SHOP LOCAL FOR GARDENING SUPPLIES
If you believe in supporting small businesses, like the pharmacy and the butcher shop instead of their big-box-store counterparts, why not keep it local when it comes to buying flower and vegetable plants, too?
While it’s true that giant retailers with garden centers, as well as online retailers, often offer a huge selection of products at lower prices, you won’t want to overlook the rewards of spending your dollars at local nurseries. For starters, they sell the freshest, most well-cared-for plants you can get since many are grown right at the nursery or at other local growers. Need more reasons to shop at an independent nursery or garden center? Consider:
They’ll give you personal attention.
On a busy Saturday at a giant retailer, trying to find an employee to answer your questions can get frustrating. If you manage to nab one, chances are he’ll have limited, if any, gardening knowledge beyond the basics. At an independent nursery, on the other hand, you’re more likely to find staffers who are well versed in all gardening particulars and eager to help.
They can advise you about local options. If you’re interested in native plants, the staff at a local garden center — who are often gardeners themselves — can give you the lowdown about what works best for your ZIP code.
They sell more interesting varieties.
Big-box stores buy in bulk and focus on the most common and popular plant species to offer customers; the stock is often the same in every store nationwide. If you’re looking to buy a rarer type of plant or a local native species, you’re more likely to find it at your local nursery.
They care about every petal and leaf. While big-box stores often buy their flowers, plants, and shrubs on consignment (meaning, they only pay for what they sell), smaller garden shops don’t have that luxury. That’s why they’re laser-focused on keeping the plants healthy with proper watering, pruning, and exposure to sunlight.
They’re environmentally friendly.
When you buy plants from a local source, you’re helping to reduce their carbon footprint because the goods won’t have to be shipped from farms hundreds or thousands of miles away. Packaging will be minimal too since there’s no shipping involved — just pick what you want from the shelves and put them all in your car for the short ride home.
They offer a more organic experience.
While ordering basil and tomato plants online will save you a trip to the store, you lose out when you don’t take that trip to a brickand-mortar store. Walking through a garden center connects you with nature—the sights and smells need to be appreciated in person.