Yesterday was a very good Friday the 13th. I got my pails. In addition I also found a new gardening store in the area. I've been searching. My favorite one went out of business due to the high cost of heating their greenhouses. I hear it is going to be a condominium complex. Sigh. Lexington Gardens was not a large garden center, but whenever I needed something they had it. Well not last summer. They were trying to sell everything they had and weren't replacing things. It was so sad.
Last year I was trying to find a replacement. We have a huge garden center very close, Mahonies, but every time I go there looking for something in particular, they never have it. That isn't to say they aren't a fun garden center to browse, but when I was looking for a garden fork all they had was a pitchfork. When I wanted a 40 pound bag of greensand, all they had was five pounds. I like to buy big bags and use them over the years. It is much cheaper. A five pound bag doesn't last long. I couldn't find large bags of vermiculite or perlite. In the summer they don't have straw or salt march hay or anything I would use to mulch my vegetables. My old garden center had it all.
I kept looking. Finally yesterday I mostly found what I was looking for. In Belmont (about 15 mins away) is a hardware store called "Hillside Garden and True Value". Now they don't have all their summer things out so I don't know if they have wonderful veggie starts, but they have all the amendments I tend to use, all in large bags. I'm hoping they will have a mulch that I find acceptable. Though one guy did think I was crazy when I asked if they had 9 gauge wire (for my hoops), and sadly they didn't have a huge selection of seed.
It is funny how you get attached to a store like that. I still remember the pervious gardening store I used before Lexington Gardens. It was really a feed store, but they stocked large bags of organic amendments. They had straw and salt marsh hay, not to mention dog food that I needed to pick up every month. It wasn't glitzy and didn't have small bags of anything. There weren't any pretty plants or flowers. I still loved it. I got to know the proprietor and it had what I needed at a good price. It appealed to my practical nature. I miss it too. Hopefully this new store will have what it takes. Maybe I'll fall in love with it too.
You're right, there's nothing like a great local garden store. Check out The Blogging Nurseryman for insider commentary on running such a business. Hope your new store turns out to be the goods.
ReplyDeleteLucky you getting all those buckets! I came here via Marci and then Robin's Nesting Place. I saw your comment about your collage's being cut off on the side. You need to try one of blogger's "stretch" templates.
ReplyDeleteIt is actually pretty sad when places like this close up. It certainly makes it very difficult to find specific items. If we didn't have Lee Valley within 40km of use I wouldn't be able to find many things.
ReplyDeleteDaffodil Planter, Thanks
ReplyDeleteDot, sounds like you are having fun blog hopping. Welcome. It wasn't my collages, it was Robins. I couldn't see the whole thing.
Dan, 40km that is so far. I have some shoulder issues and have trouble driving more than 20-30 mins at a time. Luckily digging in the dirt and turning compost doesn't bother it.