Cheap Tricks: Urban-izing Your Space

Staff compiled

The urban look is great for mixing it up in your garden center. The bright splashes of color catch the eye and provide a really unique, separate focus on the retail sales floor. You could highlight plants that are great for small spaces here or just display plants that you want to stand apart from the rest. And the best part? All you need is some metal, upcycled materials and a whole bunch of spray paint. Here are a few examples we’ve found in our travels of ways to urbanize your garden center.



Tin Can, Rusted
These great containers were found at Redenta’s Garden in Dallas, Texas. They provide just the urban look needed to appeal to a young, affluent crowd in Dallas’ downtown, where the garden center is located. Bonus points for the little bit of rust on the container.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub
At Campbell Road Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina, Phil Campbell adds a decorative element to her outdoor retail area using galvanized tubs painted in a lime green color.    

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Urban Jungle
Editor Chris Beytes found this gem of a display at IPM Essen in Germany this year. These require an artist’s touch, but can be replicated to set off plant displays using a variety of materials, including metal barrels and wooden pallets.

Metallica
These potted bromeliads are called “Urban Industry” from Bromeliad Specialist and they were spotted at HortiFair in the Netherlands. Customers are looking for all types of looks and this one provides a great urban look in a potted plant.

Recycle and Reuse 
Phil and her team at Campbell Road Nursery took a 20-ft. section of corrugated pipe and cut it into different-sized pieces to make interesting containers. You just fill them with soil and paint them with a special spray paint that adheres to plastic—this one in a striking purple. Phil says they’re great for tomatoes because the rabbits can’t get to them. GP