When it comes to providing Sonoma County and Northern California with the best hydroponic and indoor gardening supplies around, PGS has been consistently providing hardware and advice for over 6 years now. I was recently asked by Urban Garden Magazine, what makes PGS different in this sea of endless grow shops? I was super excited to answer that question…. Here is what I wrote to Urban Garden…

Pro Gardening Systems, is a grassroots grow shop that has evolved into three locations and 2 warehouses. From our humble beginnings in Sebastopol, in 6 years we built a rock solid customer base that defines us as Sonoma County’s Original One Stop Grow Shop. With customer satisfaction as our main goal, PGS has managed to stay ahead in this competitive industry. New products that emerge get tested immediately and first hand experience gets passed along with a friendly smile. Gone are the days of hoarding secret techniques and products and now we share a rich community of serious expert horticulture. PGS separates itself from other hydroponic garden centers in so many ways. PGS is the only store I am aware of that has a graduated Botanist on hand to offer real science and experience to amateurs and experts alike. Our knowledge, and willingness to share, coupled with our incredible selection, has created an atmosphere of excitement and vigor. When I was a new employee, i found it truly astounding that come 6pm, everyone hangs out and has a couple beers while talking shop. No one wanted to go home. I will never forget that first after work party, Jay (owner) came up to me and said “ever had a job where you didn’t want to run home right at 6?” “nope” I answered. I thought for sure that this was just a fluke and that the harsh environment I had always known at other jobs would soon set in. It never has and PGS continues to grow both internally and externally. Once a week we have BBQ lunches and welcome our customers to join us and share some garden talk with us. This dynamic situation is truly unique to PGS and it has set the standard for most other grow shops in California in general, not just northern California. Our online presence has recently been extended and we now offer online shopping, grow tips, feed charts, videos and more, with over 1000 unique visitors a day. Since day one of working with PGS, it was obvious that this is a group of people dedicated to helping others grow. I have been so inspired since I came on board. When talking to other store owners, I never get the impression that their store transcends the obvious monetary agenda, and being able to trust the knowledge that a grow store is giving you is essential! I want to know that Im being recommended a product because the store owner tried it and thinks its a great product, not because the owner needs to sell an overstocked item! The regular practice of ripping growers off is totally non-existent at PGS and we stand behind every product we sell. Products that are even suspected of not working as advertised get quickly tested and summed up correctly. I have never seen one product slip through the cracks. We specialize in being as honest and solid as possible. Our in house repair guy gets ballasts and hardware fixed quickly and notifies customers on the status of their equipment. We also have loaner ballasts and systems on hand so gardeners don’t have to suffer serious down times when hardware failures occur. I know Im going on forever, but you got me excited… Our community involvement is honestly stellar! From high schools and sports teams, to festivals, benefits and charity functions, PGS gives above and beyond to a myriad of different organizations across the board. Basically PGS is hands down the best store I have not only had the honor of working at, but shopping at as well (I was a customer before they hired me). After 22 years of being involved with indoor gardening, Pro Gardening Systems continues to be the best grow shop I have ever come across!