Retailer Spotlight: Moss Garden Center

Moss Garden Center is in Ketchum, Idaho, a town of about 3,300 people in Idaho’s Sun Valley mountain resort community. Company president Greg Moss and general manager Jason Kindred oversee all aspects of the business.

The company opened in the spring of 1990, but the Moss family has been in the horticulture business much longer. Greg Moss’ grandfather, Ed, built a greenhouse in Jerome, Idaho, 75 miles south of Sun Valley, in 1952. His parents later turned the business, Moss Greenhouses, into a wholesale bedding plant supplier for Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah and Montana. Greg’s brother Kevin now operates the wholesale business. Moss Garden Center buys 90 percent of its plant material from Moss Greenhouses.

Moss Garden Center’s 14,000 square feet of retail space includes offices, a gift shop, greenhouse and outdoor display area. The property, which also has 14,000 square feet of parking, is in a mixed-use residential area on the edge of the commercial core.

“Being in a resort community we have a unique mix of clientele,” Greg Moss said. The company’s clientele includes full-time residents, landscape companies and many owners of second homes. Most customers are within 12 miles of Sun Valley.

“Because the majority of our customers are second homeowners, custom container planting is a major part of our business because of the ease and convenience it offers,” Moss said. “Customers can purchase pottery from us or bring in their own containers to be planted.”

Moss Garden Center sits at an elevation of 6,000 feet, so it’s crucial for plant offerings to be hardy enough to withstand the mountain climate. “We try to provide a full selection of Rocky Mountain natives, hardy grasses and xeriscaping material,” Moss said.

Moss is excited about “new varieties that continue to evolve in the industry,” as well as drought-tolerant grass lawn seed, which takes very little water and only needs mowing once a year.

For more: Moss Garden Center, (208) 726-0949; www.mossgardencenter.com.

Favorite products

Weeding tool

The Speedy Weedy is a weed puller that is fast and easy to use. The company that makes it is in Sweden, but several companies import it to the U.S. Moss Garden Center buys Speedy Weedy from Good Nature Organic Lawn Care, where it retails for $29.95.

For more: Speedy Weedy, telephone +4633-285827; www.speedyweedy.com. Good Nature Organic Lawn Care, (888) 529-6723; www.whygoodnature.com.

Terra-cotta pots

“We recently found a line of beautiful handmade Italian terra-cotta pots,” Moss said. Large (up to 3 feet) and frost-resistant, “these aren’t your typical terra-cotta pots.” According to their importer, Elements International in Portland, Ore., the pots are made sustainably with clean-burning, natural gas-fired kilns using “natural elements in the clay that fuse together and make for a durable product.” Wholesale prices range from just under $100 to the upper hundreds.

For more: Elements International, (503) 223-1600; www.helloportland.com/ElementsInternational.cfm; info@elementsinternational.com.

Natural deer repellent

Deer are plentiful in the region, so customers are interested in deer-resistant gardening. Liquid Fence is a natural, biodegradable repellent that keeps deer and rabbits away from plants without harming the environment. The company also offers products designed to repel other animals.

For more: Liquid Fence, (800) 923-3623; www.liquidfence.com.

Green goods

Hanging baskets

Hanging baskets are an ideal choice for Moss Garden Center’s largely seasonal clientele. Sister company Moss Greenhouses “provides us with fabulous hanging baskets,” Moss said. Tuberous begonia hanging baskets sell especially well.

For more: Moss Greenhouses, (208) 324-1000; www.mossgreenhouses.com.

Hardy roses

 “Most people are surprised that they can grow roses in the Ketchum/Sun Valley area,” Moss said. “We have created a selection of cold-hardy roses that do well in our (USDA Hardiness) Zone 4 environment.” The best-performing roses at Moss Garden Center are Morden roses, including Morden Centennial, Morden Fireglow, Morden Blush and Morden Sunrise.

For more: Jackson & Perkins, (800) 545-3444; www.jproses.com.

Lavender

Lavender is popular at Moss Garden Center. Moss recommends ‘Munstead’ and ‘ Provence.’ “These hardy varieties are low maintenance and provide a lovely fragrance with vibrant color throughout the summer.”

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For more: Blooming Nursery, (503) 357-2904; www.bloomingnursery.com.

June 2008