In my hometown paper last week, they had a special section for "home and garden". Inside was an ad for a nursery that is on the very busy highway I drive to/from work everyday. Really?? Where?? So I do an internet search for the address and it just doesn't seem right. So I call them up and get directions. Simple enough... just turn on County Road 608. So I pay close attention on the way home to see if there were any signs. And I spotted a very small one about 3 miles from their road. Once you turned onto the road and go about 1/4 of mile there was a huge sign. Okay... how is THAT gonna get you business from the highway? So, I just shrugged it off and figured that they didn't need to advertise. So today I decided to go plant shopping. I had nothing particular in mind. Just wanted to check this place out since their ad said "we try to have all the plants your average nursery doesn't carry... for the unusual or unique... come take a look". Sounded like my kinda place! And if nothing else, I could pick up some annuals to fill a couple of pots. I pull into their driveway. No place to park without blocking the driveway of one of the several mobile homes that were on the property. So I just stopped and parked and hoped it was okay. I walked up to the small gate that said "nursery entrance". I almost felt like I was trespassing, but I could hear people talking so I went through the gate and take a few steps and look left. Look right. Look ahead. Look behind. Look up. The entire area was under trees... totally in the shade. There didn't seem to be any sort of organization of the plants. And practically NOTHING was blooming. There was pot after pot here and there with no color and small handwritten tags inside some of them. I quickly made up my mind to turn around and leave without even walking or looking any further. The owner, a very nice lady, comes out of the "office" and we chit-chat about the weather and plants. I told her that I saw her ad in the paper and how the map on their website gave the wrong location and how the one sign was really small. She said she used to have several large signs but the state made her take them down (even though they were on private property). Ohhhhhkay. We chit-chat some more. I hated to leave empty handed and she kept asking if I had this plant or that plant and did I know what this one or that one was. I ended up buying a small Hoya that cost about double what I figured it would be. But I felt it only right to buy something... she really was very very nice and how could I come home without even one new plant? This is definitely not a place to just go browse and see what pretty flower/plant you can find. But, if you have something particular in mind, they may just have it. Will I go back? Probably not. Now... in the same section of the newspaper there was another ad for a Feed & Supply store in another nearby town that was voted "best plant nursery" two years in a row. I'm hesitant to go there after today's disappointment.... but who are we fooling... y'all know I'll just have to see for myself!
You must go Cheryl - how else will folks know the best nurseries to go to in your area? Think of yourself as rating them for us and saving us on fuel to get to them if they're not worth a visit. Who knows you might find a little gem of a nursery that no-one else has sussed out yet. :-D Do let us know how you get on won't you?
If I get off work a little early on Monday, I could probably make it there before closing. But if not... I'll definitely check it out next weekend.
Not check out a nursery? Are you mad? Of course you have to go to the Feed store that is a great nursery and let us know how it is. I can sympathize with your disappointment in the first "nursery". I found one on a back road, very excited to see a nursery I hadn't known existed, and all they had were marigolds! Honestly . . . .
Jane... If I had seen a Marigold in bloom yesterday, I would have bought it! At least now if I want to buy some Bromeliads (which they seemed to have quite alot) I know where to go.
Rats! Sorry it was a disappointment, I've ran into a few of those myself. Nursery shopping is one of my favorite things to do! Wish I lived closer I'd go with you to check it out!
Hi Cheryl,..shame the place didn't measure up but you had to check it out,..oh yea you will have to check out the Feed Store it could be that special once in a lifetime plant haven,..fingers crossed. We have three garden centers here in town,..i only see two of them as they are attached to the hardware stores,..the third is specifically a garden center with fish for sale as well,..in all the years i am here i never ventured inside,..i must .
Anytime one gets to check out a nursery is an opportunity to find something new. New flowers, new garden expert or perhaps a new product. You will never know till you get there. Too bad about the 'sparse' nursery. It doesn't sound like they will improve soon. :-( The second one will be fantastic!! Go for it!! Jerry
Deanna... what's that saying "a bad day plant shopping is better than a good day at work?" 8) Philip... I did have high hopes. And maybe there were some treasures. But honestly, they lost me with their no-parking, non-welcoming entrance. I mean... I don't need a half acre of a paved parking lot... but at least let me feel that it's okay to be there. And I'll promise to go to the other garden center if you promise to visit yours! Jerry... You're absolutely right about an opportunity for find something new. And I did find that Hoya which I haven't spotted at any of the "regular" nurseries. And I'm sure there were some other nice things tucked in there somewhere. And it really wasn't that sparse... lots of pots and plants. I just wasn't going to walk to each and every pot and dig for a tag to see what they had. And the owner mentioned the fruit trees they had for sale... and their greenhouses, which I never did see amongst the heavily wooded area. What about sunshine??? Oh well... at least now I know. And to prepare myself for the second nursery... just from the photo in their ad... I'm expecting something similar to Wallyworld. I hope I'm wrong with MY pre-conceived vision.
Sorry about the double posting... just wanted to finish this up about the 2nd nursery I found. I'm glad I didn't have high hopes for it. It was feed/supply store with a few racks of annuals and veggies out front. I wonder who these people were that voted in this "best nursery" poll?? Oh well... now I know.
