Panic Planting, and why you should Plan Ahead

A woman came into the nursery the other day, frantically waiving a piece of paper with a list of plant names.

(Well, actually, it was an email on her phone; these are modern times after all.)

She was heading down to California this weekend and wanted to buy a bunch of plants on her shopping list. 12 of these, 20 of these.

We are a very small garden center, and generally only get 12 of these, and 20 of those, on a good day.

Pandemic Plant Availability

This being a Covid Year, availability has been, well, unusual.  Growers have fewer workers, and hadn’t planned for the rise of lockdown gardeners eager for planting beautiful gardens, and productive vegetable plots.

And then there’s the problem of actually getting the plants to the nursery; orders all summer have come up short, with fewer plants than requested actually hitting our shelves.

So, if you come in with a list that includes 20 of the same thing, you’ld better get there right when the truck arrives.

There is a season for all good things

There’s the problem with seasonal availability.

Plants generally arrive in the stores when they are just about to bloom, so we can have peak color for sales … not necessarily the best time for planting.  In the Pacific Northwest, that means October-November, and February-April when the rains are plentiful, but not too miserable to be outside.

Those Hostas she wanted?  Look great in June; not so hot in October when they are about to go dormant.  Fall may be an ideal time to plant, but not necessarily the best time to find them in the garden center.  You should snap up that interesting plant as soon as you see it!

What’s in a Name?

About that Hosta … she wanted Hosta Guacamole … there are over 3000 registered varieties, much of them very similar to each other.

Don’t get hung up on choosing a Hosta by name, when there are perfectly good alternatives.  If you want a large-leafed green Hosta with light edged variegation, check out the 197 page Hosta List, or just wing it when you get to the garden center.

One good green is like another.

All in good order

I offered to place an order for her, since she was quite wedded to the specific list.  With some phone calls, we could request enough plants, of the right cultivars, and in the quantity she needed.

But she wanted them right now.

I get it.

You get all excited for a garden design, pouring over the books and websites and decide on a certain look, only to be disappointed by the failure of our horticultural supply chain.  I spent much of my newly married homeowner life pouring over vintage English Border Design books … and few of the cultivars ever made it into production in the US.

However, one must be able to be flexible enough to make adequate substitutions, and if you don’t have time to look up the differences, rely on the knowledgeable garden center staff.

When a Plan is not a Plan

I knew she would be disappointed that we couldn’t fulfill her list.  We encountered a few ferns that were on her list, even though they were smaller specimens than desired. And I also gave recommendations on a few other local garden centers that she could hit before departing on her journey. The only other solution is to consider hiring a professional garden designer in the future, so that you can source plants that are actually available.

Sometimes you have to go off-piste and choose good enough.