First Trip To The Garden Nursery 2025

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This morning, I made my first trip to Southwoods Garden Nursery to buy plants for my garden for the summer of 2025.

On Tuesday, Kendra and I are scheduled to make another trip to Southwoods Garden Nursery. I went on my first trip to the garden nursery early this morning and got what I think I need for the garden beds in front. So now I can focus on choosing porch plants on Tuesday.

Everything I plant will go into containers. Container gardening is particularly suitable for older people or those with disabilities. It is my preferred way to garden. With arthritis in my hands, it’s hard to dig in the hard dirt.

The Walmart Pots I Ordered:

I ordered 16-inch pots from Walmart and am delighted with them. They are cobalt blue and very sturdy. And they’re reasonably priced: four pots (16x16x12.45 inches) for $69.99. Of course, you can order one or two, but I ordered eight pots.

I was thrilled to find these because I already had a few cobalt blue pots. And I have enough for my front porch, the beds beneath, along with the four green pots I had already ordered.

I also ordered six sacks of potting soil (1 cubic foot per bag) for delivery. We’ll see if I need more. There’s no point in hurting your back by buying them at the store when you can have them delivered to your door.

Potting Soil Delivery Charges:

Home Depot charges $2.99 for delivery, but Walmart offers it free of charge. I’ve learned that you must pick your “battles” when you’re my age.

I had planned what I wanted to buy at the nursery. I’d looked online to see what they had for shade and semi-shade, and I knew where to head at the nursery when I arrived, right after they opened.

What I Purchased:

• Hosta – (Munchkin Fire, Blue Mouse Ears, June #1, So Sweet, August Moon)
• Coral Bells – (Heuchera Guacamole, Heuchera Dolce Wildberry, Heuchera Carnival Watermelon)
• Columbine – (Kirigam Deep Blue, Kirigam Deep Rose)
• Astilbe Fanal
• Vinca Major – (Variegated)
• Ivy – (Variegated English)
• Ajuga – (Black Scallop)
• Moneywart – (Golden)
• Sedum (Bundle Of Joy)
• Coleus (Riverwalk)
• Mondo Grass

I wanted Sedum’ Autumn Joy, ‘but they didn’t have it, so I got a Sedum’ Bundle of Joy’ instead. I don’t think I’ve bought this plant before.

I like Black Mondo Grass, but I think it’s too expensive at $19.99. So I don’t buy it. I purchased regular ornamental grasses instead, and they’re much cheaper.

The one plant I purchased that I’ve never tried before is Astilbe. I like to try a new plant each year for interest during my first trip to the garden nursery.

It was nice to have such a wide variety of options for my first trip to the garden nursery this year. And they even had the Lamb’s Ear I had been searching for over the past three years!

But wouldn’t you know it, a neighbor at my old apartment had already found a quart-size container of Lamb’s Ear for me the previous summer. I brought it here with me when I moved, and it looks like it’s going to be full and healthy.

Purchasing Lamb’s Ear:

If you plant Lamb’s Ear, consider purchasing the quart-sized container to ensure it returns the following year. At least that’s how it turned out in my climate. The smaller sizes I purchased never came back the following year. Now the quart-size she bought for me has spread nicely in the pot.

This is just a heads-up so you don’t waste your money.

The only items I purchased in smaller quantities were ajuga, ivy, vinca, and golden pennies. These plants in smaller sizes usually do well when planted in containers.

First Trip To The Garden Nursery Was Exciting:

Of course, I was in my “gardening element.” I was ready to roll when I arrived at the nursery and grabbed a cart (which also served as a cane so I could walk farther). This first trip every spring is an exciting day for me.

I was in heaven with all those plants surrounding me. I’m never happier than when I’m strolling through a garden nursery or getting my hands in the dirt to plant a garden.

Planting Perennials:

It’s rather discouraging when you’ve worked hard planting perennials at one place only to have to move and start again. Such is a gardener’s life. Depending on the time of year, you might be able to take some along and transplant them.

On your first spring trip, identify the perennials you’ll need to replace. You might consider trading perennial plants with a neighbor or friend to save money.

I’ll wait to buy flowers for my porch containers when I’m with Kendra. If I hadn’t gone today, I doubt we’d have been able to store everything in her SUV on Tuesday. Now I’ve gotten a lot of buying plants I wanted out of the way. And once I get home, I can assess what I have and what I still need.

Kasi is coming to lunch tomorrow, so maybe I can get her to help me with some of the lifting. She’s never been interested in gardening, but she’s always helpful when I need help.

Have you begun gardening or shopping for plants yet?