Marc and I came up with
the idea for MGP when we noticed many urban gardeners were crowded off their
balconies and decks by an ever enlarging collection of plants in assorted containers.
We knew up front that any new product has to solve one or more problems and
customers need to find value in the solution. By going vertical, My Garden Post
condenses 24 SF of containers on to just 4 SF, so we knew we could solve that
problem for folks.
We continued with our due
diligence and found our innovative concept solved several more problems that
frustrated a few more categories of gardeners. Over the 35 years I owned and
operated a retail garden center, I saw many transitions in the business. The
current senior population was America’s most avid gardeners and they now are
finding it difficult to garden on their knees. Most don’t want to and many
simply can’t. My Garden Post is very popular with seniors, with its 5 planters
within easy reach. There are no bending, stretching or dirty knees.
I gave thought to my own
situation. I've been using a wheelchair for the past 25 years and have been
gardening since childhood. I was gradually losing interest until the
opportunity came along to test and develop the My Garden Post concept. I used a
variety of prototypes during the two years of testing. Mark and I were
determined to make every feature of the product easy for me to use. In doing
so, we knew that we weren't just solving problems for me. There are millions of
avid gardeners in wheelchairs and millions more with limited strength and
mobility. MGP has made gardening fun and
easy for me again and I’m especially rewarded when customers share their same
experiences.
I thought it would be fun and inspiring to share this picture of Anne, 96 years old. She received a My Garden Post for her birthday and grew a successful garden this past summer through late fall. |
I don’t want to leave you
with the impression that you have to be a senior or disabled to appreciate My
Garden Post. Currently, the majority of MGP owners are neither senior nor
disabled. They love having the extra space on the balcony, porch or patio and
the convenience of fresh vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers just steps from
the kitchen. Everyone appreciates the automated drip irrigation system. It
remembers to water so they don’t have to.
That's it for this week - I look forward to your comments and questions. O
Brilliant idea! Necessity truly is the mother of invention.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lee! We're happy you like the My Garden Post, we're definitely excited to help gardeners to continue to garden no matter the circumstances!
ReplyDelete