Independent garden centers in Utah

Garden Advice Alert! 5 Reasons to Support Local Independent Garden Centers

April 17, 2017 by Wendy Pettit

Welcome Gardener Friend! We’re happy you are here.

The internet and the “mass merchants” can offer garden advice, but information and product specific to your area is a must if you want a thriving garden. Your local independent garden center, like Western Gardens in Utah, live in and are experienced in your specific climate zone and your certain soil conditions. These two crucial factors determine which plant varieties will do best in your yard and those that will simply die. If you don’t match the plant type with the correct area in your yard and with proper soil, you can easily find yourself exhausted and frustrated from all your efforts plus a lot of wasted money. Shopping your independent garden centers will help you successfully grow a beautiful garden.

Here are 5 reasons why:

#1 KNOWLEDGE

Local professionals – Local independent garden centers tend to hire more local knowledgeable plant gardeners and professionals. They’ll have a great passion for gardening. A plant enthusiast will help you find success rather than somebody from the window department. (True personal story!) If your local has a horticulturist by profession, like Western Gardens, even better.

garden center employee helping customers n the roses

Gardening professionals help you.

Up-to-date Information – Locals stay up-to-date on information regarding weather – both current and recent past conditions. They also will know of current pest infiltrations, and such. Someone in another part of the country doesn’t have a clue as to what is happening in Utah. Your local knows what you need to be successful, so their business can be successful.

Hard hat worker photo by Klaus Hausmann at Pixabay CC0 license

#2 PLANT MATERIAL –

Premium Quality – Local independent nurseries buy premium quality; they do not buy what is cheap. Your long term success is their success.

Timing & Choice – Locals buyers are making the purchases specific for your area, rather than a corporate worker ordering and sending material to their big stores across the country. For example, big box stores will bring in and try to sell you a watermelon seedling in March. (True story 4-8-2017) It won’t succeed in Utah planting that early; watermelons hate cold weather. Independents bring in the material for you at the right time. If it is a little early or their shipment just came in, they will warn you to harden off the plants before planting.

Unique Material – Independents tend to have a wider variety of unique plant material. They bring in the latest developed plants that should survive your climate.

Price – In general, independents tend to be a little more expensive because they don’t buy cheap, but rather quality. And many times the price difference is pennies. This quality saves you money in the long run.

Consider this when looking at the price: If you purchase a petunia from a mass merchant for 15 cents less than at the independent, but the plant doesn’t do well so you buy more plants to fill in, or you even have to completely replant, did you really save 15 cents? We all eventually learn that sometimes it is better to pay a little extra for a quality product. In the end, your effort, sweat, sore muscles, and your money won’t be wasted.

petunia covered with snow at a mass merchant store

A good independent doesn’t prematurely bring in plant material like petunias that are not cold hardy until much warmer weather. Independents save you money by not tempting you to plant certain products too early in the season.

OWN – And we’re not talking Oprah’s TV network. Independents own the plant material they sell, thus they usually take better care of their product. Remember their passion for gardening!

Many mass merchants sell on consignment, not actually owning the product. You may see vibrant plants when you walk in, but you take a gamble that the plant has been properly cared for. A stressed droopy plant can “bounce back” when finally watered, but after repeated neglect by the time you get it planted (giving it a natural shock to its system), your plant may never recover or struggle. Also, plants don’t like sitting on top of black asphalt in the parking lot.

To illustrate this point of owning and caring for product, see how plant material was cared for by a local mass merchant for three consecutive days (4-8-2017). Witness below recent care of rose bushes, vegetable seedlings, and lemon trees during an early spring April weekend sale. Draw your own conclusions about waste and quality of product. In all three cases, material was eventually thrown away and new product brought in. Independents conserve on waste by taking care of their plant material. Again, they own what they are selling to you.

Warm weather vegetables and herbs including tables of peppers, cantaloupe, basil, even watermelon.

Rose bushes that were definitely not hardened off for the cold weather and snow. The independent roses are bigger, healthier, hardened off, and begin at just $2 more than these.

