Garden.com and other online retailers are changing direct marketing—including the look and function of the mail order catalog

By Melissa Sepos

“You’d think gardeners won’t use computers, but they really are academic. It is a very academic pursuit and they are always looking for new ways to do things. And the Internet provides a unique way to do things,” says Sharples.

Garden.com has more than 1 million users.

According to Garden.com Public Relations Director Eileen Isola, when Garden.com got started five years ago, the garden industry was a $47-billion market. Now, it racks up $82 billion a year in revenue. Despite the growth, no one except Garden.com has attempted to be a national, full-service garden retailer.