merchandiser

garden center merchandiser

district manager

field support specialist

resume screener

Plant Partners

I worked as merchandiser for Plant Partners Inc. (PPi) for about six months on and off, having come onboard during the end of their Spring season and being rehired for fall. As a seasonal position you can expect the hours to be anywhere from 20 to 35 a week in the beginning of every season but then they cut back towards the tail end of Summer and Fall when their growing seasons come to a close. That being said it's a job where if you don't mind some hard work then it can be a genuinely rewarding experience and a worthwhile position to keep coming back to. Hours are flexible and I've had an overall good experience with every single one of my co-workers and managers alike. Everyone works hard together towards the common goal and the job will often encourage creativity and collaboration, which can lead to really honing your skills in working both independently or in groups as well as in organization. It can also be an easy going way of learning to handle customer service and retail work. With all this in mind I did have my own criticisms of the job, firstly being the sort of rift that can occur between the store's and PPi management. Sometimes it can seem like store managers and PPi management will want two different things and being in an entry level position, this can become confusing quickly. I felt that store staff were sometimes either unwilling or unable to help us where we needed it, such as when it came to watering plants which is a responsibility that falls to store staff. Secondly what concerned me often was that there doesn't always seem to be enough help to go around, most workers can expect to work more than one store a week and with this comes cart deliveries on Wednesdays or Thursdays where you may find yourself working alone and the workload can quickly become a lot to juggle along with your regular daily tasks which leads to cart unloading spilling over into the next day. This being said PPi management is always very understanding about this and willing to help or provide the time necessary to complete the tasks. All in all I do feel it is very good job to have and going in with a positive attitude and work ethic makes all the difference at the end of the day, and I hope that anyone applying will enjoy their experiences same as I did.

This is my first merchandising job and first time really being around plants. From the interview onward, everyone I've met at Plant Partners was very nice and knowledgeable! My district manager is very accommodating and responds to any requests or concerns quickly.

Typical Day: You clock in and look around the garden center for what needs to be done, (consolidating plants on tables, refilling tables to make sure they are full, pulling distressed product, checking for any new shipments, etc). Basically, you're there to make sure all the plants go in their correct spots, that they are arranged on the tables correctly and that you get plants off carts and onto tables, end caps, and hanging basket racks so they can be shopped by customers. I work at a Lowe's store, so I'll check in with them occasionally to make sure we are all on the same page about how things are going to be done. 

The planogram given is pretty simple to read, however, the Lowe's employees I work with will sometimes go off the planogram due to lack of space to accommodate all products, so expect that as a possibility. The job is pretty physical, expect to be pushing, pulling, and lifting heavy plant crates. Also, depending where you live it can get pretty hot and you'll pretty much be outside in the sun all day. Despite all this, the job is fairly relaxing, simple, and satisfying when you see the work you've done.

You are also going to be working without supervision a lot on this job so if you aren't self directed you may not have the best time, however, if you like not being watched by your boss all day, everyday, this job is perfect!

Final note: If you have hesitation about applying for this job because you don't know anything about plants, don't worry and go ahead and apply because 1) the most you'll need to know before getting the job is the difference between an annual and perennial and 2) you'll learn quite a lot about plants once you're on the job!

Depending on the management of the store for which you work, the watering of the plants, shrubs may or may not take place in a timely manner. This is frustrating because the customers are not shy about complaining about the looks of the garden center. We are often expected to be plant experts by the customers. We are often expected to provide customers with satisfactory suggestions for their landscape problems. Customers lack imaginations and will ask you crazy questions for which you will have no answers. You are expected to clean up/consolidate everyday or else the garden center will look like a tornado occurred. You will work with people who know nothing about plants/flowers/shrubs, but will expose delicate plants to the heat of the sun because they do not know what they are doing. You will see entire shipments of a species that will go to the discount rack because it was exposed to the wrong sunlight.
It is a frustrating job if you love to garden because the big box store does not have enough employees to keep the garden center organized and clean.
I do not see this as long-term job because between the pay and the hardship on one's body, it will burn one out fast.
Plan on at least 2-1/2 months of pay and then they'll cut you. They depend on the lead at the site to give them feedback on who will stay and who will go. The lead let me go even though I had been there a second year. The lead had issues with insecurities and created a my clique their clique atmosphere.
The lead has no clue about how to arrange a good end cap for selling.
Also no clue about what colors go together. Often the lead's endcaps looked like a big cloud of blooms. Couldn't distinguish if there was one plant or many.
Am I a frustrated former employee, yes, because talent is no longer recognized by anyone!

This is a great company to work for if you are looking for part time seasonal work.  You can work up to I think 35 hours a week if you wish - they are very flexible on hours.  If you love plants and flowers this is an ideal job - however there is a lot of hard work which can be very rewarding.  Training is plentiful and questions are answered quickly and efficiently.  You have choices of what stores to work - I always worked at Lowes and enjoyed it thoroughly.   You will need to be prepared to work in warm outside conditions in all kinds of weather, and there it is a very physical job with constant moving the product and loading/unloading carts - you will get a workout and a tan!  The hardest part of the job is deliveries are unpredictable and often you don't have enough time to complete the tasks you wish to complete on any given day, and during the summer it can get very hot and tiring.  They are very employee oriented and care a great deal about employee safety.  The most enjoyable part of the job is that you have very flexible hours - you set your own schedule and days and praise, reviews and pay raises are frequent.  For most employees the job starts in March and ends in July - for long term you can option to start in February and end in November with reduced hours for the slower months.  There is advancement available and they are eager to assist employees whenever they can. I worked on and off for this company for 5 years at different locations.  This is a great company to work for and if I hadn't moved far away from Lowes I would still be working there today!  Highly recommended part-time seasonal work.