Lemon/Citrus trees. If the roots being exposed and repotted didn’t kill the tree, the snow and cold did.

In short, reputable independents, like Western Gardens, purchase and tend the best plant material for you, their customer.

#3 SOIL – Local soils are different throughout your area. Just in the Salt Lake valley, soils drastically range from sandy to heavy clay. A quality independent will know what you can do to improve your specific soil structure so you can be more successful with your plant selections.

The Salt Lake Valley has a wide variety of soil types. Photo by TyGuy999 from Pixabay CC0 license

#4 PROBLEM SOLVERS – Locals are the “go to” people when you need advice. They give you personal attention to select proper plants for your yard, give advice for additives for your soil, plus tips and tricks to get your garden into tiptop shape. They are also the ones that people seek when there are problems and pests in the garden. Your locals are the plant doctors. Consider this, if you don’t buy your product from the experts, how can you expect them to help you with an inferior product you bought somewhere else? They are willing to help you with your inferior product when they are able, but why not save yourself heartache and money by purchasing from the independent in the first place?

Bring in samples of your problem. The plant doctor is in!

Plant enthusiasts are ready to help you be successful.

#5 LOCAL ECONOMY – Often shoppers don’t realize that when they purchase from a big national company, a lot of their money leaves the state and pays employees back in Georgia or some other state where the headquarters are located. When you buy local, you keep the funds within the local community and you keep your independent garden center thriving and open, ready to serve you for years to come.

Local independents also more often than not buy from local growers, who meet the quality standards.

Keep the independents in business so they will be there when you really need a “plant doctor”.

Support your neighbor; buy Utah!

Garden Grow Box – Kids Friendly

April 11, 2017 by Vanessa Roush

WELCOME GARDEN FRIENDS, HAPPY TO SEE YOU!

Want to have a garden this year? Wondering where to begin? Start with this simple garden grow box that you and your children can create together. Here are some simple guidelines that worked for me.

Before heading to your local lumber yard, decide what size of box you want or have room for. For this example, we are building a 4 foot by 6 foot box, which is a great size just right for the new little gardeners who will help to create it. However, you can make it the size that fits the space you have.

Garden grow box SUPPLIES:

SUPPLIES: 2 10′ boards cut into 2 six feet and 2 four feet lengths. Smaller hands can handle the 4′ boards!

SUPPLIES: Deck screws, drill bit, power drill and/or screw driver, and those helping hands.

1. Two 2’’x8’’ x 10’ long pressure treated beams: (approx. $14 each) Make sure they are straight by pulling them out and looking down the side of them. Also make sure they aren’t severely bowed or have big knot holes. If you don’t have a chop saw at home, have someone at the lumber yard cut both of your boards at 6’. You will be left with two 6’ pieces and two 4’ pieces. This also makes it easier to transport them home. You can also rummage through your scrap wood at home and see if you have something that is at least 6” in depth.

2. A package (or at least 12 pieces) of #9 2 1/2’’ Deck screws: (approx $10 or less) You could also use #10 3’’ screws. They come in a few different colors so you can get a box to match the wood so they are less noticeable. Most of these screws have a star driver head. Some boxes come with a bit to fit them, but check just to make sure.

3. Drill bit a little smaller than your screws (optional but highly recommended): For a #9 screw, a drill bit size of 3/32 is recommended. Pre-drilling holes prevents the wood from splitting and ruining the board. If this sounds like Greek to you, take your screw and look for a drill bit that is slightly smaller in diameter. Or ask someone at the lumber store; they’d be more than happy to help! This is an essential step if you’d like to involve kids. You pre-drill the holes, and then let the child drive in the screws.

4. Weed block or Landscape fabric: If you have an area that is prone to a lot of weeds, put down some weed block or landscape fabric before you set your box in place. Layers of old newspaper in the bottom of your box can work too. Another option is to spray the weeds using Killz-All or Weed-Free Zone. If you do this, make sure not to cover the sprayed weeds for 7-10 days giving the chemicals time to kill the weeds. There is no problem using these products on edible vegetable gardens. The product only works to kill the unwanted plant via the plant’s leaves.

