Normally this space is about food. I’m diverging this week to share tips about plants.
This spring, I worked very part time at a locally owned garden center (Stephenson’s on Dixie Hwy.) I loved every minute and learned so much. If you are a plant novice it pays to visit a locally owned store (vs a chain box store). Typically you will pay a bit more for very healthy plants yet you are also getting knowledge as a part of the experience. (I’ve also seen box stores sell plants more expensive than my garden center.)
I’m not saying don’t buy plants from a box store. I love the discounted section of Lowes + the challenge to remediate the languishing. I am saying there are times it is worth it to pay more and visit a local garden center.
Here are my top 10 tips for shopping for plants.
Take pictures of the area you want to fill.
Countless times people used their hands to describe a side walk or porch, pointing to imaginary trees. I consider myself a fairly good listener with an avid imagination. Admittedly some days I struggled to follow these descriptions. Pictures are worth a thousand words and help so much. Snap a few pictures before leaving home and let the images talk for you. Your pictures could spark the imagination of the garden center employee in a way your words won’t.
Measure the spot - taking note of windows or other obstacles.
The size of the space matters whether in the ground or the diameter of the pot. More than one person started talking about the space only to realize they really don’t know how large the area is.
One lady dutifully measured her space and even brought a carefully drawn schematic. As we walked around and talked about options she casually mentioned, “Oh and there’s a window here. I don’t want to have to trim bushes to grow above the sill.” Before deciding on plants she decided to go back home and measure the height of the window.
Most plants have a tag that describes the mature size - this depends on how much sun it gets, how consistent the moisture, and if you’re regularly fertilizing.
Notice where the sun rises and sets.
How many hours of sun will your new plant(s) get? Is is delicate morning sun? Scorching afternoon sun? Filtered through trees? The pots on my front porch are beautiful. They love morning sun — and would die on my back patio. The patio plants would not thrive in front.
I desperately wanted hydrangeas for their beautiful blooms. Hydrangeas are notorious for loving shade. The spot I choose was almost complete shade on the north side of my house. After almost a year here my hydrangeas never bloomed. Thankfully I’d left the tag on them, read it again, and realized this variety actually wanted sun. It would never bloom without sun so I moved them.
If in doubt whether a plant would thrive or languish, don’t hesitate to ask a garden center employee. Likely they have experience with that plant in various locations and will confidently tell you whether it will survive in your spot. Describe when the sun will be on your plant and they will help you decide.
Think about what matters to you.
Things that could matter:
ease of care (some plants will live in spite of you, some need to be babied),
blooming times (early spring or late summer or somewhere in between?),
attracting pollinators (or not),
keeps leaves in the winter,
pressure from critters (like deer or rabbits),
annual or perennial etc.
A customer came in early spring with a list of plants she’d googled and said, “I am so tired of feeding deer. Show me what these look like.” We walked around and talked about them. It was so fun! She taught me about guara and I bought one for both my mom and mother-in-law.
One lady asked, “What plants are good for my cat?” I clarified, “You mean, won’t hurt your cat if it eats the plant?”
She said, “I want a plant my cat will really enjoy.” I wasn’t quite sure what she meant other than she really loved her cat. I sold her perennial cat nip.
A gentleman wanted flowers along his sidewalk and didn’t want to have to plant them year after year. I showed him where the perennials are kept in the garden center. He picked an herb that was in bloom and almost to the end of its season. I pointed him instead to cone flowers, knowing he was a plant novice plus cone flowers are hearty and prolific.
One of my co-workers called day lilies: “ditch lilies.” Saying that lilies are so hearty they can live in ditches. (Psst: if you want some, ask anyone who has them to let you dig a few. They multiply like rabbits. And are hard to kill.)
Are there plants that you love or hate?
The same co-worker mention above would never buy lilies. I don’t hate ditch lilies and I would never buy them because my neighbors would give me a start from theirs.
One gentleman was re-landscaping and had a list of plants his wife loved and had worked well at their previous house. This was so helpful.
