You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
After a cold and flu season that seemed to just drag on longer and worse than usual, I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I needed a “garden fix!” But the recent weather had been so cold and grey, and barely a green shoot could be found anywhere in my winter-dormant garden. What to do?
(This article was originally published on February 17, 2008. Your comments are welcome, but please be aware that authors of previously published articles may not be able to respond to your questions and comments.)
On a cold but sunny Sunday afternoon, inspiration struck! A trip to my favorite local nursery would lift me right out of my winter doldrums. Even the florist's section of my local supermarket can lift my spirits on a dreary day. The vast selection of indoor tropicals at Dutch Plant Farms can make me forget all about ice and slush and winter exhaustion.
The moment I walked in the door, that warm "green" feel enveloped me. I saw bougainvillea arching over huge peace lilies, and I breathed in the delicious scent of jasmine in bloom. Paradise!
Visiting a good nursery is like touring a conservatory, except that if you come across something truly irresistible, you can take it home with you! I decided my goal for this visit was not only to enjoy a good browse among my favorite plants, but also to try something new.
Learning about a plant you've never grown before is a way for any gardener to break free of the winter blues.
I couldn't resist brushing my hand over the herbs as I passed, but then I went to the display of succulents in little pots. I seldom give them a second look as I head toward the big plants at the back of the store, but today I realized what a remarkable variety they stocked. There were "living stones" in tiny pots, fat pincushions with a zillion perfect spines, and plants that seemed like flowers carved from wax.
On a shelf over a group of African violets, I found a collection of Tillandsia or "air plants," fastened to driftwood. Across the aisle was a fascinating display of Venus fly traps, pitcher plants, and sundews. I was disappointed not to find a little bug or two, so I could see them in action.
Braided ficus trees, colorful crotons, and gaudy bromeliads brought a lush tropical feel to another part of the store. A woman holding a hot pink bromeliad gave me a hot tip: Put the plant in a plastic bag with a ripe banana, and the ethylene gas will make it rebloom. I'll have to try that!
I didn't find a new African violet for my shelf, but I was tempted by the colorful array of Goldfish Plants (Nemanthoides) and Rex Begonias and by an unusual Coral Bead Plant (Nertera).
There were too many options; I wanted to bring them all home!
Dutch Plant Farms has a permanent planting in the center of their indoor area, like a miniature conservatory. I've come here on other winter afternoons, to curl up with a book or garden catalog and to enjoy the company of the curious parrots.
While there, I had to look over their selection of colorful ceramic pots and consider whimsical statuary options for my garden.
At the end of the month, the truck will come up from Florida loaded with fabulous new plants. To make room, there's the winter Polka Dot Sale! The remaining plants had been fairly well picked over. I was about to return to the Rex Begonias when I spotted a basket hanging off the end of a shelf. It may have lost its tag, but it's sporting a polka dot ribbon!
Woohoo! I'd found my new-to-me plant!
I'm sure one of my DG buddies will be able to ID it for me and tell me how to make it happy in my home.
On the way out, I stopped to talk to the parrot and admired the enormous bird-of-paradise plant in full bloom.
Don't let the winter blahs get you down. Seek out a nursery haven near you, a place to meander among lush plants and dream of summer delights. Take time to learn and explore. Bring home a plant that you previously knew nothing about. There's no better way to lift your spirits on a cold winter day!
Photo credits: Jill Nicolaus
Special thanks to Dutch Plant Farm, on Baughman's Lane in Frederick, MD.
About Jill M. Nicolaus
Better known as "Critter" on DG, Jill lives in Frederick, MD, where she tries to fit as many plants as possible into a suburban back yard. Sunshine Girl's crocus lawn (a gift from her DG "family") is in bloom, so Spring is on its way! We're looking forward to sowing seeds, picking daffodils, and looking for Easter Bunny Apprentices.
(Images in my articles are from my photos, unless otherwise credited.)
Dutch Plant Farms has a permanent planting in the center of their indoor area, like a miniature conservatory. I've come here on other winter afternoons, to curl up with a book or garden catalog and to enjoy the company of the curious parrots.
