Are Local Nurseries Dying? What it Means For Gardeners

Local garden centers are a community hub of knowledge, resources, and healthy plants suited to our growing areas. With a resurgence in gardening and more of us growing, now is the time for access to sound information and good supplies. Explore the merits of local nurseries and how to create well-rounded garden systems with gardening expert Katherine Rowe.

A woman holding a potted rosemary plant with green needle-like leaves, alongside a wicker basket containing another plant.

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For many of us, our local nurseries are a happy place of peace and inspiration. We all have stories of how local garden centers foster our gardening knowledge and may be the reason we become hooked in the first place. They offer a diverse selection of high-quality specimens suited to our growing areas. If they didn’t grow them, they know who did.

In grad school, I worked summers at a nursery in a small town outside Athens, Georgia. The owners retired, and Goodness Grows has been gone for years, but it was a gem. Designers and gardeners would bring rental trucks to take plants to their intended landscapes. It’s the kind of place I wish I had access to now, where they propagated natives (pretty ones) and made their own soil mixes. They were true plantsmen.

We’re seeing more and more longtime owners retire without family in line to sustain the small business. California camellia and azalea pioneers Nuccio’s Nurseries, run by two brothers, recently went out of business for similar reasons, coupled with water as a valuable resource, making irrigation challenging. Property value increases, desirable offers come in, and competition from large retail outlets is intense. But plenty of local shops are thriving, and the resurgence in gardening in recent years has allowed growth, especially in creative ways like workshops, classes, and landscape design/installation. 

So, what does a shift in gardening outlets mean for gardeners? First, continue to support your local nursery (of course!). We need these places of community, information exchange, and healthy plants. If you don’t have an independent garden store nearby, the next step is to emulate this center of goods and services in an accessible way to nourish our productive gardens.

Be Mindful of Seasonality

Two women smiling and holding pots of basil and other leafy herbs with green foliage in an indoor plant store.
Often sold as “guaranteed to grow,” the plant is healthy when it leaves the shop (the rest is up to us).

Independent garden centers offer quality specimens that receive expert care before they come to our yards. Often sold as “guaranteed to grow,” the plant is healthy when it leaves the shop (the rest is up to us). An unequivocal asset of the local outlet is the available knowledge base to give insight into selection and cultural requirements. 

In large retail environments, there’s sometimes a seasonal push as we get excited to garden, where plants pop up early and out of season. As they tailor to regional markets to drive sales, temperatures in our areas may be too warm or cold for best success at a given sales time. Trust your experience rather than what’s on the shelf, and double-check growing requirements and zones for marginally hardy varieties.

Diversify Your Collection

A woman sitting at a wooden desk with a laptop, surrounded by potted plants including peace lilies and succulents.
To increase diversity in your garden collection, look for specialty growers with an online presence.

Independent garden centers offer a diversity of species and varieties suited to our growing zones and localized areas. You’re more apt to find unique selections and hidden gems, a diversity lacking in big outlets that maintain a more general approach with broad appeal.

To increase diversity in your garden collection, look for specialty growers with an online presence. There are wonderfully rich outlets for everything from native perennials to the edible landscape (personal favorites include Plant Delights, Nurseries Caroliniana, and Walters Gardens).

You can also propagate and sow your own seeds for a nearly limitless array of options. Seeding edible and ornamental perennials and annuals allows us to tap into new varieties, heirloom selections, and crops that pique our interest.

Seed-Sowing

Several white translucent milk jugs cut in half and filled with soil and seeds.
Milk jugs offer insulation for seeds and soil, and they germinate outside as conditions naturally allow.

There are several methods of seed starting, the simplest being to direct sow. When outside conditions suit, the seeds germinate in their garden locations. Check the seed packet to time the sowing and recommendations. While many are post-frost, a few can go in as soils are workable in late winter and early spring.

