0 Garden Centre in United States

Some of the items that can be found in US garden centers (US spelling), often called nurseries, include annual and perennial flowers, trees & shrubs, roses, container gardens, hanging baskets, houseplants, water gardening, seeds and bulbs, potting mixes, soil amendments and mulch, fertilizers and chemicals, pottery, garden tools and supplies, fountains and garden decor, much like their UK counterparts.

Many US garden centres have other departments including wild bird feeding, floral, gift, outdoor furniture and barbecue grills, home decor, landscape design, landscaping services and pet supplies. Most garden centres have a large Christmas department during the holiday season. Some garden centres have added a cafe or coffee bar, but not like the restaurants found in some European garden centres.

Both of the largest home improvement stores in the US--Lowe's and The Home Depot-- refer to their gardening departments as garden centres. Greenhouses are commonly part of a US garden centre. Greenhouses protect the plants from late cold snaps, allow stores to keep houseplants in prime condition, and keep the customers dry on rainy days.

Garden centres employ horticulturists who can diagnose problems and make recommendations to gardeners. This is almost always provided as a free service in the store and some of the bigger garden centres have classes that are open to the public. Most garden centres are independently owned. There are some regional chains, but there is no national US garden centre chain, unlike in the UK where there are several.

Many garden centres belong to a buying cooperative. The largest is Master Nursery Garden Centers with just under 800 members followed by Home and Garden Showplace (part of the larger cooperative the True Value Company) with 260 members, Northwest Nursery Buyers Association with 46 members and finally, ECGC with 14 very large garden centre members.

The trade associations of independent garden centres in the US is the Garden Centers of America and the American Nursery & Landscape Association.

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0 A Garden Centre in the UK

A garden centre in the UK sells plants, compost, fertilizers, tools and landscaping products such as statues, furniture and garden ornaments. Some also sell pet related products and small pets such as guinea pigs, rabbits, fish and mice. Most garden centres have branched out and sell home and interior products as well, for example items such as small furniture and christmas related products.

The UK has a mix of small businesses and national or regional chains. Garden centre chains in the UK include Capital Gardens, Dobbies, Hillier, Notcutts, Squires and Wyevale. The DIY chains B&Q and Homebase also have their own garden centres, alongside their traditional DIY warehouse or store. In recent years, garden centres have evolved to become a leisure destination with play centres for children, restaurants and other activities designed to improve the shopping experience and increase the time spent at the centre. 

These changes have partly come about because the main competitors against traditional garden centres, the DIY chains, start to bring down prices and the increasing threat from online Garden centres such as Crocus, Garden Oasis, Greenfingers, Floraselect Gardening Express and Gardening Extras although companies such as Capital Gardens, Dobbies, Riverside and Wyevale have responded by developing and marketing their own online operations. Some open air attractions (eg, National Trust properties, the RHS Garden, Wisley, Westonbirt Arboretum) also run small garden centres as additional sources of revenue or to discourage the unofficial taking of plant cuttings.

The centres usually obtain their plant supplies from nurseries or from specialist wholesalers. The peak business seasons in the UK are spring (March to June) and autumn (September and October). A garden centre offers more products and services than the traditional nursery which mainly retails plants. Garden centres offer not only garden supplies but also leisure buildings, garden furniture, products for pets and fish keeping, and giftware and home products.

The oldest garden centre in the UK is 'Plant and Harvest' in West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. A walled garden, built as the kitchen gardens for the Dashwood Estate, it has been selling plants since 1775.

In 2007, the retailer, Tesco, has attempted to move into the garden centre market through acquisition. There has been a marked trend in recent years towards online garden centres which offer the full ordering and delivery service. An example of one of these websites would be Internetgardener which has been around since 2006.

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0 Cut Flower (Use, Longevity of Cut Flowers, Commerce)

The term cut flower refers to flowers or flower buds (often with some stem and leaf) that have been cut from the plant bearing it. It is usually removed from the plant for indoor decorative use. Typical uses are in vase displays, wreaths and garlands. Many gardeners harvest their own cut flowers from domestic gardens, but there is a significant commercial market and supply industry for cut flowers in most countries. 

The plants cropped vary by climate, culture and the level of wealth locally. Often the plants are raised specifically for the purpose, in field or glasshouse growing conditions. Cut flowers can also be harvested from the wild. The cultivation and practices of raising cut flowers form a part of horticulture. They are often included in that branch of horticulture called floriculture. 

Uses

A common use is for floristry, usually for decoration inside a house or building. Typically the cut flowers are placed in a vase. A number of similar types of decorations are used, especially in larger buildings and at events such as weddings. These are often decorated with additional foliage.

In some cultures, a major use of cut flowers is for worship; this can be seen especially in south and southeast Asia.

Sometimes the flowers are picked rather than cut, without any significant leaf or stem. Such flowers may be used for wearing in hair, or in a button-hole. Masses of flowers may be used for sprinkling, in a similar way to confetti.

Garlands (especially in south Asia), and wreaths (in Europe and the Americas) are major derived and value added products. 

