Today is our first Top 10 workshop at the nursery. I invited Kristen (our sales rep for L&L Nursery products/ largest supplier on the west coast) out to the store to do what is known as a PK (product knowledge) class for our employees quite awhile back. I realized after listening to some of the early season gardeners asking questions that we did not always give consistent answers to their questions. It wasn't necessarily that the answers were "wrong", it was just the hesitancy that I heard in the voices of some of us. Myself included. I have been doing this thing called Nursery Worker for over 12 years n

ow, and I still have to look at certain bottles in the early season when I talk to someone and look for the measuring amounts, square footage coverage, safety precautions etc. I got to thinking "If I have to LOOK, what must an employee feel that has only worked for me this past season". I want them to have just as much comfort level recommending a dormant oil spray as they already have explaining a why a Fraxinus pennsylvanica will be such a great addition to their landscape!

So, enter Kristen. We got to talking about some of the items that she sells to us and which ones we should cover at this employee meeting, and I realized that most questions come in again and again and again. I had everyone that works on the nursery floor put their questions in writing and then I would choose the top 10 to have Kristen go over. Guess what, there really were only about 10 that came up over and over. Then we got to thinking ~ well if there are 10 consistent questions, then maybe all gardeners would benefit from their answers. Hence the workshop this morning, and you are ALL invited!

I will post up the questions ~ and the answers ~ here tomorrow, but we hope that we will see you at the nursery this morning at 11am, just in case.....you want to bring us a question that isn't on the list. Come on, bring us a good one. See you soon, Susan

ps, Fraxinus pennsylvanica is a green ash, and yes they are lovely.