Saturday, after nearly a full day’s worth of work prepping the ground in the new garden, I went to my favorite hardware store to pick out some plants. I walked by the two short aisles of fruit, vegetable, and herb plants and was underwhelmed at the selection and quality. It was obvious that the “good” plants were long gone and the remaining stock was crippled, withered, or otherwise abused. But what surprised me most was the fact that they were charging nearly $4 per plant! They were really trying to take advantage of people weathering out a bad economy by building a garden.
Fortunately as I was about to fill my cart with over-priced and low quality plants, I overheard someone mention the name of a local nursery. I used to go to this store before it closed down a few years ago but it has since re-opened under new management. I put back the plants and headed down to this old favorite to see if they could help me.
When I arrived, it was obvious that others had heard the great news – the parking lot was packed. Cart after cart was leaving the greenhouse loaded with pots of various color holding strong, vibrant, green plants. I knew I wasn’t going to be disappointed.
Walking into the greenhouse, I was immediately impressed by the selection and quality of plants. They not only had tomatoes, but they had at least eight varieties; they had not only bell peppers, but they had an entire 10′ aisle full of just bell peppers; they even had two types of chives! Not only was their selection abundant, their prices were about half that of the hardware store’s. I actually had a hard time narrowing down which varieties of vegetables and herbs I wanted to plant instead of just struggling to find the best plants.
So before you pack up and head to your favorite all-purpose hardware store, give a local nursery a chance at your business. You’ll be helping a local business owner, your community, and most importantly, your wallet.
Photo by: uberculture
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I love hearing about how local establishments kill some of the bigger stores. It’s great to see that they are providing a great service at a great price (usually they are a little overpriced).
And even if they had been a little over-priced, I believe in supporting local business at nearly every opportunity. You’ll generally get much better service and it helps support your local economy.
You are right there. I go to a local bike shop for repairs and to purchase new things. They do a lot of things great. They treat you like a customer and they value your business. For example, if you purchase a bike from them, they will give you lifetime tuneups. Have you ever seen Walmart do that? Nope, me either!
I always try to support the local guy. For instance, I refuse to shop in Wal Mart. Haven’t shopped in that store in years, except when I have to take my momma shopping there, and then I DO NOT BUY.
As for plants, what you get from your local nursery is going to be a better quality plant as well. That’s my experience anyway.
Another option is to beg cuttings from neighbors. It’s a great way to get plants.
Wow, I’d love to be your neighbor when you’re harvesting! :)
That is funny, I had the exact same experience last year when shopping for plants… I went to a nursery after the hardware store – assuming the hardware store would be cheaper and it wasn’t and the plants weren’t great either…