Act I: Reframing The Lot
Today is the first in a series of deep-dive, behind-the-scenes, long-overdue updates that I’ve been wanting to share with you.
My hope for these letters is simple: to provide a glimpse into the experience of owning and operating a local and independent business.
I hope they feel illuminating, honest, mildly entertaining, informative, and optimistic, no matter who’s reading: customer, neighbor, friend, or fellow business owner (or aspiring to become one).
Here's where we’re starting.
Owning a business is an ecosystem of continuous and ongoing experiments. Constant learning, research, trial and error. Especially when said business is connected to seasons, weather, and other living beings, it feels more like learning to dance than going back to school. A living laboratory of place, perspective, people, and plants.
As I’ve been spending more time in the shop this year, I’ve had more opportunities to hear from you directly. We’ve had a lot of honest 1-on-1 conversations, and your care and compassion and checking-in have often been the boost I needed to make it through the latest heavy marathon day/week/month.
Sometimes you have a direct request, and I love these – they’re the easiest to address. “Do you have any X? Can you get Y? Why don’t you have Z anymore?” I’m always listening, and it’s safe to say the shop is in a constant state of flux in response to the inputs I receive from customers every day.
I’ve also spoken with a number of you who are genuinely concerned about the health of our business in these wild times. “Are we doing alright? How are things? How’s it been?” I’ve made mention of pressure in previous letters, but I’ve been mum on any real updates in several weeks. A few of you have shared the anxiety you’re feeling on our behalf. As an anxiety-prone person myself, I can assure you it was never my aim to seed this feeling in you.
This note is the beginning of starting to speak to those feelings. I’ve been hearing more of you mention that you find these updates helpful and encouraging. Therefore, my mindset here is simple: information breeds confidence, silence breeds fear.
Let’s dive in.
ACT I: Reframing The Lot
I learned a simple and effective thought-organizing tool from friend and fellow flower farmer (and amazing business coach) Bo Dennis, “Love it, leave it, change it.” You can run just about anything through this three-way filter, and it’s become a powerful tool for me.
I’ll start with the “leave it” category, and to be clear, I actually hold a lot of gratitude for the experiences that built this. Some of the most important lessons lie here.
Leave it: “The Second Store” Model
We attempted (for a third season) to find our way through making The Lot a “second store” this spring. In short, it just doesn’t feel like the juice is worth the squeeze. I come out of each “on” season feeling battered, bruised, and beat down, hardly enough time to catch my breath before the next sprint begins, not to mention taking time to enjoy the season we’re in – what’s that like?!
It’s not sustainable in this format: financially, physically, or functionally.
It may seem like opening a second store would be an easy and logical scaling step for us to make, but it just hasn’t panned out the way I thought it might 18 months ago. I can either keep dragging myself (and the business) along…
or, we pivot.
Love It: Beauty, Joy, Community
The Lot has felt at its absolute best when it hosts community gatherings, large and small, simple and elaborate. Plant Pride, Luminous, markets, working weekends. As the plantings that went in over the last two years have begun to mature, many things flowering for the first time this summer, the space only continues to feel more magical.
I want The Lot to be more accessible, to share it more often, and to be used by more people. I don’t want “retail” to be a barrier to when and how it can be programmed and enjoyed. We’re not walking away from selling plants entirely, never! We are changing how and when we share them… (see below)
Ultimately, I’m envisioning a more intentional, flexible, and beautiful gathering space. It feels like community writ-large is in high demand these days, and anything we can do to amplify it feels like a win.
I and our team are just beginning to map out this model, so I’m not able to share any details just yet. Coming soon…
Change It: How We Sell Plants
Remember when we used to have weekend plug sales in our parking lot? That’s what I’ll be moving back to, only this time we’ll be inside The Lot. Going forward, I’ll be curating seasonal weekend sale events featuring plants of the moment, so if you need to fill a gap in your garden, I’ll have already thought of that for you – plus you’ll have the mature plants around The Lot as models, so you know what each plug will grow into.
I’ll publish a plant list in advance of each sale and would be happy to set something aside for you if you send me a request in advance, however I won’t be publishing a big online preorder.
The Fall Plug Sale will be Saturday, September 12 & Sunday, September 13, 11-4. (Also, I’ve heard your overwhelming requests for Butterfly Weed and will be doing everything I can to source them for you!)
Shrubs and trees will continue to be available twice each year, by preorder only. I’ll only be bringing in what has sold, since we won’t be holding inventory for retail. This means if you see something you want in the preorder, that will be your only chance to get it.
The Fall Preorder will open September 1-14, with pickups Friday, October 5 – Monday, October 7. October is the optimal time of year for planting to ensure long-term success.
Of the many things I attempted to grow this year, a few special collections have risen to the top. You can also look forward to some special plant collection releases next year, along with an iris sale (those aren’t going anywhere 😉).
Let’s Talk Timeline
I’m giving myself three weeks to put in place the changes I’d like to see before we relaunch The Lot as a gathering space. There’s furniture to re-arrange, weeds to pull, plants to tend, benches to build, supplies to organize, and lights to string.
And paperwork. Always more paperwork.
I’m planning to bring you along and behind the gates/scenes of this process so you can watch it take shape along with me. (The Pinterest board is so good.) I can’t wait to share The Lot with you in this new way.
The Lot will be available for community bookings starting Friday, August 14 through early November (when the Christmas trees arrive!) If you’re looking for a cozy, green, outdoor oasis for a family gathering, celebration, team-building event, graduation party, community theater reading, outdoor movie night, community picnic popsicle night, bonfire with s’mores, retreat, or something else entirely… make sure you’re signed up for our email list so you’ll know when we’re ready to welcome you.
A Note on the Holidays
I’m planning to have Christmas trees again, and they’re going to work just like our trees and shrubs – meaning they’ll be available by reservation only, so we know how many trees to bring in to meet demand. The Lot will open for pickup across three Saturdays (two of which include our holiday markets and the third is Small Business Saturday).
You’ll select your preferred pickup date when making a reservation. Details coming very soon.
Parting Thoughts
Act II will be coming next week and continues many of the themes and storylines from today’s note. In this moment of shifting paradigms and norms, turbulence and uncertainty, affordability and fear, discord, discontent, and dishonor, I’m betting on Community with a capital C as our light in the storm.
What does it mean/look like/feel like to be a Community-based business?
Let’s answer that question together, shall we?
To be continued…
See you soon, plant lovers.
-Ben, Farmer & Founder
In this moment, I’m reminded of a favorite quote that I really should frame and hang in my home office.
Just make it exist first. You can make it great later.