For 39 years
The Flower Bin has survived the ups and downs of the nation's economy. How has it done that? Adaptation is one of the most
important factors in surviving the greenhouse/garden center industry. A garden center must provide the latest and greatest
varieties and cultivators of plants that customers are seeking in a given year, which The Flower Bin does.
The Flower Bin not only sells plants, it carries everything one may need to care for those plants, and then some. The
Flower Bin has its own high quality potting soil and seed starting mix, as well as an extensive collection of pottery, decorative
gardening accessories, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, bagged mulches and composts, a year-round gift section and a courtyard
full of beautiful fountains, benches, statuary and more.
Quality standards are important
to The Flower Bin and its employees. They do not let anything leave the store that is not a beautiful, well-grown work of
art. The growers, Jose and Manuel Gallardo, have been with The Flower Bin for 14 years. Everything from proper watering techniques
to pinching the plants at the right time, as well as fertilization, and even pest and climate control, are vital factors in
producing quality products for the customer.
The employees at The Flower Bin
are knowledgeable about the products they provide. The department managers have been in their respective positions for many
years. If one of them does not know the answer to your question, they will find out and call you at home, if necessary. This
kind of customer service is second to none, and one would be hard pressed to find such assistance elsewhere. Of course, none
of this would be possible without the owners, Don and Lee Weakland, who have done a fine job of growing the business into
a successful entrepreneurial masterpiece.
The Flower Bin lies on 5 acres
of land with close to 50,000 square feet of indoor growing space with an additional 50,000 square feet at its 20-acre farm
in Platteville. Along with this, there is a large greenhouse dedicated soley to harboring an extensive collection of roses,
along with an outdoor nursery and selection of quality perennials. With that much space, the indoor store is quite large and
all of the room allows The Flower Bin to carry an extensive inventory that other privately owned garden centers cannot. It is worth seeing for yourself,
if for nothing else than to come and enjoy the beauty
of the plants.
