Like proud parents sharing pictures of their new babies, customers at Flowerland, West Michigan’s 75-year-old purveyor of plants, sometimes bring in snapshots showcasing the plants that garden supply buyer Kathy Rohm has helped them nurture. In many ways, the process of growing plants has parallels with raising newborns: Confusion about what to do, desire to provide the best environment, and pride in their growth and development. Maybe there’s a reason the word “nursery” is associated with both.
Kathy and her colleague Kristi Klaver, Flowerland’s fertilizer and pesticide buyer, have expert gardening advice to offer. Between them, they have 64 years of experience in the plant business, almost as long as Flowerland itself. So they know a thing or three.
In fact, when asked what the top three things people need to to know to grow a productive garden are, they had this to say:
Sun
Top on Rohm’s tip list is to know how much sunlight the garden has in peak season. Klaver added that a sunny spot quickly becomes shady when the trees leaf out in May. And while many plants grow well in shade, vegetables don’t. Plants that produce food is a growing trend among their clients. Both hours of sunlight and intensity are important variables for home growers to know. So, in late spring, they recommend taking some time to grab your sunglasses, have a seat outside, observe the garden spot you have chosen, and jot down where the sun is coming from and how long it shines on the patch you have selected. Thes specialists at your local garden centers will know what plants will do best there.
Soil
Who would have guessed that soil is one of Flowerland’s most popular products? Each plant has particular preferences for the ground under it; keeping the kind of plant you have chosen happy may mean amending the soil with supplements like gypsum, lime, and worm castings or kelp meal, both organic fertilizers, another product that is growing in popularity. How would you know what kind of soil you have? Is it sandy, loamy, rocky, or a combination of all of the above? Flowerland encourages gardeners to bring a two-cup sample of their soil in for testing; this twenty-dollar test can pay off in healthier plants and better yield.
Time
Tip number three has nothing to do with environmental conditions. It has to do with the gardener. How much time do you want to spend on this new hobby? From planting to watering to weeding to harvesting, the time can add up. Some plants require more tending than others. Once plants are in and established, Klaver and Rohm said that two hours a week is a good amount to budget. Think of it as an investment that can do serious damage to your grocery bill.
But that’s not the only benefit. These experts noted that homegrown produce can have more micronutrients than store-bought vegetables. Working in the soil itself provides physical health benefits and can be a mood booster. And growing living things brings a sense of accomplishment and pride.
So, dig in and get started growing! And don’t be shy about sharing your successes: Your neighborhood garden center gardeners always welcome pictures of your “family tree.”
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