I am not a fan of crepe myrtles and will never buy one.
Cone flowers are prolific and hearty. I love the variety of colors and practicality of them as cut flowers. I’m a sucker to buy allll the varieties.
You do you.
Consider purchasing amendments for your soil.
You’re spending top dollar for quality, healthy plants. Unless you’re a soil expert, it is likely your soil could use amending.
The garden center I worked at sold a landscape mix which was a blend of compost, mulch and sand that is mixed with topsoil. This is especially helpful when the soil is compacted and doesn’t drain well. (Remember to dig a hole twice the size of your container. Back fill with this combo to give roots a friendly environment to start.) I also recommend a fertilizer of some sort.
The topic of fertilizers could be it’s own article…
I learned this spring about this Bio-Tone Plant Starter. Gardeners everywhere swear by it. Another plant food that was formulated by Louisville home gardener now sold nationwide is Monty’s.
The composted manure we sold at the garden center was far superior to anything I’d purchased at a box store. Our locally owned garden center also sold a composted mushroom soil mix that is amazing when planting vegetables.
Probably my biggest takeaway from working at the garden center this spring was I need to be more consistent with fertilizer. I’m not a fan of industrial, chemical fertilizers — I learned there are many natural and organic options that are especially beneficial for the soil! Worm castings, compost tea and coop-poop are some of my favs.
Potted plants need different fertilizers than plants that go in the ground and the feeding schedule is different.
Fertilizer is especially needed after super cold winters like the one we had in 2022. So many people lost evergreen shrubs and boxwoods from the cold. Ample water and nutrients really help remediate lagging plants.
A tip as the temps rise in July: don’t fertilize plants when temps are over 90*. It’s too stressful for the plant.
Consider a wide sweep of color rather than polka dots.
If you take note of magazines or other landscaping you think is pretty, it is likely there is continuous color - or groupings of three or more for impact. For example, in spring several azaleas or hydrangeas of the same color give a greater impact than 3 different colors grouped together.
More than one customer shared with me their plan to diversify (polka dots). While I’m all about plant diversity, you’ll have a greater impact by grouping like with like.
It’s your landscaping so do as you please.
If there’s a plant you want but don’t see it, ask an employee.
Sometimes we had plants that we sent to the “hospital” aka greenhouse to rehabilitate. They weren’t quite showroom ready yet they were still for sale.
One shipment of tropicals experienced an unusual dip in temperatures upon arrival and stunted them so they spent time in the greenhouse growing healthy again.
Or maybe the last plant you’re looking for is in a special spot.
If we don’t have a plant you want, maybe we could order it for you. Except dogwood trees. There’s a fungus that’s eating dogwoods and will also destroy other trees so you’ll be hard pressed to find a dogwood for sale — unless you dig it out of a forest.
If the plant looks less than stellar and it’s the last one, ask for a discount.
That said, one guy wanted a miniature flowering tree this spring. I showed him my favorite flowering peach. It was gorgeous. He said, “Would you take $25 off? I want this tree but I don’t have much money. I’m just a regular guy.”
I said, “I don’t have the power to make that decision. You could ask the manager at the desk.” He said he wanted me to ask the manager. I told him if he wanted a discount he would have to ask. It was a healthy tree in prime season. I was seriously doubtful he would get the discount. Later I asked the manager about this guy.
“Oh yeah, I remember him. He wanted a discount all right. I asked if he was a veteran and he wasn’t. He just didn’t want to pay full price. I told him he could have it at full price if he wanted the tree.” He bought it.
On other occasions she gave discounts to the last of less than amazing plants.
Even if you don’t need plants, stop in a locally owned garden center in spring and fall.
Ask what’s new. Ask what are their favorite plants? I seemed to have a new favorite every week! (Have you seen variegated irises that smell like grape soda?!)
My favorites depended on our shipments. Sometimes we would get only one or two of a certain plant and when it was gone, it’s gone. (Ever seen a shrimp plant?)
