10/01/2023
The Fall Event Tour Day got off to a wet start, but this Group knows how to endure and make the best of it! We didn’t let a little rain slow us down!
We started the day off at Burger Farm and Garden Center where they were set up for their 50th Fall Festival. No doubt there’s a tremendous amount of effort that goes into this event that could rival with many county fairs and why generations of local families have been coming to Burger Farm for so many years.
Stop 2 was Benken Garden Center & Florist where we were wowed with their facility and creativity. It was obvious they pulled together all their talent and spared no effort with a mock wedding and scavenger hunt for wine and roses delivered to the hotel.
Stop 3 took us to Natorp’s Nursery Outlet - a unique 333-acre plant nursery, landscape design firm, a retail store, and online plant store where we enjoyed lunch. They offered riding tours of their wholesale growing area and allowed us to explore their checkout area featuring double queue lines feeding into 16 registers and cash wraps designed by Robert Hayter.
Stop 4 was Berns Garden Center & Landscaping where we were greeted by Cherie Berns, the 94 yr. old matriarch. The operation includes two greenhouse locations with more than 120,000 square feet of growing space and two retail locations. The main retail store has 10,000 square feet of retail space, a greenhouse with 12,000 square feet of plant display and 22,000 square feet of outside covered shopping area. Berns grows most of the color they sell.
Stop 5 was at White Oak Gardens sitting on 4.5 acres with a 12,000-square-foot, ultra-modern greenhouse that’s a high-tech take on the classic A-frame greenhouse structure, complete with retractable glass panels and outdoor weather station monitors, all run by computers - built by Prospiant. Jeff has built a beautiful place for plants and filled it with family and staff who love to work with plants and people. It’s obvious his staff is a big reason for their success.
We finished the day at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden - an amazing fusion of plants and animals. We explored the beautiful trial gardens then took some time to enjoy a reception co-sponsored by Ball Seed and Eason Horticultural Resources.
A big thank you to all of the wonderful centers for welcoming us and sharing their stories! And a shout out to all of the attendees for helping us keep on schedule! The Fall Event 2023 Tour Day can go down in the books as a success!