5. Power Drill and/or Screw Driver.

Garden grow box ASSEMBLY:

Putting the box together is easier if you have an extra set of hands, but some rocks or a wall will do if you’re doing this project solo. Enlist the help from a child by asking them to hold one of the boards up for you. The box can be assembled in a few different ways, or styles.
Option A: Assemble each board on the outer part of the corner on one end, and then inner part of the corner on the other.

Option B: Assemble the shorter 4′ boards on the outside of of the 6′ boards or vice versa.

Step 1: Take a 6’ board and a 4’ board and put them together at a right angle. Make sure they are flat against each other. Using your drill bit, pre-drill 3 holes in a line at the top, middle and bottom of the side.

Step 2: Then switch to your screw bit or use a screw driver and drive 3 screws into the holes you just drilled. You should now have two boards creating a right angle or an “L” Shape.

Step 3: Now add the other 6’ board and repeat the pre-drilling and driving the screws.

Step 4: Repeat with the last 4’ board.

Step 5: Set your box in its place. To help cut down on weeds, place a layer of landscape material from your independent garden store.

The fun has just begun. Fill with quality soil and get those seeds and plants ready! The box is!

Now you are ready to fill with a high quality dirt. Bumper Crop from your local independent garden center, like Western Garden centers, is an experienced gardener’s favorite!

Bumper Crop for your soil is a gardener’s favorite.

Stay tuned for the next episodes of this Kids in the Garden experience. Their love for gardening is growing, but see what plants these two choose to grow in their grow box!

Utah Garden Centers – Planting Trees in the Right Spot

June 11, 2013 by Becky

Planting trees is a long term investment. Initially, it costs you time and money and then years of watering and tending. Your tree can become priceless to you and so worth your time and effort. However, don’t let your investment go to waste by planting your favorite trees in the wrong spot. You’ll end up ripping out your tree, fixing house and sidewalk problems, or experience a ghastly sight if the power company has to come and trim your branches away from the power lines. Avoid these potential problems by planning ahead. Even if you start a one-gallon sized tree, following these simple guidelines before you dig your hole, will save you time and money and heartache in the future. Planting trees in the right spot is very important!

The most important overriding rule is know the final/adult size and shape of your tree. All little babies grow up, even cute little baby saplings. Good independent garden centers in Utah, like Western Garden Centers, will provide excellent quality material and you’ll have the information you need for these guidelines.

#1 Plan where you plant your tree in relation to your house or buildings. We have a friend who moved into a neighboring house. The previous owners liked a little blue spruce and wanted to frame their home with it. Well, they actually did frame it, about 2 feet away from the home. They didn’t plan ahead for a potentially 40 foot blue spruce to be so close to the home. In a few more years, even the trunk itself could be up again the rain-gutter. Eventually, the new owners will have to take out the tree to save on expensive eave and roof repairs. Misplaced trees can also have their roots damage your home’s foundation, sidewalk, and driveway. Know your tree’s potential, above ground and below!

#2 – Do not plant under power lines if your tree will become too tall or big! If your tree looses a branch and cuts the electricity during a Utah heavy snow storm, then remember that all your neighbors will be ticked off as they rush to save the food in their freezers and hope that their computers didn’t fry on the disruption. Know that eventually, the power company does have the right to keep clear any branches of residence and business’ trees. It’s part of living in a community! They will come and clear away any and all branches within a certain amount of feet from the lines. Plus, anything directly above the lines have to be pruned also. Your trees won’t get the tender loving care of a good arborist, the power company will cut away like a marine hair cut! Know your tree and be responsible!

#3 – Don’t plant too many “baby” trees together just because you like the look of a lot of material. Again, eventually you’ll be ripping out your good money. They will grow and crowd each other, also causing disease and basic illness of some of your trees. Know your tree and don’t overplant!

Last week I went driving within a 4 mile radius of our home and took photos of trees that were not well thought out before they were planted. Carefully examine and don’t become a victim of this common error. Know your Tree!