Help Me, Help You

We are well into summer, and things are slowing down at Bates Nursery. We are no longer receiving annuals, so the greenhouse is looking kind of empty. We have LOTS of other plants, though, so customers are still coming in looking for help with their landscaping. With fewer customers, we have a little more time to spend with each person, as opposed to springtime, when a full staff could barely keep up with the questions coming our way! Having survived my first spring in a busy nursery, I've thought of a couple of tips that can help make your time at a garden center more efficient. 

1. Know Your Space- Before you ask us for recommendations for an area of your yard, it helps us out if you can tell us a few things about the space. How big is it? How much sun does it get? Is it morning sun, afternoon sun, or all day sun? What has or hasn't worked for you there before? Are deer or other animals a problem? Knowing these things, helps us narrow down the possibilities.

2. Do Some Research- Read garden magazines, take pictures of yards around town that you love. If you want a plant that you've seen somewhere but can't identify it, search for it on Google. It's easier to find something for you if we know what it is. Few things are more frustrating than a customer that comes in and says, "I'm looking for this plant, and it blooms yellow. Do you have any idea what that could be?" There are DOZENS of things it could be. What shape is the bloom? The leaf? Does it grow in shade or sun? Doing your research and knowing exactly what you're looking for saves us some time. 

3. Bring Pictures- What did we do before cameras on our phones? Customers frequently bring their phones or iPads full of pictures, and I find it's so much easier to recommend plants if I can see the space you're working with. And, if you couldn't figure out that mystery plant on Google, bring us a picture; we may be able to ID it for you. I've also had customers bring in magazine clippings of the newest plant variety or a plant combo that they want to duplicate. 

4. SAVE YOUR TAGS- Saving plant tags is not just for the super organized plant nerds among us, that just like to keep track of all of those varieties of hostas we already have. It is essential when you go to purchase the same annuals that you planted last year. You think you're going to remember, or that you'll remember once you get to the nursery, but last spring was SOOOO long ago. And the nursery is full of plants that kinda look alike. Again, it's pretty frustrating to hear, "I bought this plant here last year with these white blooms on it, but I just can't remember the name of it. Do you know what it could be?" (Especially frustrating for me, who wasn't working at Bates last year, so I don't know what varieties we had when you were here last.) It's not that hard to get organized. I find using a gallon-sized ziplock bag to store tags works well for me. We had one customer come in this year with his tags hole-punched and kept together on a key-ring. Clever! 

If you haven't done any research and don't have a clue what you're looking for, we can still help you put together something beautiful! These are merely suggestions to help you spend less time searching,  get exactly what you want, and spend your time enjoying your yard!