Gardens Alive!
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Organic gardening, lawn care, gifts and games |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Niles Kinerk |
| Headquarters | Lawrenceburg , United States |
Area served | United States (nationwide) |
Key people | Eric Hamant (CEO as of 2009) |
| Products | Organic gardening products, lawn care products, gifts, games |
Number of employees | 400–450 permanent; up to 1,000 seasonal (2010) |
| Website | gardensalive |
Gardens Alive!, Inc. is a privately held company operating multiple catalog titles, established in 1984, with a focus on organic gardening and lawn care products. The business expanded its portfolio through calculated acquisitions, notably acquiring BlueSky Brands' assets in 2008, which allowed it to enter the gifts and games market. By 2010, the company reported annual revenues near $170 million, with garden-related merchandise accounting for 60% of sales.
Business model
The core sales channels for Gardens Alive! include a nationwide catalog distribution system and an e-commerce platform. Its primary catalog is distinguished by unique DIY-style imagery. Additionally, the company manages several gardening catalogs obtained through acquisitions such as Audubon Workshop, Breck's, Gurney's Seed, Henry Field's, Iseli Nursery, Michigan Bulb, New Holland Bulb, Spring Hill Nurseries, and Weeks Roses.
Gardens Alive! operates fulfillment facilities located in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, Tipp City, Ohio, and Lewisburg, Ohio, along with a distribution hub in Fairfield, Ohio. The marketing and merchandising teams are based across Ohio, Atlanta, Boston, and Holland, Indiana. The company also produces the printed edition of "Question of the Week," linked to the nationally syndicated radio program "You Bet Your Garden" hosted by Mike McGrath.
By 2010, Gardens Alive! employed between 400 and 450 permanent staff members, with seasonal employment reaching up to 1,000 workers. Online sales contributed approximately 40–45% of total revenue, while catalog sales made up most of the remaining income. Gifts and general merchandise represented around 40% of total revenue; gardening products made up the other 60%. In 2011, Gardens Alive! dominated the U.S. seed catalog sector with $100.6 million in seed catalog sales, significantly outpacing the runner-up Park Seed Company, which reported $24.8 million.
History
The founder of Gardens Alive!, Niles Kinerk, was raised on a farm near Fort Wayne, Indiana where his family tended livestock. With an early passion for horticulture and organic methods, Kinerk gained experience working at Burpee Seeds and Josten's Publishing before launching a library supply catalog named The Library Store in 1978.
In 1984, Kinerk sold that enterprise and started The Natural Gardening Research Center, concentrating on biological pest management solutions. The company rebranded as Gardens Alive! in 1998; its inaugural catalog mailed out 25,000 copies during that first year and received 325 orders. By the fourth year, orders had increased to 60,000 annually, prompting staff growth.
Throughout the 1990s, Gardens Alive! expanded its offerings to include organic substitutes for chemical pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers. In 1997, it acquired Audubon Workshop, a bird-themed gardening catalog. Annual sales had grown to $15 million by 2001.
In that same year, Gardens Alive! purchased assets from Foster & Gallagher—who had filed for bankruptcy—for $10.75 million; this acquisition included Breck's, Gurney Seeds, Henry Field's, Michigan Bulb, Spring Hill Nursery, and Stark Bros., though Stark Bros. was immediately divested. The integration of these brands primarily took place at facilities in Lawrenceburg and Tipp City, Ohio; Spring Hill continued to expand through further acquisitions.
After BlueSky Brands declared bankruptcy, Gardens Alive! acquired two of their catalogs and initially reopened their distribution center in Westerly, Rhode Island before transferring fulfillment operations to Lawrenceburg. In 2009 alone, six additional catalogs were added to their portfolio. That July marked a leadership transition when Kinerk stepped down as CEO to concentrate on acquisitions; Eric Hamant assumed the CEO role.
In 2011, Gardens Alive! further broadened its reach by acquiring Iseli Nursery in Boring, Oregon, known for its distinctive conifers and trees, along with Weeks Roses based in Wasco, California.
As of November 2024, the gardensalive.com domain redirects visitors to gurneys.com/gardensalive following rebranding under the Gurney's name. The website states: Gurney's is now the exclusive provider of Gardens Alive! brand products and aims to be your comprehensive lawn and garden resource. The last update on Gardens Alive’s Facebook page occurred on January 17, 2023. The footer on Gurney’s website includes: Copyright © 2024 Gardens Alive!, d/b/a Gurney's Seed and Nursery Co. All Rights Reserved, indicating the corporate alignment and brand consolidation.
Reputation
Gardens Alive! is widely acknowledged as a trailblazer in the field of organic gardening, specializing in chemical-free products for lawns and gardens available through its catalog. The company has built a solid reputation as a leader in developing innovative organic solutions.
In 2011, Gardens Alive! along with its affiliated companies earned three Green Thumb Awards from the Direct Gardening Association. These accolades were granted for Gurney's "Tickled Pink" grape, Gardens Alive's "All-Ways Greener" grass seed, and Encapsulated Compost Worm Cocoons. Two years later, in 2013, the organization received another Green Thumb Award for its Strawberry Pyramid Grow Tub, while Henry Field's was honored with two awards recognizing antioxidant-rich blackberry varieties and early-season persimmons.
Although the company enjoys a wide-reaching clientele and industry accolades, Gardens Alive! encounters some difficulties with customer satisfaction, as evidenced by moderate ratings on online platforms.