Walking around a few of our local greenhouses this week brought back a memory from Bryfolgole’s Greenhouse when I was just a boy. When I visited this greenhouse, and it seemed as big as a park!

It had a pond with a bridge and appeared to go on forever. There were plants everywhere! Bryfolgole’s closed back in 2005, but I will always have this memory.

I talked with some of the employees at the local greenhouses, and they noted that they are seeing a lot of new customers who want to try their hand at gardening. If you are new to gardening, do not be afraid to ask questions. Walking around endless rows and multiple varieties of plants can be a bit overwhelming. The employees are there to answer any questions you may have.

If you plan to invest time and money into gardening, you want to be sure that you are spending it wisely. When I purchase plants from a greenhouse, I look for a plant with a heavy stalk and green leaves. I try not to purchase plants that have blossoms of vegetables on them already. I feel that the plant may have already reached an adult stage of its life and not produce much fruit throughout the rest of the growing season.

I also look to see if it may be root bound in the container. I do this by lifting up the pot and seeing if the roots are coming out of the drain holes in the bottom of the container. This is not really a bad thing if you plan on taking them right home and getting them into bigger pots or the ground.

I also ask when the plants may have been watered last; this way, if it was early in the morning when I get them home, I give them a good drink of water. If I plan to plant them that day, I will always wait till the evening; this way, the plant has time to adjust to its new home before the sun comes up, giving the plant more stress.