Mail Order Gardening: Beautiful Gardens on a Budget

Mail order garden centers are a great place for any gardener on a budget. They often have prices which are much less expensive than home improvement centers or local garden centers.

In addition, they often sell groupings of plants which are suited to a particular site and will keep that spot in blooms all season long. They can do the planning for you.

Trade Offs

One of the trade offs with purchasing plants through catalogue garden centers is that the plants you buy will be quite small. In fact, some may not bloom in their first year. However, many will. And many will grow and spread fairly quickly. So, if you are gardening on a budget, you may want to think catalogue.

Another trade off with catalogue or on line garden centers is that you can not pick your plants. You are stuck with the particular plant that is sent to you. If you are in a store or local garden center, you can see a group of plants and you can choose the one you think is the healthiest. Not so if you order on-line or through a catalogue. You get what you get.

The third trade off is that these plants have to be shipped to you. Most of them do just fine. But the fact is that they are coming through the mail and may have some minor setbacks.

Guarantees

Most on-line or mail order garden centers I have dealt with have offered iron-clad guarantees. They usually state that if your plant dies within the first year (or longer), you will be sent a replacement free. In fact, some of these plants are sold only in groupings of three. So, if one of your plants dies, you might just get three new ones.

Spring Hill

On catalogue garden center that I have had great success with for many years is Spring Hills Nursery. You'll find them at www.springhillnursery.com. I have gotten great plants from them and anything which did not do well was replaced right away at no charge.

I have found their prices to be quite reasonable. So, if you are gardening on a budget, I would recommend that you check them out.

They sell garden collections for shady spots, sunny spots, blue gardens, red gardens, mailbox gardens and many more. Trying out one of the collections is a great way to get started, especially if you are on a budget. The plants are pre-selected to mix and match and will keep the area in bloom for the whole season. Of course, if your prefer, you can order individual plats as well.

Jackson and Perkins

Jackson and Perkins is another on-line or catalogue garden center which I like a lot. Jackson and Perkins is famous for their lovely roses. If you visit their website: www.jacksonandperkins.com, you will find their fabulous roses and much more.

You will find that they too have planned gardens, problem solving gardens and much more, as well as individual plants.

Customer Service

Both of these websites and catalogues have fantastic customer service. They have been a great resource to me when I have had questions. They have also stood behind their guarantees and replaced any plants necessary.

Getting Your Plants

Once your plants arrive (hooray!) from an on line or mail order garden center, be sure to unpack them right away. If there are any special care instructions, they should be enclosed with your order.

They also should be shipped at the correct time for planting in your area. If you cannot plant your new arrivals right away, be sure to give them some water and sunlight and keep them outside if weather appropriate. Since the plants are usually shipped at the appropriate planting time, you should be able to keep them outside until you are ready to plant. You may want to give small plants a little extra protection at night time, however, if they are only in very tiny containers. Their roots will be more susceptible to damage from the cold than if they were in the ground.

Follow Instructions

If you follow the planting instructions, you should start to see new growth in no time. Some plants are shipped bare root and may have to be soaked before plating. Be sure to read all enclosed directions to ensure success.

Enjoy Your Beautiful (and Inexpensive) New Garden

Your garden might be a little bit small the first year. But you should see some flowers, perhaps many flowers, and you will have saved your self a bundle. Make sure that you leave room for the plants to expand and grow. You may be a little bit surprised at how small the plants are when they arrive in the mail, but they will grow quickly. And don't forget to set aside some time to stop and smell your beautiful new roses!