Locally owned garden centers will order plants that thrive in your climate. My manager had over 20 years of experience with plants and customers. She purposefully placed the orders knowing what varieties did well in this climate - I didn’t know so many varieties of lavender existed until I worked at a garden center! Each variety had its pros and cons.
There was at least one shrub we stopped carrying because it was too difficult to keep alive (sky pencil holly) - a quick google tells me they are readily sold at box stores. Crazy enough, two people asked on the same day about this plant. Both said theirs had died.
One of my fellow employees had an entire room of her house dedicated to house plants complete with grow lights and over 120 pots! She talked the manager into ordering more houseplants then posted in a Facebook plant lovers group. It goes without saying that people drove from across town to see some varieties when they arrived.
Every single week I was tempted to fill my house and yards with foliage! And every week I traded my entire paycheck for plants.
I’m in Louisville, KY (zone 7a) and our garden center was PACKED the first two weekends in May: Derby and Mother’s Day. We received shipments before and after these weeks, of course. But those first two weeks were the fullest, healthiest, and most diversity of plants.
Whoever said “money can’t buy happiness” never bought plants.
In My Ears
I mentioned before this podcast with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and will repeat how packed with eye-opening information. Did you know mercury in fresh water fish is now a problem? It’s not just salt water fish and he explains why - as an environmental attorney.
I finally was able to understand what people mean when they say, “crossing the blood/brain barrier.” He also explains why autism made a gigantic jump in the population in the late 80’s.
The most fascinating thing is Kennedy’s ability to recall names, facts, figures — all without notes. Joe Rogan’s podcast is audio and video so we can see his expression and body language.
I wish every American would listen to this episode…especially parents.
Books I’m Reading
Last week I read two books about Native Americans. One was one woman’s experience of being held captive by Sioux Indians for 5 months just after the Civil War. The other was a modern story of a pregnant Chippewa woman who went missing. Later her baby was discovered in the apartment of upstairs neighbors and woman’s mutilated body found in a nearby river.
It was by accident that I finished them the same week and so interesting to think about the plight of the Native American from each author’s worldview 150 years apart.
I started reading the Civil War era book only during the day fearful that the details would give me nightmares. The language and vocabulary choices of the captive were rich and thoughtful. Upon completion of the book, I wonder what was left unsaid (I assumed sexual brutality yet it is never mentioned.)
I skimmed much of the modern retelling of the Chippewa murder simply because the language was simple and banal. The author printed Facebook dialogue!
The juxtaposition of the two books underscores why I borrow heavily from the library. We own the Civil War era book.
What are you reading these days? Last night I started Code Name Blue Wren: The True Story of America's Most Dangerous Female Spy—and the Sister She Betrayed. I love reading true stories and thinking about what motivates people and the experiences that shape them.
Simple Summer Salad
I made this simple summer salad this week inspired by a friend who brought something similar a few days before. Add or delete as your pantry allows. My friend added artichokes and arugula whereas I had extra squash and zucchini.
Ingredients
yellow squash, raw and sliced
zucchini, raw and sliced
red or green onion, chopped
green pepper and/or jalapeno, chopped
quinoa (I cooked 3/4c sprouted quinoa in 1c broth)
fresh mozzarella
feta
fresh herbs: I used oregano & lemon basil
Sprinkle veggies with sea salt then marinate in Italian dressing or some combination of oil and vinegar for a few hours. (I have a collection of raw vinegars.) Refrigerate in glass since the acid of the vinegar will pull toxics from plastic.
While this is marinating, cook quinoa (or cook days or hours in advance.)
Mix everything together, adding fresh herbs and cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings. Very likely you’ll want more salt or vinegar or even a squeeze of lemon.
Life is hard; food doesn’t have to be.
Julie
PS - Beautycounter’s 20% off site wide sale ends tomorrow. The skin is our largest organ and it matters what sits on the skin. Start switching the things you use the most or sit longest. Reply to this email with questions. I love helping find what matters to you within your budget.