I partook in a Display workshop session, almost all Plant Centre staff have been put on this training. It was led by Chris Nook who use to be a banker, has run his own Garden Centre before, was tutor of a related course at Hadlow College and has trained & advised big chains like Wyevale. He talked about:
Displays 'to stop' and Merchandise 'to shop', and how displays should impress or inspire. Reputation is everything and fact is very little. How the RHS Plant Centre should play to its reputation as a high end business. How part of successful displays is about organisation, time efficiency etc, 'Retail is Detail'. How an American garden centre wears big hats on busy, key periods and badges saying 'I'm here for asking questions', allowing for other less conspicuous staff members get on with sorting out displays, stock etc. It was very retail and sales orientated, which is fine but I was hoping it would cross over being ornamentally/ visually/ psychologically interesting too, but it wasn't really and was just about very obvious, blatant types of displays, which I didn't feel was too relevant to what I'm interested in.
We worked in groups, chose an area we thought could be improved and then worked on it. Photo 1 was a team's display of roses where there was already a pergola, with all the relevant signage, related products etc, and to also help highlight the rose area.
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| Photo 1: A rose display. |
My team worked on an iris display that we thought was too flat (Photo 2).
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| Photo 2: Iris display. |
In the afternoon I resumed the rose pruning masterclass. I got to experience how it is to shear roses like a hedge, close to the hedgecutting approach I have mentioned (Photo 3). Like flailing, there were some snags and tears and it felt strange doing it like this, but it will be interesting to see if it makes any difference when it grows.
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| Photo 3: Rosa Flower Carpet White 'Noaschnee', a ground cover type rose. |
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| Photo 4: Rosa [Twice in a Blue Moon], ones that are pruned are at the front. |