PHOTO COURTESY OF AMERICAN PLANT
Building a destination that people want to spend time at is the mission of American Plant, a 95-year old garden center in its third generation of family ownership. Marketing Manager Gina DeMatteis explains how a focus on organic gardening, community-centric events and strong giftware offerings allows American Plant to capture its metropolitan clientele and keep them coming back.
Garden Center: What do you want customers to get from a visit to American Plant?
Gina DeMatteis: We say that a trip to American Plant should be an experience, not just an errand you have to run. Our locations offer a piece of tranquility and excitement all wrapped up in one visit. We really have everything you need for your home, indoors and out. You can get your garden supplies, your annuals, your perennials, trees and shrubs. Our lifestyle boutique is a great gift destination, and then we have greenhouses that have top-of-the-line orchids and houseplants, and we do custom arrangements. So, the only thing we don’t do is fresh flowers, like floral design.
GC: What can you tell me about American Plant’s other offerings?
GD: We do have a design center at one location, where [our] landscaping [department] has an office. It’s a house on the property where the designers created an outdoor living space, so it’s a showcase for customers when they come to meet with the designers. There’s a formal patio with a fireplace, a casual in-ground firepit, a succulent garden, and a little bonsai area, so it’s a nice example of what our landscape designers can do for the