Longevity of cut flowers

Live cut flowers have a limited life. The majority of cut flowers can be expected to last several days with proper care. This generally requires standing them in water in shade. They can be treated in various ways to increase their life.

In most countries, cut flowers are a local crop; because of their limited life after harvest they have to be marketed quickly. In India, much of the product has a shelf life of only a day. Among these are marigold flowers for garlands and temples, which are typically harvested before dawn, and discarded after use the same day.

There is also a market for 'everlasting' or dried flowers, which include species such as Helichrysum bracteatum. These can have a very long shelf life. 

Commerce

The largest producers are, in order of cultivated area, China, India, and the United States. The largest importer and exporter by value is the Netherlands, which is both a grower and a redistributor of crops imported from other countries. Most of its exports go to its European neighbours.

In recent decades, with the increasing use of air freight, it has become economic for high value crops to be grown far from their point of sale; the market is usually in industrialised countries. Typical of these is the production of roses in Colombia, mainly for the US market, and production in Kenya and Uganda for the European market. Some countries specialise in especially high value products, such as orchids from Singapore and Thailand.

The total market value in most countries is considerable. It has been estimated at approximately UKL 2 billion in the United Kingdom, of the same order as that of music sales.

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0 Styles of Floristry (Ikebana, English Garden, High Style)

Many nations have their own style of floral arranging. 

Ikebana

Ikebana is a style of floral design that originated in Japan. Best known for its simplicity of line and form, Ikebana is a design style primarily practiced for personal enjoyment. 

English Garden

English Garden style is traditionally an English form of floral design. Stems are placed in a radial fashion and feature abundant use of seasonal flowers and foliages. These designs are often done as low, tufted mounds, or taller vase arrangements that are all-sided (360°), and incorporate garden flowers like roses, delphinium and peonies. Many florists that follow this design style do not use Baby's Breath, Carnations and Leatherleaf.

High Style

High Style is a catch-all term to describe contemporary, linear designs that highlights unique forms of both individual floral materials and of the designs themselves. Arrangements generally feature negative space and incorporate asymmetric placement of materials. The style stands in direct contrast to traditional radial arrangements such as English Garden. High Style designs often incorporate unique, exotic or tropical flowers such as such as Bird of Paradise, Anthurium and Protea but may also employ more common blossoms.

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0 Floristry, Floral Design or Flower Arranging, Merchandising, and Display and Flower Delivery

Floristry is the general term used to describe the professional floral trade. It encompasses flower care and handling, floral design or flower arranging, merchandising, and display and flower delivery. Wholesale florists sell bulk flowers and related supplies to professionals in the trade. Retail florists offer fresh flowers and related products and services to consumers.

Floristry is a term can refer to the cultivation of flowers as well as their arrangement, and to the business of selling them. Much of the raw material supplied for the floristry trade comes from the cut flower industry. Florist shops, along with online stores are the main flower-only outlets, but supermarkets, garden supply stores and filling stations also sell flowers.

Floral Design or floral arts is the art of creating flower arrangements in vases, bowls, baskets or other containers, or making bouquets and compositions from cut flowers, foliages, herbs, ornamental grasses and other plant materials. Often the terms "floral design" and "floristry" are considered synonymous. Florists are people who work with flowers and plants, generally at the retail level. The term is not to be confused with floristics (the study of distribution and relationships of plant species over geographic areas.). 

Floristry is also not to be confused with horticulture which more broadly relates to the cultivation of flowers and plants.rs and plants so they will remain fresh as long as possible, and would be desirable for purchase, which also involves knowledge of customers' requirements and expectations. Ability to create a variety of floral designs such as wreaths, bouquets, corsages, boutonnières/'buttonholes', permanent arrangements and other more complicated arrangements is also important.

The flowers sold in florist shops typically represent the varieties abundantly available in the season but also include blossoms flown in from around the world. Basic varieties in temperate latitudes include roses, tulips, irises, orchids and lilies. Fashion sometimes plays a role in floristry; what is considered the flower that everyone needs to have today can change very quickly.

Some shops also stock gift baskets, fruits, and chocolates as well as flowers, whereas some shops will purchase these things only when needed for an order. Floral business is seasonal and is heavily influenced by the following holidays and events: Christmas, Valentine's Day, Administrative Professionals' Day, Mothers' Day, All Souls Day, Advent, Easter, weddings and funerals. These occasions make up the largest part of the business, with the sale of house plants and home decor being a smaller, but more constant, part. Flowers for personal enjoyment as well as those selected to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, thank-you's and get well wishes are also a significant portion of a florist's business.

Education, both formal and informal, is another significant segment of the floristry industry. Established floristry designers and artists impart their craft to students interested in floral design as hobby or career. Courses are generally available in through community colleges, via private post-secondary vocational schools and through professional florist trade associations.

The floristry business has a significant market in the corporate and social event world as flowers play a large part in the decor of special events and meetings. Centerpieces, entryways, reception tables, bridal bouquets, wedding chuppahs and stage sets and only a few examples of how flowers are used in the business and social event settings.

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