Finding Garden Essentials while Confined at Home: Dealing with Limited Accessibility
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, more folks are turning to gardening as a fun, rewarding, and self-sufficient hobby. But with stores being avoided, many gardeners are facing difficulties in acquiring essential garden supplies. No worries, here are some creative alternatives to help get your garden flourishing. Keep in mind that these options are ideal not only during a pandemic but for any time you need to stock up on garden supplies.
Picking Local
Your Neighborhood Garden Center or Nursery
If you're seeking transplants, bags of potting soil, seeds, or other basic garden supplies, give your local garden center or nursery a call. These small businesses will be more than happy to take your order over the phone and have it ready for curbside pickup or delivery straight to your vehicle. By supporting your local economy, you'll not only get top-notch customer service but will also contribute to your community.
Local Landscaping Company
For larger bulk soil or mulch purchases, think about using your local landscaping company. When buying compost for my new raised beds, I found this method worked perfectly. Simply contact the company, arrange a meeting time with your truck and trailer, and let them load the compost as you sit comfortably in your vehicle. They'll take steps to minimize contact and even offer alfresco payment options. In case you lack a trailer, many companies will deliver for a fee.
Going Beyond the Usual
Local Municipality or Tree Service
Many cities that collect limbs from fallen trees and curbside waste will grind these into mulch and offer it for free if you collect it yourself. This option is often overlooked, so give your local municipality a ring and see what's up. Also, contact your local tree service to inquire about arborist wood chips within your area. I've received numerous truckloads of mulch for free through this method.
Local Farmer's Co-Op
Your farmer's co-op store will carry various gardening supplies you might require, minus the hustle and bustle of big-box stores. From mine, I've sourced seeds, transplants, straw bales, organic fertilizer, organic insecticides, and bagged soil.
Local Person-to-Person Connections
Take advantage of Facebook Marketplace, local gardening groups, or even gardeners-specific Facebook groups in your area. You might find gardeners who have too many seedlings and would gladly sell them cheap. In my area, several Master Gardeners have grown seedlings for a canceled plant sale. Grab this opportunity to procure some extra transplants and help fellow gardeners in the process.
Online Sources
If local options require limited person-to-person contact, what about online sources? While many seed companies face delays or are no longer accepting orders, smaller, lesser-known seed suppliers and online garden stores may be worth considering. To find reputable options, consult gardening Facebook groups for their recommendations.
When it comes to purchasing seeds on Amazon or Etsy, exercise caution. Stick with a reputable seed supplier instead. For garden supplies such as potting soil or other items, Amazon remains a sanctioned choice, though you might have to wait a bit longer for delivery. Check out these garden supply recommendations on Amazon.
Garden Center Chains
If the aforementioned options fail, you may need to resort to larger garden center chains like Lowe's or Home Depot. However, these stores might be less than ideal for social distancing. To minimize contact, try placing an online order for home delivery, or opt for curbside pickup if shipping isn't available. If you must visit the store, choose the first hour it opens to avoid crowds and wear a mask and gloves.
Making Do with What You Have
Consider alternatives where you don't have to purchase anything. Instead of purchasing compost and new soil, work the soil you have with a hoe and use grass clippings, newspaper, cardboard, or even fall leaves as mulch. Mix coffee grounds into your soil or compost for a nitrogen boost, grind eggshells to add calcium, and use wood ash from your fireplace to enhance soil with potassium (unless your soil is neutral or high pH). Get creative with composting to enrich your soil.
Remember, before raised beds became a common practice, people worked the soil with what they had on hand. While it might take more elbow grease, being resourceful has its perks.
Turning to Your Pantry
As we start to think outside the box, let's consider what's hiding inside your pantry or crisper drawer. Soak dry beans (like pinto beans) overnight and plant them. Grow potatoes from sprouting spuds, and try saving seeds from your grocery store produce (hybrid varieties might not grow or fruit as expected, but it's worth a try). Learn more about seed saving [here.]
Sometimes, we complicate gardening more than necessary. Let's embrace creativity and make the most of what we have, whether in normal times or a crisis.
Where will you buy your garden supplies this year? Let me know in the comments below if there are any other sources I forgot to mention.
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- Working the soil in your garden can be enhanced with alternative materials like grass clippings, newspaper, cardboard, or fall leaves, instead of purchasing new compost or soil.
- Local online gardening groups can be a valuable resource for finding cheap seedlings or transplants, as fellow gardeners may have excess plants to sell.
- In addition to online garden stores, smaller, lesser-known seed suppliers might offer a wider selection with quicker delivery times.
- If curbside pickup or delivery is not an option for essential garden supplies, large garden center chains like Lowe's or Home Depot offer these services, but it's recommended to browse their online inventory first to minimize in-store contact.
