Retailer Spotlight: Kennedy's Country Gardens

Kennedy’s Country Gardens is in Scituate, Mass., halfway between Cape Cod and Boston. Family-owned and -operated since 1960, the business now has more than 20 employees. Chris Kennedy, a Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist with a degree in landscape construction, was named Young Nursery Professional of the Year in 2006 by the New England Nursery Association.

Because Kennedy’s is on the coast, there are no customers to the east, northeast or southeast, which can be a challenge. But with the high cost of living in the area and some nice oceanfront properties nearby, the store tends to attract upscale customers. The coastal location also affects the products offerings.

“It’s important that we are experts in seaside gardening,” Kennedy said. Ornamental grasses are among the biggest sellers.

Another challenge for Kennedy’s is controlling customer flow. “The parking lot actually goes through the middle of the store, which makes it unique,” Kennedy said. “Customers can go in any direction after they get out of the car.” But Kennedy’s has plenty to attract customers all over the 5-acre property.

Besides the nursery and greenhouses, Kennedy’s offers a garden shop, gift shop, flower shop and an aquatic center with everything needed for water gardens. The store also offers a planting service and various levels of landscape design services, from Plant-a-Plan design service, provided free to do-it-yourselfers buying their plants and materials from Kennedy’s, to a complete professional design and installation service.

Kennedy’s hosts several seasonal festivals throughout the year, including ArtsFest, Earth Week celebration and WinterFest. They also offer gardening lectures, demos and a Green Thumb Kids Club.

For more: Kennedy’s Country Gardens, (781) 545-1266; www.kennedyscountrygardens.com.

Favorite products

Birdhouses

Lazy Hill Farm birdhouses are popular at Kennedy’s, with the original Lazy Hill Bird House selling for $399 and the Small Shingled House selling for $125. They have “a heavy price tag,” Kennedy said, “but it doesn’t appear to scare people. We often hear it makes a great gift for the person who is impossible to buy for. They are decorative, classy and very functional. We have several in our display gardens with families of birds in them.”

For more: Lazy Hill Farm Designs, (800) 396-3566; www.lazyhill.com.

Weeding tool

The circlehoe weeding tool sells very well at Kennedy’s, especially the long-handled version. Kennedy said the store’s gardens are weeded with “an action hoe or shuffle hoe, which is slightly different. Then we came across the circlehoe and loved the retail display that came with it. It has outsold the others ever since.” Kennedy’s sells a short-handled version for $19.99 and the long-handled version for $35.

For more: circlehoe, (800) 735-4815; www.circlehoe.com.

Organic lawn care

Kennedy’s best-selling organic products include Pure Barnyard’s Cockadoodle DOO Organic Fertilizer and Organic Weed Control, part of a four-step lawn-care program Kennedy’s has been selling since being among the first retailers to sign on with Pure Barnyard. Selling from $19.99 to $39.99, the product line allows Kennedy’s to “get a terrific margin. It also has great packaging appeal to moms looking to keep their lawns safe for kids and pets.”

For more: Pure Barnyard, (877) 873-6742; www.purebarnyard.com.

Green Goods

Citrus plants

Citrus plants sell year-round at Kennedy’s. “They make great gifts,” Kennedy said. “There is something about the satisfaction of growing your own fruit.” Monrovia is one of Kennedy’s main suppliers, and Citrus aurantiifolia ‘Bearss Seedless’ and Citrus limon ‘Meyer Improved’ are the most popular citrus trees.

For more: Monrovia Growers, (800) 449-9321; www.monrovia.com.

Ornamental grasses

Ornamental grasses do well at Kennedy’s. Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah,’ also known as switchgrass, has been successful. “Switchgrass is reliably hardy through our coldest winter in New England and the extremes of the wind and salt near the ocean,” Kennedy said, noting it’s also tolerant of hot, sunny areas. “Many panicums are native to the U.S., which is a good trend to follow.”

For more: Monrovia Growers, (800) 449-9321; www.monrovia.com.

Perennials

Kennedy’s sells a lot of Russian sage, which is very tolerant of drought and also does well near the ocean and in traffic islands, Kennedy said. “It likes it hot and dry. We sell the lights out of the variety Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Little Spire.’ It is a little more compact than the original species, about 2-3 inches.”

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For more: Sunny Border Nurseries, (800) 732-1627; www.sunnyborder.com.

April 2008