Adjusting to Spring 2020
With the evolving Covid-19 pandemic and so many states being in lockdown or issuing stay-at-home orders, it leaves many unknowns for all of us. One of the not-so-serious questions we, as gardeners, may have is: will I ever be able to shop at plant nurseries this spring? If you are like me, that is one of the things that I most look forward to each year. Even if all that I really plan to buy are annuals, I just can’t wait to get to the nurseries to buy them, and to see what will temp me to stray from my well laid out plans for the season. I seriously get butterflies in my stomach as we approach this time of the year!
The Online Option
But this season may be very different. As an insatiable gardener, I know that I will still need to get my hands on some new plants to satisfy my addiction. So, this year, more so than most, I have turned to online nurseries. At least for the plants that I am absolutely certain that I MUST have! I can be flexible when it comes to annuals, but for those treasures that I spent all winter anticipating adding to my garden, I will stick to my plans if at all possible.
This Year, Ordering is no Guarantee!
I am going into this season accepting that even with online ordering, it may take some serious luck to get my plants. If it is unsafe for the nursery workers to gather and send plants, the orders may not be shipped. Their health is certainly more important than new plants, so that’s just the way it will need to be. But I am still going to order online and just see how things evolve as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds.
Don’t Wait to Order!
When shopping online, it’s important not to wait until it’s time to plant. Nurseries sell out of many items well before it’s time for them to be shipped out. For some items, I have turned to online nurseries that I have used in the past. And because I was unable to find everything that I needed from those nurseries, I am also trying out a couple of new ones.
Tried and True
One of my regulars that I am ordering from and am pretty much always happy with is High Country Gardens. Their plants may show up with little foliage, but they tend to be healthy (roots are more important than foliage.) Within a year or two, their plants always seem to thrive. I NEED several more Annabelle hydrangeas and Great Garden Plants had them in stock, so I jumped on that. Then American Meadows put them on sale, so logically, I ordered more!
Testing Out Others
I am also trying out a couple of nurseries that I have never tried before. I have ordered some nice shade loving plants from Bluestone Perennials. Although I have never bought from them, they have an excellent reputation so I had little reservation ordering. They have some plants that are really unique and look so beautiful. I can’t wait for my order to arrive!
As I mentioned in one of my recent posts about the problem with weed barrier fabric, I lost my beloved Pink Elephant hardy hibiscus. I wasn’t able to find a replacement online from one of my standby online nurseries, so I ordered an Airbrush Effects hardy hibiscus from Michigan Bulb Company. Reviews for this nursery are mixed, so I am crossing my fingers that it will arrive healthy. I have high hopes, but if my plant doesn’t pull through (or doesn’t arrive) I will move to plan B which will be to have patience, and wait until the local nurseries open up (hopefully by midsummer), so that I can go pick out a replacement.
The photo above shows an online order that just arrived. I couldn’t find this plant in-stock through any of the nurseries I tried, but finally found it through Amazon. It came from Hirt’s Gardens, who I have never ordered from before. It was packaged very well and showed up looking healthy. They shipped it earlier than I would have liked, but with TLC, I think it will do just fine.
2020 – The Year of the Flexible Gardener
Because of COVID-19, it may be months before many plants actually ship. If nurseries don’t ship plants at all this year in order to keep workers safe, that will be fine. I know I will just need to be patient and flexible. Eventually I will get the plants I want for my garden. I‘ll keep you posted on my experiences with all of the nurseries I order from this year, whether they are ones I have ordered from many times or if this is the first time. If you have favorite online nurseries I would love to hear which ones they are and what you are ordering!