Are you thinking of starting a vegetable garden, but don’t know where to begin?
It can be an overwhelming process for someone new to gardening. The first things to know are what materials you need and where to go to get them. These 5 gardening supply stores in Austin will provide you with everything you need to start your vegetable garden.
The Natural Gardener (southwest)
Built on the site of an old farmstead, the Natural Gardener is not just any gardening and landscaping store – it’s a destination. Owner John Dromgoole has been a major force in Austin for bringing environmentally sustainable gardening practices to Austin, even going so far as starting his own product line. In addition to being able to purchase all the materials you need for your vegetable garden, take advantage of the numerous amenities and services available. Peruse the teaching gardens, attend a free class, say hello to the farm animals, or enjoy a picnic on the 8-acre property.
Bonus tip: There’s always an on-duty botanist available during business hours with those gardening questions that need an experienced set of eyes.
Great Outdoors Nursery (south)
Situated on South Congress Avenue just south of the ever-popular SOCO neighborhood, the Great Outdoors Nursery is a self-proclaimed urban garden center. In addition to many organic gardening products, they have created a line of soil & compost (Great Outdoors Famous).
Unique features of this gardening center are an orchid room and a fairy garden, with monthly workshops on how to build your own fairy garden.
Bonus tip: There’s a small cafe in the front of the nursery, in case you work up an appetite.
Red Barn Garden Center (north)
Conveniently located just off 183 North, the Red Barn Garden Center offers a vast array of plants, vegetables, seeds, soils & compost, and trees. They also sell John Dromgoole’s Ladybug Natural brand of products, for those devotees who don’t want to trek all the way out to the Natural Gardener. Red Barn holds frequent gardening seminars and customers have the opportunity to join the Red Barn Great Gardener club to receive monthly specials on seasonal items.
Hill Country Water Gardens & Nursery (northwest)
Established just off 183 North in Cedar Park is the Hill Country Water Gardens & Nursery. As the name implies, their primary focus is water features, which are showcased all along the 5-acre property. They also stock a vast array of products suitable for vegetable gardens.
A schedule of free events & seminars is available on their website, including one titled “Vegetables to Plant for Spring”, which is scheduled for Saturday, March 5th 2016, at 10 am.
Tillery Street Plant Company (east)
Located near the intersection of Tillery & East 7th streets is the Tillery Street Plant Company. The newest establishment on this list, Tillery Street Plant Company stocks a vast array of plants, seeds, soil amendments, and pest controls to east-side residents.
This greenhouse is connected to East Austin Succulents, in case you’d like to pick up some cacti as well, and generally has a food trailer on site. East Austin Succulents has great consumer fertilizer options made specifically for cacti.
If you prefer a larger store with multiple locations, Home Depot & Lowe’s both carry all the materials necessary for a successful vegetable garden.
Home Depot (various locations) – Home Depot has 19 locations in the greater Austin area.
Lowe’s (various locations) – Lowe’s has 8 locations in the greater Austin area.
Let’s talk about what you need to start your vegetable garden.
Take some time to think about which vegetables you would like to grow in your garden. A trip to one of the stores mentioned above will give you a better idea of what grows well at a particular time of year. These Austin landscaping supply stores offer an excellent opportunity to browse before making any buying decisions.
Designate a space in your yard for your vegetable garden. Make sure it is not in an area that has a lot of foot traffic – for example, a walkway. The plot should be easily accessible to you for maintenance.
Once you have decided which vegetables to grow, determine if you’d like to start growing seeds or starts. The staff at any of the landscape and garden stores in Austin will let you know what is available for the types of veggies you want to grow.
Determine what type of container you’d like to use for your vegetable garden:
- Would you like a small enough garden that can be grown in a stand-alone container?
- Do you like a bigger bed that is on the ground with rails around it?
- Do you need any sort of containment to keep animals out?
- Have you considered vertical supports for the types of vegetables you chose?
Decide if you’d like to use the soil in your yard, or if you’d like to purchase a soil blend, or a mixture of both. Do you already compost? If so, you can use that compost to fertilize your garden or purchase compost from the store.
Ask the staff at the garden store what types of insects and plant diseases are prevalent in your area, and what you can do to keep them away from your veggies using pest and disease control treatments.
If you get in a pickle, or would just prefer to leave it to the professionals, remember that ABC Home and Commercial offers many landscaping services that can help support your growing veggie garden. and make your whole property look beautiful. We help our customers design their ideal setup, lay down fresh fertilizer for spring, and keep everything looking tidy.