Another easy and resourceful seed-starting method is winter sowing, where milk jugs and other repurposed containers become mini greenhouses. The containers offer insulation for seeds and soil, and they germinate outside as conditions naturally allow. Start seeds about eight weeks before you’d typically transplant them in spring.

Soil blocking, which uses fewer resources, builds on traditional seed-starting. Here, blocks of soil become self-contained units for root and seedling development. The method promotes sturdy roots and eases transplanting as the blocks move into their growing locations.

Seek Out Quality Soils and Amendments

A person holding a large, clear bag filled with wood mulch, standing on green grass.
Compost and leaf mulch are rich conditioners to build at home.

Smaller nurseries usually offer high-quality potting and soil mixes. You may find a range of organic and peat-free options from trusted brands, as opposed to large home supply and retail stores that may partner with a few prominent vendors. The same goes for fertilizers, amendments, and pest control, where more plant-based, organic applications are available.

Look for your favorite brands and products to supplement what’s available locally, especially for improving soil health long-term and growing edibles. Make your own potting mix if you’re feeling industrious – it goes a long way. Compost and leaf mulch are rich conditioners to build at home.

Compost

A close-up of layers of decomposing organic matter with different textures and colors inside a dark plastic bin.
Bins contain the materials in an organized way to accommodate various sizes and setups.

This may be the year to start composting if you aren’t already. It’s fun, productive, and a renewable resource to build soil health. There are many ways to compost at home, from the kitchen counter to the larger outdoor bin system. 

Piles work well in areas where tidiness, space, and wildlife (including rodents) aren’t concerns. Piles are easy to turn, observe, and access. Bins, available in numerous configurations or to build, contain the materials in an organized way to accommodate various sizes and setups.

Nine cubic feet works well for most home operations, and a three-by-three mesh-lined and lidded box is an easy option. You may want to go bigger with a double or triple bin system for easy access at various stages of decomposition.

Leaf Mulch and Mold

A dark, crumbly pile of leaf mold with a rich, organic texture and visible decomposed leaves.
A working pile of leaf mold is a valuable resource for amending native soils at planting and for topdressing.

Take advantage of autumn’s leaf drop as a renewable mulch and soil resource. Instead of a big push to remove leaves, let them lay in place or collect them for future use. Move them to beds as a natural mulch to break down over the season and enrich soils. They also provide overwintering sites for pollinators and other beneficials. 

To build a supply of leaf mulch or mold (a valuable soil conditioner), create piles of leaves to use in future seasons. Create leaf mold by raking them into a pile, out of sight. If you have loads of leaves and too many to use at once, let any extras work toward future soil enrichment and mulching. 

Leaf mold is easy to make and a valuable soil conditioner. It takes about six months to achieve completely broken-down leaf material, but a working pile is a valuable resource for amending native soils at planting and for topdressing.

Follow Resources You Trust

A group of people kneeling in a garden, observing green leafy vegetables like spinach and cabbages, while engaging in a discussion.
Build a community of expert sources for gardening information and exchange, online or in person.

With a flood of posts and information, it can be challenging to navigate trends and sound resources. The advantage is that we have access to so much shared learning. Build a community of expert sources for gardening information and exchange, online or in person, through community and botanical gardens. 

Reputable sources have an extensive background, professionally or personally, in the gardening realm. We can all learn and grow together (and yes, we may be biased toward Epic Gardening and friends who work directly in the field across specialties).

Source Sustainable Supplies

Clear plastic bottles cut and placed over small leafy seedlings growing in a raised bed filled with brown soil and mulch.
Repurposing materials at home makes growing accessible.

Local nurseries and thoughtful online vendors let us curate our supplies with long-lasting durability and sustainable materials in mind. From seed-starting supplies to food-safe raised beds, making the most of our investment and supporting recycled or renewable materials is a win-win for many of us. Even repurposing materials at home makes growing accessible.

And that’s the key: accessibility. Gardening needn’t be expensive or complex – grow what you love, how you can, and you’ll contribute to the community at large.

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