Planting season is still far off, but seed and nursery catalogs offer a well-timed reminder that it is not too soon to begin planning gardens and landscapes.
At this time of year, all you can do is gaze at catalog arrangements of purple coneflowers or red radishes, and consider the descriptions of featured plants. It’s the easiest time period on the gardening calendar; the real tasks won’t begin until the area’s nurseries open their gates.
Online merchants specialize in horticultural diversity. But most seedlings, perennials, bushes, vines and trees are best purchased close to home. Generally you can count on getting plants better suited to your own backyard, and more likely to survive when weather’s at its worst.
Speaking of a harsh environment, it remains to be seen how much will be spent on plants in 2010. Though retail sales are only slowly recovering, we hope nurseries in York County communities can continue to inspire gardeners by holding to their standards of quality and variety. Plants are a discretionary purchase, but it’s nice start in the spring to plant something new.
In markets facing a more severe real estate downturn, the Associated Press has reported that a number greenhouses and nurseries have failed under the weight of bad economic conditions. Weakness in real estate led to fewer sales in some formerly fast-growing states, and tight credit has made it hard to purchase stock.
Wholesale nurseries in Florida and California have reportedly been hit hard. We can only hope that the market in Maine is more resilient.
But low inventories are shaping up as a problem throughout the retail sector, as wholesalers and retailers struggle to keep budgets in balance and customers satisfied. Retail sales continue to rise, but only slowly, and some forecasters fear that persistent unemployment rules out robust retail sales.
The gardening sector is all about growth, and there’s reason to hope that spring sales will be an improvement over Christmas, when sales were a bit better than expected.
If wholesale buyers are cautious, the garden center may offer fewer viburnums, peach trees, hostas, hanging baskets and seedlings. The best strategy for gardeners may to be to shop early and widely to get the best selection.
Shoppers and retailers are still feeling their way in a new relationship where the balance of supply and demand has become much more difficult to get right.
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