The following is breaking news from colleague Jennifer Polanz. 

On Tuesday, BFG Supply officially filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, along with several other subsidiary companies, in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. The action had been rumored since the late July news of the company’s inability to secure funding.

According to the filing where it asks debtor’s estimation of available funds, the box is checked next to: “After any administrative expenses are paid, no funds will be available for distribution to unsecured creditors.”

Those creditors include some big names in our industry, and some pretty big numbers attached. The filing lists the 30 creditors with the largest unsecured claims; here are the first five:

• The Scotts Company—about $2.9 million
• Roxul USA—about $2.8 million
• Hawthorne Hydroponics—about $2.5 million
• Syngenta Crop Protection—about $2.1 million
• ICL/Specialty Fertilizers—about $1.5 million

The other subsidiary companies that also filed for bankruptcy in various courts (including Delaware, California, Kansas, Alabama, Indiana and Wisconsin, as well as Ontario, Canada) include (not a complete list):

• L&L Nursery Supply Inc.
• Gard’N-Wise Distributors Inc.
• GROSouth Inc.
• International Greenhouse Contractors LLC
• Green-Tek LLC
• BFG Kalamazoo LLC
• BFG VG Supply Acquisition LLC
• Greenhouse Solutions LLC
• Greenhouse Contracting Services LLC
• DeCloet Greenhouse Mfg. Ltd

There are a couple of additional things we’ve learned since the last time we reported: the Expos have been canceled, so there are no events happening; as of last week there was still some product leaving warehouses but shipments were reportedly starting to get spotty.

Also, there are lots of manufacturers starting to fill orders directly or are directing customers to other distributors, so if you have a product you rely on, get in touch with the manufacturer directly to make a plan.

The company has named Adam Zalev, co-founder of Reflect Advisors, as the Chief Restructuring Officer. However, the filing also lists Tiger Capital Group LLC as the assigned liquidation consultant. I have reached out to Adam to see if he can offer any clarification about the direction BFG is heading, but as of yet I have not heard back.

As a refresher, we first learned at the end of July from vendors, retailers and growers that BFG employees were told they had failed to secure financing needed to continue operations, and that layoffs would be imminent. The company employed more than 650 people full time, along with more than 150 sales reps. Founded in Burton, Ohio, the distributor had been around for more than 50 years, growing its business to include 13 warehouses shipping to all 50 states and regions of Canada. We did learn the company received an infusion of $300 million in November 2025, according to Piper Sandler, which served as an advisor to BFG on the recapitalization.

There’s some interesting news out of Home Depot this week that could have implications for your business. The company posted higher than expected sales and profit for its second quarter. This was a bit surprising given that in June the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) found the home improvement market down about 1.7% so far this year. Home Depot seems to be knocking that expectation with a sales increase for Q2 of 5.7%.

Economists speculate that this may be because higher interest rates and overall higher home prices are putting the brakes on the housing market and bigger projects. DIY and small-scale renovations are looking to be more affordable options.

“Some homeowners are being more careful with their budgets given rising input costs, but the desire to invest in their living spaces remains strong,” said Bill Darcy, CEO of trade group National Kitchen & Bath Association, in this piece from Reuters on the topic. The piece notes that Home Depot has said with U.S. homes reaching a median age of above 40, ⁠more upgrades and remodeling jobs are expected in the future.

Instead of lumber and drywall driving sales growth at Home Depot, it was the spring categories that you sell as well: live goods, mulch, patio items and grills. These are all categories that you sell, too. Did you see a rise in sales of these and similar items? Are your customers commenting on sprucing up the homes they have rather than plunging into high-rate mortgages? Drop me a note about what you’re hearing on the street—or in your aisles—HERE.

Colleague Jen Polanz took a trip to Michigan last week and has a report from Walters Gardens.

There is a simple reason why Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Michigan, just celebrated their 80th season breeding, growing and selling perennials—they love perennials. It was evident from every aspect of this year’s day-long Walters Gardens Perennial Expo, including the loving history told by previous CEO (now Executive Chairman of the Board) John Walters of the family-owned company’s trajectory during his parents’ time running the business. It was also evident with Director of New Plant Development Hans Hansen’s thorough and sometimes humorous and touching descriptions of the new introductions, the people behind them and how they came to be.

There are too many to mention here (you can find the 2026-27 wholesale catalog on Walters Gardens website), but the ones that stood out to me during the early August event were the following:

Allium All the Buzz (rosy purple) and Allium Needlepoint (white)—these are perennial herbaceous alliums, and All the Buzz flowers two weeks earlier and is more compact than its parent, Millenium. Needlepoint is the first white in the lineup and has a petite stature, at 14 in. to 16 in. tall. Both are great pollinator attractors and deer and rabbit resistant (a trifecta in my book). Both are hardy to Zones 4-8.

Heliopsis Forged in Fire—this one will not be ignored in the landscape. Hans noted heliopsis is seeing an evolution from smaller flowers and green foliage to larger sometimes double flowers and darker foliage. Forged in Fire is a great example with striking flowers that create an almost two-toned look as the eye-zone starts a dark burgundy and then lightens as the semi-double flowers mature. The dark green foliage sets it off perfectly. Hardy to Zones 3-9.

Hibiscus Summerific Coconut Cream and Glitter Bomb—The focus in the hibiscus program is on habit, foliage and flower to create a bushier, more floriferous plant. Both of these fit the bill, with Coconut Cream offering up creamy yellow flowers with dark foliage, and Glitter Bomb showing off a unique peppermint pattern with a prominent red eye. Both are hardy to Zones 4-9. Side note: there are some even cooler ones coming in the near future based on what I saw there!

