Chesterfield or Richmond, VA area, you’ll stop in and see us!”
