Buying Area Appropriate Seeds and Plants

Yesterday, I went to my local branch of a national feed and farm supply store, and was amazed to see Concord grapes vines and red raspberry bushes for sale. My amazement was not so much that they were for sale this time of year, as our ground isn’t frozen…but the surprise was that the varieties they were selling would either not survive long down here, or would not produce fruit if they did live. The same thing goes for any major store chain that sells vegetable seeds. Just because they sell a particular type of seed in your area, it does not necessarily mean that it will grow or produce!

Your best bet is to head down to a LOCALLY OWNED hardware store, feed store, or plant nursery. If the owner or employee has a strong local accent…this is a good thing, as it indicates local knowledge! Talk to them…they will probably know best what to plant, when to plant, watering and shade requirements, disease control, etc. Your chances of garden success will be much higher!

Your local County extension office and the Master Gardeners are also good sources of gardening information, if they are available in your area.

For another great source of local planting information that is too often over-looked, seek out elderly people! A nursing home is a wealth of information and stories that a garden book can’t compete with! There are hundreds of years of local experience from people who didn’t necessarily garden in their younger years because they wanted a pastime, but because they needed to eat. An elderly friend of mine who has since passed on was in a nursing home the last couple years of her life. She was happy to share her experiences with me …and memories. Some were sad, some were beautiful, some were useful. She told me about her flock of black chickens that free-ranged during the day, and at night she would call them and they would FLY to her. She said it was a beautiful sight to see them all in the air. The sharing of the memories, and passage of knowledge was a pleasure for both of us.

So…when you have spring fever and see the pretty garden plants and seed displays this spring at the big chain stores, don’t put on your rose-colored glasses and buy what you hope will grow! The big stores will love it, but you will probably be disappointed later on. Instead, arm yourself with knowledge, buy from small, locally owned businesses when possible, and set yourself up for success!