Hyssop Nectar Ninja—We told you about this selection in the spring, but it’s worth mentioning again for its excellent pollinator magnetism. It has a distinct aroma (some like it, some don’t care for it—you be the judge), and Hans said has been really well received by customers. It’s drought tolerant once established and thrives in average to poor soils, so it’s very versatile. It typically blooms in mid-summer to late summer and is hardy to Zones 4-9.

Check out a slideshow of these and more on our Instagram page.

JP’s trip report continues below.

Along with tours of the trial gardens and educational sessions (you could pick either integrated pest management classes for recertification credits and other growing education or attend retail-focused classes on creating a Proven Winners destination and improving social media reach), there was also a wealth of resources discussed. I wanted to highlight just some of those related to Walters Gardens’ partnership with Proven Winners to offer Proven Winners Perennials.

The EZ Scapes program has really taken off and offers retailers an easy way to show consumers how to pair up multiple perennial and now shrub options (Proven Winners ColorChoice shrubs are now included, too) to solve a variety of problems. For example, there’s point-of-purchase material for Deer Resistance, Drought Tolerance, Shady Gardens, Bird Lovers, Pollinators and many more. They heard feedback from retailers and made the programs more general so if you sell out of one variety of heuchera, for example, you can easily sub in another in the display. The program encourages sales of multiples, and shows the consumer how to arrange them. There are QR codes on the posters, too, that go to the website with the design and even more suggestions for plants if they want to keep building out the landscape.

Proven Winners Perennials also offers the color-coded Frost to Frost Perennial Program Builder to make it easy to see the sequence of flowering from Early Spring all the way to Late Summer and then Multi-Season for foliage and for trim and rebloom cultivars. There’s a lot more information in this handy little guide, too!

The last thing I’ll point to covers multiple Proven Winners categories, but if you carry any Proven Winners plants you should know and be touting the National Plants of the Year and Recipes of the Year. You can click the link to see what they are for 2027 and get ready for the demand that comes with influencers and ad campaigns all over the country talking about these plants.

Thanks, JP! I have the Millennium perennial allium and have planted it around my vegetable garden in hope it’ll keep the bunnies at bay. 

Speaking of perennial and woody-type materials, the folks at Plants Nouveau are excited to share that they officially launched a shrub-based cut flowers section on their website. They have partnered with Kolster BV of the Netherlands to introduce their varieties to the North American market.

Cut flowers and cut flower gardens are in huge demand, whether you’re selling cut flower-appropriate plants or have a Cut-Your-Own Flower Garden for customers, which I know many of you do. In addition to the zinnias and sunflowers and gladiolas, offer up something different in the form of woody shrubs with beautiful blooms, branches and berries. These bring something unique and structural to either professional or DIY-made floral designs.

This is a fun graphic showing some of the items they have. Who doesn’t love beauty berry? I mean, they even had a stamp of it! You can find Plant Nouveau’s current offerings HERE. And be sure to check back often, as they will be adding perennials to the cut flower section!

FloraLife has launched an enhancement to one of its products in the North American market for the floral industry, so if you have a florist division, listen up. Their Crystal Clear Liquid Flower Food is now enhanced with FloraLife Express Technology.

What’s Express Technology? It is a product that promotes uptake for hydration and nutrition without having to recut stems. And not having to recut stems saves florists time and labor.

“By incorporating FloraLife Express Technology, we’re giving our customers greater flexibility in how they process their flowers,” said Jim Daly, President, Global FloraLife & Grower Operations and Chief Research Officer. “The option to skip the stem recut can help save time and labor while still delivering the hydration, nutrition and flower performance they expect from FloraLife.”

Of course, if you prefer to recut your stems, you’re still welcome to do so. The FloraLife Express Technology gives you the flexibility to skip the recut if you’re pressed for time. It’s a time-saving tool either way.

This Express Technology, which is appropriate for all fresh-cut flowers and foliage types, helps to support proper opening, vibrant colors and lasting quality. It’s a balanced formula that helps lower the pH of the solution and increase the speed of flower hydration. And maybe even better, it remains clear in all water types, so it’s unnoticeable in clear vases and floral displays.

FloraLife Crystal Clear Flower Food with Express Technology is now available in North America in a range of liquid sizes and concentrations. Visit HERE for more information on the product.

It’s been a while since I updated you on the latest episodes of my podcast, “I Dig Your Story.” I’ve had some really interesting guests of late—Matt Lebon of The Foodscaper, Roshan Patel, a volunteer at the community gardens run by the city of Salem, Massachusetts (they are doing amazing work!), and Angelique Robb, founder of SYNKD media company.

Considering my latest guest is the former general manager of Northaven Gardens in Dallas and an “everythingist” in the realm of horticulture, I thought I’d share my conversation with Leslie Halleck with you. She’s wicked smart, passionate about the educating folks about horticulture, and is dedicated to making you better at selling plants. And did you know she is also an NFT-certified Forest Therapy Guide? It’s a fun conversation with a guest appearance by a cat named Rory.

Check out all episodes of “I Dig Your Story” and find out who and what you’ve been missing.

I want to give a shout out to Mahoney’s Garden Centers here in eastern Massachusetts. Thanks to a naughty brown squirrel, my kale seedlings are a no-go for a fall leafy greens crop. A Mahoney’s e-newsletter popped into my inbox saying something along the lines of “it’s not too late to plant a fall crop!”

The banner from Mahoney's Garden Centers' latest e-blast. 

They let me (and all the other customers on their distribution list) know that they have both seeds and transplants ready and waiting. Count me in! Hopefully you’ll still have transplants around this Sunday afternoon when I can make it over to Brighton.

What is your fall gardening push? Be sure to include fall veg—it’s certainly in demand.