A Master Gardener's Journal

By Alyce Zellers, Delaware County Master Gardener

Spring is what every gardener’s been dreaming of since putting the garden “to bed” the previous fall. Once warmer weather is a constant, we’re all quite anxious to start buying plants. I’ve compiled several strategies over the years that make my plant excursions efficient and cost effective, as well as keeping down “plant lust”--which seems to overcome most gardeners when confronted with endless shrubs, perennials and annuals.

Before you head out the door, take a moment to walk around the garden and assess what you like and dislike. Notice what thrived or died. If something is adding good structure, such as boxwoods, then plan on purchasing a few more. Hopefully you know the cultivar. If all else fails, take a cutting with you to compare leaf coloration.

While reading garden magazines and books and wishing for spring, I hope you took notes on new plant introductions that might be a good addition to your garden. An excellent choice for keeping notes and taping reference photos to the pages is a small wire-bound notebook of index cards.

In addition to notes, I keep lists for annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees etc. This helps keep me focused for purchases as well as serving as a reference just in case I find a new cultivar. If you’ve had bad luck with certain plants, you may want to keep a list of those so you don’t end up buying them again!

Before setting out on any plant buying trip, I pack up several helpful items. I have a few collapsible crates that are very handy in giving me vertical stacking space in my car. If you can’t find these, just visit the grocery store. The produce gentlemen are usually happy to give you either apple boxes or stackable fruit boxes. Instead of making multiple trips, save gas by making one trip and using the maximum space in your car.

Another handy item to include is a container of water. I like to use an old milk jug. Spring brings on some warm weather and if you’re going shopping all day, plants can dry out. Spending the day in a hot car without at least a small drink will put further stress on them. If you are thirsty, they probably are too.

Hopefully you’ve been consulting your spiral-bound index cards for items that you definitely need. Most likely you succumbed to plant lust and bought something that was not on the list, but sure looked great. Whatever came home with you needs to be recorded in some way. I use an inexpensive small photo album. If you’ve converted to digital, you may already have an album.

Discount stores sell 5 x 7 plastic-pocketed albums that allow you to slip plant tags quickly into the pocket and don’t mind dirt or moisture. You could easily have several albums to organize annual, perennial or woody purchases. I have several years’ worth of tags from my plant purchases. My album allows me a quick reference (with pictures) to assess what I might like to buy again this year.

All my methods for spring plant shopping come from my love of efficiency and thriftiness. If you can save time at the nursery, you’ll have that much more time in the garden!

Do you have a gardening question? In Delaware County, call our Master Gardeners hortline at 610-690-2671 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM-12 NOON.

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