Sprouts Farmers Market and Sunflower Farmers Market, two independent natural food store chains, announced March 9 they have agreed to merge. But will the merged chain carry flowers?

Sprouts did not originally carry flowers, though some of its subsidiary companies did, but has recently added floral displays.

This Mother’s Day, lots of lucky mothers will receive stunning sprays of cymbidium orchids, beautiful corsages and impressive orchid plants. And to make this happen, we here at Gallup & Stribling Orchids Inc. have been getting ready for mom’s big day all year long.

Beginning April 21, Stew Leonard’s garden centers are offering free Saturday morning workshops at their grocery stores in Danbury and Norwalk, CT, and Yonkers, NY. During each one-hour workshop, a company news release stated, attendees will learn about gardening techniques and trends from a Stew Leonard’s gardening expert and receive handout materials for home reference.

Yes, we all know the drill — how roses are grown, how foliage plants are grown, how blooming plants are grown. We can go on and on and on. But the most challenging part of our business is understanding how relationships with our customers are grown.

It has become my belief over the years that customers, just like plants, are growing entities, not SKUs. How many of us over the years have witnessed the SKUs in our floral shops growing from a handful to hundreds? And yet, in most cases, our customer count has not grown to this same degree.

Is there an individual, company, or organization willing to take over the Chain of Life Network web site and related resources? If so, George Staby wants to talk to you.

“It is time to pass the torch to some entity willing to invest in this opportunity with the understanding that membership would continue to be free. In addition, there are also potential income streams to consider,” said Dr. Staby, a founder of the floral resource network.

Floral Designer Robbin Yelverton of Ferndale, MI, and Stan Pohmer of Pohmer Consulting Group in Minnetonka, MN, were honored by the Michigan Floral Association at its Great Lakes Floral Expo held March 2-4 at Devos Place and the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids, MI.