Originally appeared in Nov. 2003 issue of Greenhouse Grower

A Blooming Business

Sawyer Nursery is helping lead growth in the perennials segment with cutting-edge production methods and excellent customer-service.

by BILL CALKINS
Field Editor
bill@greenhousegrower.com

For almost 50 years, Sawyer Nursery Inc. in Hudsonville, MI, has been producing and promoting perennials, while staying on the cutting-edge of horticultural innovation and production methods.

Bob and Shirley Sawyer, who began growing container crops for markets, brokers, and large nurseries, founded the nursery in 1956. After adding bareroot plants for mailorder, they purchased the land that is still their 90-acre main facility. The nursery is now more than 500 acres, with 427,200 square feet of gutter-connected greenhouses and a new location in Alabama.

The operation is currently building new greenhouse ranges and retrofitting older production facilities to incorporate new technologies, especially lighting and fixtures to help control bloom times. Sending flowering perennials to market is the key to strong sales, and Sawyer’s progressive approach and dedicated staff is helping them supply customers with a consistent product line from frost to frost.

Perennial sales continue to rise in most regions, spurred by consumer demand, expanded landscape use, and the introduction of new varieties. Use of perennials and grasses in landscapes is not new, but mixing perennials and annuals in containers and promoting consistent merchandising programs are catching on and driving sales.

“The perennial market is healthy for those who provide quality plants and who are willing to supply flowering plants to the market,” Kathy Ten Brink, Sawyer’s sales manager says. “Perennial sales continue to climb.” The market is maturing somewhat, perhaps some areas are becoming saturated, but opportunities still exist for those who find them, she adds.

Producing Winners
Sawyer produces container-grown and bareroot stock, as well as perennial plugs, so growers and retailers have many options from which to choose. Container-grown stock, which is shipped to garden centers, landscapers, and mass merchandisers is available in sizes ranging from three inches up to two-gallon. Plugs are grown from seed and cuttings, for a wide range of flower varieties, and growers can choose from multiple sizes to meet specific needs.

According to Paul Pilon, head grower at Sawyer Nursery, some of the hottest-sellers include Phlox subulata, hosta, and hemerocallis. Sawyer plants more than 80 acres of phlox in the early fall to be grown for a full season and shipped the following year. “It is a great task to flat up, rack, and distribute more than a million flats each year,” Pilon says. “The shipping window, reflecting targeted sales dates, is often hard to meet as we are at the mercy of Mother Nature.” Since flowering is a function of temperature, it may occur before or after the desired ship date in the spring, he adds.

One reason Sawyer stands out from the pack is the operation’s ability to bring flowering plants to market. We all know color sells and it is no surprise Sawyer-grown plants are great sellers. Understanding the principals of perennial forcing and putting this information into practice is one production method Sawyer is proud of, Pilon says. “Being creative with scheduling, utilizing each facility to its potential, and utilizing natural bloom times are all necessary to meet the demands of our markets.”

But, perennial production is not without challenges. Pilon cites a
general lack of technical information and so many crops with different needs as reasons why it is challenging to layout greenhouse environments to meet the needs of specific plants. But Sawyer’s in-house research has led to improvements in plant quality and allowed the operation to understand the mechanics of forcing perennials, Pilon says. Sawyer also recently acquired a 200-acre production facility in Center, AL, to help overcome some of the challenges of perennial production in the north.

Sawyer Nursery does not supply brands, but developed an award-winning perennial merchandising program last year, called “Grandma Sawyer’s Gardens.” The program currently includes four designed theme gardens: Bird Lover’s Garden, Hummingbird Garden, Butterfly Garden, and Ornamental Grasses. Promoting concepts like this to growers and consumers is a great way to generate higher profits through sales of multiple items. The industry has seen a rise of themed plant programs driven by customer demand for garden “recipes” and natural and native groupings, and Sawyer recognizes the role of perennials in such programs.

Almost a necessity for bedding plant growers, automation and integrated technologies are also important to perennial growers, especially larger operations. Sawyer uses a number of automated systems, Pilon says, including computer software, inventory systems, bar codes, hand-held scanners and computers, potting equipment, irrigation controls, tagging equipment, and conveyors. Growers need to look at where production systems fit into their own operations, he says. “Perennial producers are probably going to be ‘semi-automatic’, utilizing a combination of old school methods combined with some of today’s advanced systems.”

The Bottom Line
“Our customers are our life line,” Ten Brink says. “”We feel a large part of our success is our willingness to listen and make quick changes as customers need change.” This flexibility helps demonstrate attention to customer service, and the company’s literature refers to customers as investors in Sawyer’s business. Plants are “stock options” and the material reads, “Seek gains in our special annuities of ground covers, ornamental grasses, herbs, ferns, and fruits.” Like Sawyer says, buying high quality plants ready to bloom at peak sales times will help your investments quickly mature. GG