You might be wondering what exactly makes a garden center like Windermere Garden Center truly thrive? Simple: knowledge, experience and just the right amount of fun!
Our Staff bring decades of experience to the table as well as unique methods, loud opinions and a commitment to making things fun.
Especially when hot and busy...
Here are 7 tips from our highly professional team at WGC (just don’t tell the boss about some of them)
#1 - Springtime is a fast-paced work environment planting thousands of individual plants, planters and hanging baskets. The work area can be crowded and loud sometimes with fans heaters and lots of talking. To save time and avoid shouting, a well aimed plug of soil can be a very effective tool when you need to send a message to a coworker. We recommend the side of the head for maximum efficiency!
We find this encourages alertness, saves time and steps while helping to improve aim and reflexes.
#2 - Hydration is key throughout the entire season. No matter the temperatures outside, our greenhouses are always toasty keeping all the plants and staff warm and growing. Proper hydration is vital inside the greenhouse and also outside during the busy and very hot summer months. If a team member appears overheated, we recommend a quick little flick of the watering wand for a short burst of refreshing cold water to help them cool off a little bit. They should probably have a drink too but the hose is more fun!
If you hear a yelp, that is simply their way of saying, thank you for helping me to cool down with that refreshing little sprinkle of water! It really is all about helping your fellow co-workers (and plants) we are always happy to help! (and that’s the story we’re sticking to it)
#3 Plants grow better when they hear encouraging words! Some of our most seasoned and experienced staff members are very skilled in the art of plant motivation. Offering words, sometimes grown-up words, of encouragement to the plants is a part of our day (some of us are better with the grown-up vocabulary than others)...
If you see staff speaking to the trees or see them in the petunias mumbling, they are probably trying to encourage plant growth, helping them to grow big, tall and beautiful for our customers. A proven method of encouragement, or have they finally gone a bit nuts?
“It’s Science”
#4 - Creating a sense of abundance! There’s always room for more plants. If you think we have enough, we can assure you there is always room for more... and more... and more after that!
We keep our store full to the brim, so you have lots of options and choices. Although, one staff member feels that a few less petunias wouldn’t hurt...
#5 - We are experts in reinforcing team building with words of motivation and encouragement, mostly through mild insults and of course a well-timed shot with the hose. A strong team requires honesty, trust, and occasionally a well-timed jab. Since most of us are Gen X we do love a good insult, both giving and receiving.
All are delivered with love, teamwork, impeccable timing and just enough edge to keep us all laughing.
#6 - Pronunciation matters! As a form of botanical training, we encourage learning through shouting out the names of plants over and over again, extra points for a silly accent and volume. Some may call it “echolalia”, but we call it knowledge reinforcement!
#7 - We have found that plants respond best to disco music on Fridays on the potting shed, so we have disco Fridays with a very positive playlist of ABBA. We can tell just how much people love the music by all the dancing and singing we do. Occasionally someone will ask 'what the heck are we listening to?’, usually from the younger staff. That's how we can tell they REALLY like the playlist!
In all seriousness plants and people grow best in a positive environment where people and plants are happy to be there. We do take plant care very seriously, creating an environment that is good for the plants and the people, one that is filled with respect and a lot of laughter.
To all the new staff that have joined us this year we say: “Welcome to the potting shed”. You already fit like a new pair of sparkling gardening gloves! We’re so happy to have you on our team!
When you come to visit us at Windermere Garden Center we hope you can feel it too!
Laughter, friendship and lots of shenanigans.
BUT, we draw the line at Wet Willys.. Ben, we're talking to you!
Written by WGC Employee's Elaine K & Janet H.