I have worked for Plant Partners for two years and really have enjoyed it. You get a great workout everyday pushing carts, unloading plants, setting up signs, and setting up and moving tables. You receive a large amount of plants each week and it can be a challenge trying to fit everything in.

 I really enjoy working with the plants and helping customers with plant questions. The Walmart staff are very nice and appreciate having an experienced plant person at their garden center.

Plant Partners pays minimum wage and does not give a hiring bonus or returning employee bonus like other nursery vendors do. They did give a Covid-19 bonus two years ago and this past summer they gave a bonus to employees who worked through the heat of summer. Also, returning employees will make the same as new employees. If you do a good job, you may get a ten cent raise late in the season.

Walmart staff are responsible for watering plants, but in many cases they don't do it and you end up with a lot of dead plants. You also have to wear a vest that looks a lot like what Walmart employees wear and people think you work for Walmart and want your help for everything. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
The people you work with are amazing, and I loved the fact that you work hands on and don’t have to have somebody constantly watching your every move. They trust you to do your job without being told what to do every moment you are working 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Sometimes you don’t always have enough employees to work with so you will be left with many carts sometimes up to 10, that you have to put out completely by yourself and are expected to do it by the end of the day 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The atmosphere and energy is amazing, they let you know you are appreciated and wanted to do the job. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Normally you come in, clock in, walk to the back gate of the garden center at whatever store you are working at to see how many carts of plants you have to put out & sort through what plants you have & put those carts closest to where they will be put out, then you go through the plants that are already out and pick out the bad plants to be moved to clearance starting at the very front of the store where most plants will be seen, then begin unloading each cart of plants until there is no more room to put them, take a lunch break and a couple 15 min breaks and continue working til the day is done

Depending on the management of the store which for which you work, the watering of the plants, shrubs may or may not take place in a timely manner. This is frustrating because the customers are not shy about complaining on the looks of the garden center. We are often expected to be plant experts by the customers. We are often expected to provide customers with satisfactory suggestions for their landscape problems. Customers lack imaginations and will ask you crazy questions for which you will have no answers. You are expected to clean up/consolidate everyday or else the garden center will look like a tornado occurred. You will work with people who know nothing about plants/flowers/shrubs, but will expose delicate plants to the heat of the sun because they do not know what they are doing. You will see entire shipments of a species that will go to the discount rack because it was exposed to the wrong sunlight.
It is a frustrating job if you love to garden because the big box store does not have enough employees to keep the garden center organized and clean.
I do not see this a long-term job because between the pay and the hardship on one's body, it will burn one out fast.

This job was wonderful. I got exercise, was around plants the whole time, and everyone I worked with, from coworkers to management, were awesome. Work-life balance was the best I've ever had with a job. They were very flexible and understanding. Met some great people while working there, too. I also loved that I wasn't working customer service. Just like many other people have said, customers constantly asked me questions and for help in the store, but it was easy to direct them to a store associate. It also fostered a deep love and appreciation for plants that will stick with me for the rest of my life!

Management really cared about us and our well-being. I always felt like they had my back and that I could go to them with any issue (though I didn't have any). Pay was fair at $14/hr. They also were respectful of the hours per week I had requested.

Literally the only downsides were the sun and heat as the season went on, and that it's only a temporary position. If you don't mind getting sweaty and being very physically active, then I couldn't recommend Plant Partners enough! 

The pros:
-The hours are EXTREMELY flexible
-The atmosphere and energy in the workspace are phenomenal
-There are multiple locations to work out of
-Being active and outdoors is liberating and the nature of the work means that your tasks are always new and engaging vs monotonous

The cons:
-Co-workers are not always reliable which can leave the motivated employee carrying most, if not all of the workload (literally)
-A pro and a con: Management is nearly always absent from the worksite which is wonderful for creativity and alleviating the feeling of being scrutinized, however it can also mean that communication with your employer is delayed or absent a good portion of the time.
-The pay is adequate if you're performing minimum work for minimum pay, but if you're a motivated and hardworking employee; the amount of work you're taking on or needed to do is not always compensated sufficiently.

I will be starting my 3rd year with this company come 2023. I love this job because it offers flexible scheduling so I can work around my spouse' military schedule. Also in case of a family emergency or if my son has days off from school I am able to work around those obstacles as well. The pay is great and they offer many raises based off performance. I love my DM. He is a great communicator, understanding, and also makes it known that the work I do is appreciated.  All other management that I have met are also informative, respectful, and very helpful. The only downfall I would say is the lack in hours during the off Season (End of December to Beginning of February) But you have to keep in mind that because this is a job working with plants that off season is unavoidable. However, they have recently been working to try and provide year round work for most of their employees. It has been great to see this company grow so quickly in the short time I have worked for them and I look forward to continuing my career with this company.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Merchandiser 504 salaries reported	$15.99 per hour
Garden center merchandiser 70 salaries reported	$14.13 per hour
District manager 15 salaries reported	$45,233 per year
Field support specialist 1 salary reported	$45,000 per year
Resume screener 3 salaries reported	$15.00 per hour

Working at Plant Partners: Company Overview and Reviews

Plant Partners

Plant Partners Ratings

Popular jobs at Plant Partners

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected