Dubois County's Family Roots Nursery Named 2026 Proven Winners Certified Garden Center

Family Roots Nursery, Inc., the Peters family-owned garden center in Dubois County, was named a 2026 Proven Winners Certified Garden Center, the company announced Feb. 19, 2026. The designation recognizes that the nursery’s employees completed a structured Proven Winners training program to assist customers with plant selection and care.

“This high-level distinction signifies that the company’s employees have completed a comprehensive training course to develop the expertise in assisting our customers in choosing and growing Proven Winners plants successfully,” the press release said. Proven Winners describes its Certified Garden Center Training Program as an ongoing partnership designed to increase employee knowledge of Proven Winners plants, products and consumer trends.

The Peters family framed the recognition as part of a broader mission at Family Roots. “Our customers can count on us to have reliable advice about Proven Winners annuals, perennials, and flowering shrubs including the newest introductions for 2026,” the company said in the press release. Aaron and Andrea Peters added, “Our goal has always been bigger than selling plants. We want to cultivate a place where people gather, learn, and create something meaningful, whether that’s a garden, a landscape, or simply a tradition of visiting with family. We are incredibly thankful for the past 18 years and are excited to continue growing alongside this community.”

Family Roots is entering its 18th year of serving Dubois County, and the press release noted the business has evolved into “a year-round destination for plants, education, and community connection.” The Free Press coverage highlighted that educational workshops, seasonal events, and collaborative partnerships will remain cornerstones of the nursery’s offerings as it leverages the Proven Winners certification.

Proven Winners positions itself as an international marketing cooperative of plant propagators and says on program materials that it aims to “grow your business by increasing your knowledge of Proven Winners plants, products and consumer trends.” Proven Winners plants are carried at more than 8,000 retailers nationwide, a scale noted in local coverage. The program’s online instructions list administrative steps for certification, including logging in to provenwinners.com, beginning certification set up for a location, verifying account information, entering the total number of employees to certify, and issuing Certification Codes to staff. Certification must be complete by May 31, 2026 to receive rewards and a pizza party, and Proven Winners provides a pizza rebate submission process and a program contact by phone at 1-815-991-9685.

The announcement did not specify how many Family Roots employees completed certification or which specific 2026 Proven Winners introductions the nursery plans to stock. For Dubois County gardeners seeking advice on annuals, perennials, or flowering shrubs, Family Roots now holds the certified credential indicating trained staff are available to guide selections and care.