Romanticizing a Trip to a Garden Nursery
DATE IDEAS
Let Your Love Bloom
Gardening can be a chore… or it can be a date!
We’re of the mindset that anything can be a date, if you do it with someone you like (or love)! Whether it’s something as mundane as running to your local garden supply shop or tilling your yard, if you’re doing it together, it very much can qualify as a date. Here’s how we make these trips to the garden nursery a little more romantic.
What We Love About the Garden Nursery
We consider ourselves lucky for living on the transitional lines of suburban / rural towns. We have access to all modern amenities (like Target, Home Depot, Starbucks, Trader Joes, etc.) while maintaining that same distance to local farms, including those who specialize in herbs, fruit / vegetable plants, and flowers!
Victoria’s a huge fan of flowers, so it only makes sense that she’d jump at a chance to try her hand (or thumb) at gardening. But admittedly, it can be quite overwhelming. So adding a bit of whimsy to an errand just makes sense because one way or another, it has to be done. Might as well make it enjoyable for all!
We loved making this into a date because we got to tackle this challenge together while visualizing what our outdoor space could turn into. We mix and matched plants, pushed ourselves creatively, and made plans for how we could tend to our garden together. Team work is making this dream work.
Planning a Date to the Garden Nursery
Okay, here’s where the fun begins — and it does require a bit of planning! Yes, the actual trip to the nursery and planting your purchases is going to take the day. But you’ll also need to do a bit of planning upfront to map out your nursery route, particularly if you’re like us and have multiple great places around you. Or, if you’re on the opposite end of the spectrum and the nearest nursery requires a further drive to access.
First Stop: A bakery / café / diner for breakfast
This is a date! If we’re romanticizing routine activities, we have to set the mood with something fun right-off the bat. Use this time to wake up, energize and align on your route and shopping list (if you have one!)
Nursery #1: We like to get to the nursery earlier in the day because no one wants to be standing in the heat… including the plants! Plus, if you have multiple stops to make, you don’t want your plants trapped in a hot car.
Nursery #2+: Do you have more than one stop on your list? Add them here. Account for about ~45 minutes per stop. At least that’s what we do because we do enjoy a good browse and we like to take our time.
Snack Stop: Don’t forget to refuel. We don’t want anyone getting hangry during this excursion.
Final Stop: The trick is to only buy as much as you can plant in a day (or if you must, two days… but really make sure you’re going to get these new purchases into their new homes asap). Make sure you swing by your local home store to grab soil, stones (for planters), and any tools or planters you may need.
Rehome your new plants and let your love bloom!
How to Plan a Garden Nursery Date
PRE-PLANNING
Where are you shopping?
Planning your route will be key for keeping stress low the day-of. Keep it reasonable given any time constraints and distance between stops. Remember, the goal is to be able to plant everything you purchase within the same day.
If you’re in Fairfield County, CT: A couple of our favorite spots include: Gilbertie’s in Easton and Westport, Benedicts Home & Garden in Monroe, Seven Maples in Monroe
Where are you planting your purchases — in containers or in the ground?
Containers: Make sure you take stock of what you have. List these out on your shopping list, so you know if you have what you need or if you’ll need to purchase more.
Climate / Soil Type: The great news is that if you’re shopping local, chances are your nursery will only sell plants that they know work well for your climate region and your area’s soil type. But double check! You can look up your soil type by zip code.
Sun / Shade: Consider where you’ll be planting your purchases (and if you have them in containers, maybe you’ll have the luxury to move them around to see what works best for your plants), but make sure you do your research ahead of time or pay special attention to the tags on the pot. Keep in mind you should pair like plants with each other.
Overwhelmed? Keep it simple. Start with plants you’re familiar with and plant them in containers. You’ll learn what you can manage and what works well for your environment.
What’s your budget? This is important — and don’t deviate! The beauty of gardening is that there’s something for everyone’s budget. Keeping it tight? You can buy seeds, younger plants, annuals, and check the clearance / sales racks! Better yet, plan to shop at the beginning or end of the season.
What are your priorities?
Plants: Do you have specific plants in mind? When planning our trip, we had a list of must-haves, specifically plants that have a reputation for being mosquito repellents so we can incorporate them into the planters surrounding our outdoor seating areas.
Palette: Pick your favorite colors, but keep your palette simple (3-5 colors). Pick 1-2 primary and then a couple to supplement.
Play: We love playing with textures when it comes to shopping for our home interior and clothes, so why not try it out in the garden? We added a few different textures to our list — spiky, smooth, fuzzy, etc. to add a whimsical touch to our plant collection.
DAY-OF FUN
Gamify the Experience:
Heading to a new nursery? Split the list into sections (e.g., herbs, annuals, perennials, etc.) and see who can find each section first. This works for a couple of the nurseries we visit because they’re on sprawling farms or separated into different greenhouses. So it’s usually a bit of a guessing game… and one of us always gets distracted on the hunt.
Leave Room for Spontaneity:
Create space for fun on your list. While we had a list of specific plants we wanted, we left plenty of room to be inspired by what we found at the nursery. We included prompts to fill in the gaps on our list, including:
Something that blooms in early summer, mid-to-late summer, etc.
Something tall, wide, bushy, etc.
Something that “crawls” (up or across)
Something with a surprising pop of color
Something that has white flowers and darker leaves
Something pollinators love
There’s a Gift to be Purchased:
We love love presents (aka an “I picked this up because I saw it and thought of you” present)! And this is the perfect time for one. While you’re tackling your list, keep an eye out for a plant your partner would love, and add it to the cart (or trolley). This is a date, remember? And just because you’re already buying plants / flowers, doesn’t mean your partner doesn’t deserve a little something extra.
PACKING LIST
Nursery trips aren’t tidy, so be sure to plan ahead for that as well. Depending on your vehicle, make sure you’ve thought through how you’re going to transport your purchases and account for the dirt!
Old blankets you can drape on seats and/or the floor
Boxes or crates for carrying the plants
Hats, SPF, and water bottles — sun safety!
Until our next chapter!
xo, James & Victoria
P.S. Craving more travel inspiration? Tap the links below.
