BBB Tip: Shopping for your home garden
Gardening season is finally here! You may envision all the herbs, flowers, and vegetables you’ll harvest at the end of the season. But you’ll need to put in hard work – not to mention money – to make your dream garden a reality. To make a success of your garden and stay on budget, BBB recommends the following tips:
• Research garden centers and landscaping companies. Before you head out to buy the supplies you need for your garden, find a reputable business to purchase from. Remember that national chains often have low prices and good return policies but may not stock various plants or accommodate specialty plant orders. Search BBB.org to find a BBB Accredited Business with good consumer reviews to ensure you’ll receive quality service and products. If you plan to hire extra help to improve your garden, you can also look up arborists, retail florists, landscaping, lawn maintenance, and irrigation specialists.
• Ask for advice. Plant nurseries usually have knowledgeable staff to help you with your gardening questions. If there are certain plants or gardening techniques you aren’t sure about, ask nursery salespeople for their best tips.
• Know what you are buying. It’s a good idea to ask garden center staff if plants were grown locally or in a greenhouse somewhere else. They may do well in the garden center’s controlled environment, but will they flourish in your garden zone and climate? Will they survive if planted outdoors? If you buy seeds, can they be planted directly outdoors, or do you need to start them indoors first? When in doubt, ask!
• Inspect plants before you purchase. When you find the perfect plant for your garden, look closer. Apartment
Therapy advises, “If the foliage is droopy, discolored, or crispy around the edges, be wary and try to find a different plant.” In addition, make sure there is no crusty residue and white or brown specks, which could indicate pests are living in the potting soil. If they go unnoticed, pests brought home from a garden center can quickly infest the rest of your indoor and even outdoor plants.
• Find out when and how to fertilize. Better Homes & Gardens notes, “If you enriched the soil with compost before you planted, you may not need to do any additional fertilizing. Then again, some vegetables are heavy feeders and may need a quick-release fertilizer every three to four weeks.” Garden center experts can help you determine when and how to fertilize if you are just starting out.
• Understand plant return policies. Return policies vary from store to store, so get to know store policies before making any major purchases. Some nurseries will give you a free replacement for a diseased plant. Others may have stricter “no refund/exchange” policies.
• Look for The Sign. Before you decide where to buy your home garden essentials, look for The Sign of a Better Business. By choosing BBB Accredited Businesses for your home garden needs, you can confidently invest in items that are not only of high quality but also backed by a commitment to ethical practices, transparency, and trust.
For more information and to learn how to protect yourself, Google “BBB 10 Steps to Avoid Scams.” If you spot a scam, whether you have lost money or not, report it to BBB’s Scam Tracker at BBB.org/ScamTracker and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your story can help protect consumers from similar scams.
Rick Walz is the President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Northern Indiana, which serves 23 counties. Contact the BBB at 800-5524631 or visit www.bbb.org.