Garden CentersI like going to nurseries to shop for my garden every spring, but since the emergence of garden centers in practically every store I regularly shop in, I hardly visit the nursery anymore.
Why pay fifty dollars for a new lilac bush at a fancy greenhouse when I can buy one at Home Depot for only twenty-five
bucks?
I suppose there may be a compromise in quality when shopping for plants at regular stores rather than garden centers, but even
if a plant or bush is wilted when you buy it, you can always nurse it back to good health.
There are especially nice garden centers in the Super Walmart and Kmart in my city.
Walmart is especially nice because the store itself is huge and even has a whole food section where you can buy groceries or
ready-made foods.
When I was there recently I decided to check out the garden center to see what I could find, thinking it would be lacking
in variety similar to the garden centers in the local grocery stores.
I was surprised when I walked outside into the huge chained area that contained every type of plant, flower and seed
imaginable.
They even had a whole supply of lawn maintenance supplies including fertilizers and bags of special soil.
I bought myself a lilac bush from Home Depot a few weeks ago and I planted it in my front yard as an experiment to see if a
cheap bush would grow as well as the nicer ones I’ve bought at greenhouses over the years.
So far the lilac is looking great and I expect that it will continue to do well as long as I pay attention to it and take care
of it while it takes root.
The real test will come next spring when I am able to see if it produces flowers.
If it does then I will probably continue to shop for plants at garden centers rather than at expensive nurseries.
The only real reason to go to a nursery for plants and garden supplies is if you need knowledgeable staff to answer your
questions.
One thing the garden centers don’t have is staff that specializes in plants.
The employees working in the garden center are just as likely to be working in the CD section or the household cleaners, and
therefore probably won’t know much about plants.
But with the wealth of information that is available on the internet this shouldn’t be a problem when planning your
garden.
A reader responce to this article
To the person who wrote this article:
I have to say my blood is boiling right now and I probably shouldn't be writing this until
I take many deep breaths. I am a manager of a 'real' independent garden centre. The livelihood of my dedicated
staff and myself are always at the mercy of the Box Stores like Home Depot, Wal-mart and the many grocery stores who play at
being a garden centre in the busy spring season. Through thoughtful customer service, dedication to quality and selection we
have managed to find ourselves a loyal customer base. But when I read an article like the one I just did that says "The only
real reason to go to a nursery for plants and garden supplies is if you need knowledgeable staff to answer your questions" it just
sends my blood pressure through the roof.
Many of my staff are trained horticulturists. All are ardent gardeners with
many years of experience under their belts. All have a passion for the industry. All excel in customer
service. To say that you only go to a place like mine for advice really hits home because we deal with people just
like you. You expect us to be horticulturists, botanists, scientists, chemists and whatever other hat we need to wear to
be 'knowledgeable' in your eyes and sometimes you don't really want advice, you just want to rant about the scab on your
potatoes, not wanting to take the blame for adding fresh manure to your vegetable garden so we end up being psychologists,
too. Free advice does not pay my bills or their wages. We get phone calls from people like you asking how to treat
their diseased roses...the ones, after some digging, we find out were bought at a box store. Or how to install the
greenhouse purchased at Costco. Why not phone the box store for advice? That's where you spent your
money. Or you take up hours of my staff's time, taking them away from 'real' customers, choosing what plants
would suit your garden renovation, how to care for them then leave empty handed to drive down to the nearest box store to make
your purchases.
We are not necessarily the most expensive, although in some cases that may be
true but you have to look at the big picture not just the bottom line. I am speaking only from the viewpoint of my
own operation. Maybe you've had less than wonderful garden centres in your area. I strive to carry pretty much
any variety of plant that does well in my climate. Having that selection costs money. I strive to only bring in only the
best quality. That costs money and time. If it has bugs, disease, is floppy in the pot, isn't big
enough, looks in poor health then it doesn't even come off the truck. If it gets bugs or disease while sitting
on my retail 'floor' then it gets pulled and either placed in a 'sick bay' to be dealt with or it goes in the bin. That is not
the case in most box stores that I've seen. Disease spreads quickly and if not curbed will pop up on your purchased
plant a day or so down the road. We do creative displays to inspire. We want you to feel relaxed while shopping, like
you're wandering in someone's garden, not listening to loud speakers as a sales associate gets called to come to aisle 5. We are
open all year round for your gardening pleasure and convenience. We make the bulk of our money in the spring but that has to
help carry us through the rest of the year when sales are slower unlike the box stores who cash in then shut down.
All our customers go out the door with all the advice they need to be successful with
their purchase. We had one lady who was heard muttering about our prices as she wandered past our 'Collector's
Table' (try finding a Collector's Table at Wal-Mart). By the end of her visit, after being greeted by friendly staff,
offered advice in choosing the right plants for her space, after spending time helping her plan her layout, having her
purchases carried to her car for her and giving her a trunk liner to keep her vehicle clean she exclaimed that know she knew why
we charge a few cents more. She has been a loyal customer ever since.
So, you can bypass your local, family-owned operations, the gems in your
community and shop at your big impersonal box stores but don't come looking for free advice from us. We work hard
for every penny we make and we don't need to waste our time with you.
S. Eppler
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