Cultivating Generosity Gifts at Botanical Gardens and Florists

By Sara Karnish

Shops at public botanical gardens, as well as florists, stock a range of gifts to give guests the opportunity to bring more natural beauty into their homes. From plants and flowers to home décor and wall art, these items bring a bit of the outdoors to the indoors.

Botanica Gift Shop at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus, Ohio, features a truly exceptional gift. “Our top selling gift is our glass pumpkin. Every year Botanica hosts a Glass Pumpkin Patch where local glass artists offer hand blown glass pumpkins for sale. Botanica has worked out a great relationship with these artists and the sales benefit Franklin Park Conservatory as well as our local art community,” explained Kathy

Steedman , Retail Operations Manager. Rounding out their top three best-selling gifts are live plants—"Botanica offers healthy unusual house plants, orchids and bonsai - we are one of the few places where plants are sold by knowledgeable staff in an environment that cares for what it sells”—and botanical-themed jewelry: “We offer multiple lines of botanical themed jewelry which is always a great gift,” Steedman added.

Dave Sawyer , gift shop manager at Santa Fe Botanical Gardens in Santa Fe, N.M., said because “gifts” is such a broad category, the best-sellers in their 650-square-foot store depend upon the customer. “Out-of-area visitors, which make up most of our shoppers, tend to look for either a souvenir of their visit or a gift for a relative or friend. For those shoppers, we look for items which are not easily found elsewhere so we can provide something one-of-a-kind and will reflect their visit to our Garden,” he explained. “Those items often feature our logo or images specific to our Garden, such as caps and tote bags, or will have been made locally such as fine-quality soaps or small decorative items. Visitors from our region, while still in cases looking for a souvenir, tend to be more interested in gardening in our area and so more often are looking for information resources such as books or nature guides rather than souvenirs.” Kelly Perry , owner of Cheerful Flowers and Gifts in Chambersburg, Pa., said gifts with a local flair are popular. “I live in the best little town! Our customers love gifts celebrating our hometown — totes, kitchen towels — anything which says Chambersburg, Pa! When you come to

Continued on page 106 visit, you’ll see why — it’s delightful!” she said.

Steedman promotes gift sales in Botanica’s 800-square-foot space by getting to know the customers and asking the right questions. “Make suggestions for pairing, suggesting books to complement a gift selection—for instance, bonsai books with bonsai plants, offering advice on how to use items in decorating,” she said, adding they have a broad customer demographic and try to stock merchandise so there is something for everyone. “Locally, our customers are young families, grandparents and students, but we also do a great tour group business which brings in people from all over the country,” she explained.

Sawyer recommends carrying an assortment of mer- chandise shoppers can’t find elsewhere. “Choose your gifts to be as unique as possible and reflective of what your visitors experienced and will want to remember,” he advised. “If an item can be purchased at dozens of other stores or via the large on-line merchants, your visitors will be much less likely to want to purchase from you.” He, too, noted their garden has a diverse visitor base: “Santa Fe is a significant destination for tourists,

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What Blooms Are Brides Looking For?

Flowers are a staple of most weddings. They add a touch of color and beauty to the big day, and are often chosen to reflect the couples’ personality or special interests.

Some current flower trends include bright and bold designs, plenty of texture, and organic, natural displays that give bouquets, centerpieces, and other arrangements an authentic look.

Kelly Perry, owner of Cheerful Flowers and Gifts in Chambersburg, Pa., said right now brides are “loving color and garden style design.”

Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Retail Operations Manager

Kathy Steedman is seeing more brides looking for both flowers and gifts that are practical as well as beautiful. “Brides seem to be seeking items that have a function as well as beautiful form. Handblown glass, locally crafter jewelry, candles, gifts with purpose,” she explained. ❖