What is an EZ Scape™?

EZ Scapes are curated perennial recipes providing frost-to-frost garden interest. Each recipe is made of 3-4 perennials that traditionally grow well together and complement each other in the landscape. All recipes are built to a theme, including recipes for deer resistance, pollinator attracting, shade tolerance, and more!

 

Your EZ Rotating Endcap Program

This program from Proven Winners Perennials looks to help IGCs and homeowners bridge the knowledge gap on landscape design basics. Use EZ Scape endcap displays to quickly explain how to place plants in the landscape, seasonal progression in perennials, and help customers estimate how many plants they need to complete a project. Let the signage do the talking to customers reluctant to talk to garden center staff, or when staff is too busy to assist every customer.

Getting Started

If you are interested in building an endcap display or putting EZ Scapes in your garden center, reach out to your Walters Gardens Regional Product Manager or Proven Winners Retail Account Manager today! They will be happy to review the available POP signage, customization options, and help you build or source perennials for any desired EZ Scape recipes.

Most garden centers begin with an endcap display; consisting of posters to match their top 3-4 EZ Scape recipes and a roll of benchtape. This package typically costs less than $300. Cost-sharing is available to most retailers that reduces the total cost by at least 50%.

 

3 Steps to Begin

1. Pick Your Recipes
Use this website to find a mix of recipes with plants that work in your zones and meet the needs of your customers. Don’t see a recipe you like? Build your own or modify an existing recipe and we’ll create the POP to match.

2. Get Your Plants Lined Up
Whether it is ordering from Walters Gardens or through a finished re-wholesaler, once you know the recipes you want, get the plants booked! Be sure to order extra or have a solution prepped for when the plants in your recipes sell through to ensure you can keep the displays nicely stocked.

3. Order POP in a size that works for Your Garden Center
EZ Scapes™ POP is available in traditional poster sizes including 2x3’ (most popular), 2’ square, and as 3x5’ banners. Posters and banners can be resized to your specific needs and customized with your garden center’s logo.

 

Tips to Success

Order Extra
There is a higher turnover for plants on endcaps. If you want to keep the endcap looking full, you should be prepared with extra of those varieties.

Be Prepared to Run Out of One Item
One of your customers will walk up to the display and decide they only need one or two items off the bench, and they will need all of that item. One of the varieties is going to run out first. Partnering with a local wholesaler to keep you supplied with fresh material is an easy way to put that off as long as possible.

Pick Recipes with the Plants You Recommend to Everyone
If your staff recommends Allium ‘Serendipity’ to all of your customers, pick an EZ Scape™ that includes it so you can recommend companion plants at the same time.

 

Testimonials

“I was skeptical at first when looking at the EZ Scapes program in the beginning, but as the program has evolved I knew I had to try it. We chose 3 ‘programs’ for our 1st year, worked with our grower to pick the specific plants for those programs with posters to match. The end result was that sales of Proven Winners perennials were up 50% for the year. Now I did indeed purchase more Proven Winners perennials because of the programs, but the sales data shows us that there was a 67% increase in sales of those same varieties this year, a 2% increase in transactions where the customer purchased 3 or more, 3% increase in transactions where the customer purchased 4 units or more. So the program does sell more plants and provides the consumer with ‘solutions’ for their landscape – a win-win for us and the consumer.”
- Jerry Schmidt, Lead Category Buyer for Stein’s Garden and Home

“We started using EZ Scapes merchandising two years ago and will not be going back. We found several things helpful, but most noticeable was how our customers were empowered to make decisions on their own without as much need of sales associates. We also were excited to see that our turn rate greatly improved and it helped us to focus our buying on those plants. Since implementing, we have seen many happy customers with carts full of those specific plants.”
- Robert and Allie Bast, Owners of Bast Brothers Garden Center