Things Every Great Garden Center Should Have

An Organic Option: No, not Scott’s or Miracle Gro’s “Organic Choice” or Milorganite. The nursery should carry a true organic option.  Brands Like Lady Bug, Medina, New Earth, etc. should have at least one representative product in the center.  It’s better if the center is totally organic, but a good nursery will at least have the option.

Potted plants:Of course, if a nursery specializes in trees, the tre often in a pot.  But bare-rooted trees are fine, too.  Here I’m talking about small plants, either with or without larger plants.  Flowers, vegetables, or whatever is right for your area that will grow in pots, or can be transplanted into the ground.

Seeds:A good nursery will always carry seeds.  A garden center without seeds is like Chocolate Ice Cream without chocolate.

Compost and Mulch:Good organic compost and mulch are important to any garden.  But you can make compost and mulch yourself.

Orange Oil:Orange oil has a variety of uses, including as a cleaner and a weed killer.

Liquid Seaweed:Liquid Seaweed is a fertilizer of sorts, useful for foliar feeding.

Organic Fertilizer:Other Fertilizer’s, like John’s Recipe [Lady Bug Brand] are useful for ground fertilizing.

Beneficial Nematodes and other beneficial insects:Some of these can be sprayed [the nematodes], and other bugs can be put out.  It’s probably a better idea to attract rather than buy ladybugs, though, because ladybugs will not stay in one place.  Use flowers, like Zinnias, to attract ladybugs [plant them from seeds for economical pest control].  Do not buy preying mantises, they will prey on everything, including other beneficial insects

A friendly and sufficient staff:The staff should notice when you walk in, offer to help if you need or want help, but still allow and encourage you to look around.  You, the customers are the reason any business is in business.  This includes garden centers.

Rat poison:Ok, this one is kind of ridiculous.  No nursery should actually carry rat poison they should, however, have informational papers that include a nutritional analysis of rat poison.  Chemical garden centers should have it so as not to be misleading about what they carry.  Organic garden centers should have it as a response to those who say, “The plant doesn’t know the difference, as long as the nutrients are there”.

Rat poison has some nutrients in it that are similar to the nutrients we use in some foods, but you would not feed your kid rat poison just because the nutrients are there and he did not know the difference, would you?  Therefore an informational sheet containing a nutritional analysis of rat poison as compared with a similar food product should be in every garden center along side other informational papers, such as the ones on fertilizing and weeding and those that warn about the dangers of chemical pesticides like Round-Up.

Seed Starting Mix:  Seed-starting mix is a good way to start seed, most organic gardening centers have gotten away from recommending the use of peat moss for starting seeds.  Some recommend things like vermiculite and perlite.

Information:Informational papers should be available. The staff should also be knowledgeable about plants.  They should be able to tell you the best way and the best time to plant things of interest to you in your area.  The staff should know about local and regional radio and television gardening shows in your area.  They should also know about garden centers that conduct seminars and possibly the subject[s] being covered.

Tools:Hoes, Hoses, Wheelbarrows, Shovels, Spades, Shadecloth and any tool or gadget you may want to use in your gardening activities should be available at your local garden center.

Nursery Pots: Empty nursery pots of all sizes and shapes should be available at your local garden center, whether free or for sale is unimportant.  What matters is that they should be available.

Just because a garden center does not have one or more of the above items does not mean it is not a good nursery or garden center.  I doubt any gar den center will have nutritional information on rat poison regardless of how good of a nursery it is.  A good garden center might however regularly conduct seminars on various plant issues like becoming a master gardener or a class in organic certification or a class on vegetable gardening.

That same garden center might realize that parents with young children may come to the seminars.  Therefore a daycare might be offered, making the garden center a nursery in two different ways.  Choose your center wisely. Happy Gardening.