Lo- to Hi-Tech at Work

Ellen C. Wells

Need to communicate with customers? Scheiderer Farms, Marysville, Ohio, has it covered.

Follow the Dots
Using symbols to communicate is as old as cave paintings in France. Benches with simple and spottable colored dots wordlessly communicate what color plants customers will find on that particular bench. The benches themselves are painted a dark color to bring out the pop in the flowers and foliage.

Say It With Sizzle
Chalk signage gives the sign maker some room to get creative with color, dimension, humor and verbiage.

Authority Figures
Signs can establish you as the expert. Whether it’s fertilizing flowers or arranging them just right in planters, the folks at Scheiderer Farms are clearly the pros—because the signs say so!

Getting Digital
Cutting-edge technology is within the reach of any size garden center. Scheiderer Farms worked with Sunrise Marketing to develop a store app (search iTunes under the store name and check it out!), through which customers can watch instructional and educational videos as they (and their smart phones) pass through the store. The app also has directions, hours, store news/blogs, a mulch calculator and sale information. GP