E-Commerce Connect Intel Report providing real-time gardening industry insights from retailer social media activity, including plant trends, events, promotions, and regional market signals.

Independent Garden Centers participating in the E-Commerce Connect Program are seeing e-commerce results far beyond original expectations. What was once projected to represent just 1–3% of total sales is now reaching as high as 13% for some participating retailers and growers. These early numbers signal more than growth — they point to a major shift in how consumers are buying plants and how the green industry is evolving through localized e-commerce and dropshipping.

E-Commerce Connect for Garden Centers introduces pre-designed garden layouts with Plants That Work® and Plant by Number—complete plant collections with ground templates that customers can order online from their local garden center and have delivered ready to install.

E-Commerce Connect for Garden Centers is now expanding into Canada with LaPorte’s Nursery and Landscape Direct. This marks a major step for independent garden centers looking to sell plants online through dropshipping, extend their reach, and meet growing customer demand for home delivery.

Meet the Garden Centers in E-Commerce Connect Dropshipping Plants Now!

Selling plants online isn’t something to debate anymore—it’s already part of how people shop. The only real question is whether garden centers are set up to capture those sales or quietly lose them to someone else. Most customers don’t begin their plant search by driving to a store. They start on their phone. They search for a specific variety, check availability, compare options, and often decide where they’re buying before ever stepping foot inside a garden center. If your

Garden centers are staying active on social media during peak spring season by using E-Commerce Connect’s ready-made Canva templates—saving time, posting consistently, and promoting their online stores without slowing down operations.

Firefly Petunias are trending right now—and for the first time, independent garden centers can capture that demand instantly without the burden of inventory, turning a viral plant into real, local sales. There are moments in the plant world when something moves beyond being just another variety and becomes something people talk about everywhere. Firefly Petunias have reached that point. What started as curiosity has quickly turned into real demand. These bioluminescent petuni

Real Example of a Garden Center Dropshipping Plants in the US with $38K!

Momentum continues inside the E-Commerce Connect™ network. More garden centers coming online with dropshipping in 2026...

E-Commerce Connect members are bringing the voice of independent garden centers to the TPIE stage — and to future industry conferences focused on e-commerce and growth. The Tropical Plant International Expo (TPIE) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida — one of the horticulture industry’s premier gatherings — brought together growers, retailers, suppliers, and innovators from across North America. This year, E-Commerce Connect was proud to have our members featured as speakers in a key

What’s unfolding in plant retail isn’t a battle between online and in-store. It’s a realignment of who is best positioned to serve the modern customer. Spend any time in garden retail and you quickly notice something that doesn’t quite add up. Consumers are perfectly comfortable buying nearly everything online — clothing, groceries, furniture, even cars — yet plants still make people pause. They browse, they research, they save items to carts… and then they hesitate. This isn

Sales tax responsibilities in dropshipping can be complex. Learn the basics of nexus, common pitfalls, and why awareness matters as e-commerce activity increases. Sales Tax & Dropshipping: What E-Commerce Connect Members Should Be Aware Of (This is not tax advice — it’s a heads-up) Dropshipping continues to grow rapidly, with the model generating hundreds of billions of dollars in ecommerce sales annually. As more garden centers expand online through the E-Commerce Connect pr

When suppliers start telling their customers about a program, it’s usually a sign the network effect has begun... A New Chapter for the Green Industry The green industry has always been built on relationships. Growers, suppliers, and independent garden centers have relied on trusted partnerships to move products, share knowledge, and serve customers in their communities. What we are seeing now with the E-Commerce Connect Program is the digital evolution of those same relatio

If your customers can’t tap and buy directly from your posts, you’re creating friction—and losing sales. When you leverage our Canva templates from "The Post Office", that call to action button on our flyers are place holders for your product tags. On our templates, you may see “Shop Now”, "Get Yours Today", or “Learn More”, those buttons are just part of the image design. It looks clickable, but it isn’t until YOU tag your products. You can choose to delete this button in ou

Walk into a shop like Botanigal in Sykesville, MD or a concept like The Greenhouse Bar in Jacksonville and you’ll feel it right away—this isn’t traditional garden retail. The space is smaller. The selection is tighter. Everything feels intentional. These places are part plant shop, part lifestyle brand, and part experience. You’re not just buying a plant—you’re stepping into a point of view. And lately, I’ve been noticing something else. More of these shops are starting to mo

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) has become an important topic as consumer behavior shifts from typing short, fragmented searches to asking full questions inside AI tools. These systems don’t return a simple list of links—they generate answers based on content that clearly explains topics and provides real guidance. Generative search engines prioritize clear, helpful, and trustworthy information. Instead of rewarding businesses that simply spend the most on ads or create