long shadows persist but change is in the air…

Once February comes, I know that the dreariest part of winter is over.  The sun is higher, though long shadows persist.  While winter seems so long, I’m already concerned about getting my pruning done before spring.  And in the office- the new plant additions for the catalog, new signs, filing- all of that stuff needs to get done before the onslaught of spring’s paperwork and motherload of work outdoors.  Winter is long, but it’s short too!

Speaking of the catalog.  We will not be printing a catalog this year- and perhaps no longer print one at all.  Simply put, we can’t afford the almost 5 figure cost and we don’t consider it the most environmentally friendly option among the choices we have today.  The catalog will be available on-line to download, sort through and print any pages you’d like.  In light of this, we will be outfitting the nursery with updated plant information signs and various other on-site tools that will fill the void of the physical catalog.  All the information that was in the catalog will still be available, just in a different form.  We’ll be updating and expanding our information and plant selection guides- those will be available at the nursery in hard copy and also downloadable online.  We’re optimistic that these changes are in keeping with a more efficient and sustainable way of doing business.

This blog will be taking a back seat as well while we engage you through our email newsletter and our online photo galleries.  There are so many means of communicating electronically, and we want to make sure our efforts are efficient and meaningful.

Where we’ve used the blog to share photos of the garden, we’ll now use our Flikr account where we can share photo albums.

Where we’ve used the blog to keep you informed of events and promotions, we’ll now use our email newsletter which you can subscribe to.

Where we’ve used our blog to connect you to like-minded businesses and businesses in our area, we’ll connect you through our website- rockydalegardens.com.

Amy, our Nursery Manager, is writing our first newsletter this week. Her topic is “Hype and Circumstance”- her thoughts on new cultivars and her search for feedback from you. She hopes to engage you in feedback and compile your comments in an on-going discussion in our newsletter which we will email regularly.  Sign up here. If you’re hot to get started, you can reach Amy by email- amy@rockydalegardens.com right now!

These changes sound big, but they’ll hardly be noticeable.  Our goal is to run a sustainable business and provide you with the greatest selection of healthy and interesting plants while providing expert advice.

As always, we’d love to hear from you!

Thanks for tuning in!