The Importance of a Plant Nursery

A plant nursery or independent garden center is more than just a place to purchase plants. It’s a place to go and see possibilities. It’s a place to go and dream dreams. It’s a place to go and learn new things.

Nursery or Garden Center

Those smaller places.  Not the big box places.  The big boxes have low prices are due to their volume purchasing, but they lack some key elements that you can find in a good nursery.

You may have lived in the Southwest your entire life, or you may be new to this area. Either way there’s always something new to learn about growing in our unique region. Seriously – new plants are cultivated, or new varieties. Even I, the long-time garden writer often learn new things!

Three Keys to a Good Nursery

A nursery or garden center staffed with competent employees can help you in your quest for gardening success. Look for these three key elements.

Willingness to Educate

Garden centers that want their customers to succeed demonstrate a desire to educate. They hold seminars and demonstrations throughout the year and often have informational handouts in the store. Some have presence on social media. Some have a monthly newsletter.

Professional Affiliations

Garden centers and nurseries that belong to professional trade associations or plant societies are committed to maintaining a knowledgeable staff. Ask if they have certified or licensed professionals on staff. Look for this information in advertisements, or in the nursery itself.

Commitment to Community

Look for a place where gardening is the focus, not building materials or housewares. A demonstration garden is one indication, as it allows you to see plants in situ. These nurseries often host seasonal festivals and holiday events.

Four Keys to Keeping a Great Nursery

Help Them Help You

If you have a major gardening or landscape project in mind, be ready with measurements and perhaps photos of the site. Know where reflected light might be an issue. Do some prior research to identify plants that you personally like If not the names, at least some good photos of them.

Know if you want a formal or informal design (need to write that up). Some plants lend themselves to certain design styles. Also specific areas – like Poolscaping. You want to get the right plant in the right place.

Shop Smart

Saturdays are notoriously busy. If you require a great deal of help, phone ahead and ask when an off-peak time might be. Courtesy pays great dividends.

Shop Local

Online and national chains can save you money, but part of a great garden center is the relationship you forge with the people who work there. Your shopping is more than a paycheck to them; it is their livelihood. Your purchase can mean more than just a paycheck and new tires for the car. It might mean that ballerina outfit for their little girl, or something special they have been saving for.

Be Generous – With Yourself!

While at the nursery be generous with yourself. Spend at least as much money as you would going out to a fancy dinner and a show. Those events last a single evening, while plants and flowers will brighten your life for months, possibly years.

Don’t forget those garden accessories like arbors, trellises, benches, decorative containers, and more. Gloves and tools too. If nothing else, new tools will make garden work easier, and thus you’ll be less prone to fatigue and injury. But consider a lovely little bench bench placed in a shady garden nook. After all, you need a place to rest and rehydrate properly. Also it’s nice to have a place to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labors. Either way, justification enough to get what you need for your outdoor space.

Let’s Keep Them in Business!

Your purchases can help independent nurseries and garden centers continue to operate as a viable business, so they will be there for you in years to come. It may cost some extra money, but the benefits are incalculable.

I’m Here to Help

Be sure to ask questions if you have them! I do all this writing and blogging and posting on social media so that you will succeed with your garden goals!

Thanks for your visit today.
Jacqueline

I did mention some of this in my book

The Month By Month Guide offers tips for your landscape (yes even lawns and roses) in every month of the year.  I have a few copies left and am offering them to you – my loyal readers. When you buy from me you get a signed copy!

From the review:

“A great reference book is key to successful gardening in the region where you live. Arizona, Nevada & New Mexico Month-by-Month Gardening takes the guesswork out of gardening for anyone residing in the Southwest. With this book, you’ll know what to do each month to enjoy a thriving garden all year, from January to December. Chronologically organized, this guide is full of critical gardening when-to and how-to advice, along with illustrated step-by-step instructions.

The book’s author is Jacqueline Soule, a Tucson-based gardening expert. She knows this arid region inside and out, and she’s written several articles and books packed with her gardening advice. Arizona, Nevada & New Mexico Month-by-Month Gardening showcases Soule’s expertise in one easy-to-read guide.”

Profits from the sale of this book go to the Horticulture Therapy non-profit Tierra del Sol Institute.   Recent price increase, due to the US Postal Service price increase in July 2024.  It is now $30.

Or perhaps you wish Vegetable Garden Help

May I recommend my book?  The Southwest Fruit & Vegetable Guide offers not just growing guides but some of the latest varieties – including ones specifically for raised bed and container growing. Price is what you would pay on Amazon – only when you buy from me you get a signed copy!

From the review:

“In this updated 2nd edition of Southwest Fruit & Vegetable Gardening, you’ll find much-needed advice and practical tips on growing an edible garden, no matter which part of the southwestern US you call home.

Profits from the sale of this book go to the Arizona-based Horticulture Therapy non-profit Tierra del Sol Institute.

Legal Notes

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