Garden Center at Central Plano #6833

Gardening Sale for Mother's Day
Our Mother's Day Sale is the perfect time to help Mom upgrade her garden. We've got savings on popular brands of herb plants, decorative plants, and those details that make a garden special: garden decor, flower pots, planters, and even patio furniture. If you're not sure of the perfect present when searching for Mother's Day gifts, a gift card is a sure-fire winner. Shop The Home Depot Mother's Day Gardening Gifts Sale from May 2nd through May 12th in-store or on our mobile app.



On those beautiful days, clean up the yard before everything blooms in earnest. Lawn care is often a priority, as well. Plan your garden to make the most of your time and space. Remember to measure your garden so you can find fresh mulch near you as soon as it's available. No matter what outdoor projects you choose to tackle, The Home Depot Garden Center in Central Plano can help you enjoy your spring activities to the fullest.

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing to learn when planting vegetables, spring flowers, and other seeds is your planting zone. Every location in the U.S. and its territories is sorted into blocks by climate. Find your zone on the USDA growing zone map and learn when to plant seeds.

For example, you could plant bell pepper seedlings outdoors in mid-March in Zone 10, but not until the end of May in Zone 4. For best results, choose plants in your zone number or less. In other words, a Zone 5 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–5. The timeframe to direct sow outdoors in your garden is often around a month later than the indoor start date. Always read your seed packet for details. If you start seeds a little later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
If you're in Zone 6–8, check out cruciferous veggies and certain herbs if you're ready to get planting. This includes kale, broccoli, and cabbage. Greens like spinach, artichokes, early-blooming annuals like marigolds, and fragrant herbs, including parsley, basil, and oregano, also don't mind an early beginning. Traditional garden vegetables like peppers of all kinds, cucumbers, and tomatoes are fine with an early spring or late winter planting indoors under the grow lights.

Look up the date of your last predicted frost, then count backward 6 to 8 weeks. That's the time you should start your seeds indoors. The idea is to have strong baby plants that are ready for transplant at the same time the ground is warm enough. Do your best and enjoy the process — watching your plants grow, bloom, and put out tiny veggies that'll grow to harvest size is part of the fun.

Start Seeds Indoors
You can save money and gain the satisfaction of growing your garden from seeds by starting them indoors. We've got all the seed starter supplies you'll need. For best results, you'll want warming lights or a warming mat to go with your seed tray or planter pots. If you're planting a larger garden, use seed trays — like the ones you see sprouts in at your Central Plano Garden Center — to make it easy to stay organized and plant tiny soil plugs later. You can also use pots with seed starter mix and potting soil.

Measure your finger to use it as a ruler. In general, you'll plant 3–5 seeds, then press them into the soil to the depth you need with your finger. Mark where you planted the seeds with a toothpick or plant tag. Otherwise, it'll be a surprise when the sprouts push out of the soil.

Sprouts
When your seeds have sprouted but aren't ready to go outside yet, you can still prepare them for outdoor life. These micro-seedlings are fragile — only an inch or so high, with the tiniest seedling leaf or two — but they're resilient. Seedlings certainly don't get all this pampering in nature, so they can handle more than you think. However, don't go overboard, as your sprouts are still babies. You can even use an oscillating floor fan on low to mimic the wind and strengthen their stems.

Harden Your Seedlings
When you're hardening your sprouts and gradually introducing them to the outdoors, be flexible. Keep an eye on your baby plants. Bring them inside or move them to a shady spot if they're looking rough. As always, make sure they're watered enough. Whisk wilted plants inside and give them a good drink, making sure they're strong before setting them outdoors again.

Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
When your plants have three or four true leaves — different from miniature seedling leaves – transplant them. In quality soil, dig a hole the same size as the dirt plug where your transplant has been growing. If your ground soil isn't fantastic, dig a slightly bigger hole and fill the extra space with nutrient-rich topsoil. Apply fertilizer as directed. Don't apply more than recommended, as you could burn the plant and kill it instead of helping it.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish your planting by following it with compost and mulch. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster larger plants that bear more fruit and flowers. Mulch controls weeds and keeps the soil moist. Compost and mulch can be purchased in-store or created at home. The next time you're looking for "mulch near me," stop by the Garden Center to get the perfect amount.

Greet the Spring
Late winter into early spring is an exciting time in the world of gardening. Don't miss a minute of growing season. Plan your garden and landscaping, prepare to fertilize your lawn, and browse our garden center pages to find inspiration on what to plant when the weather warms. Shop for the soil, fertilizer, and seeds you need in the aisles of your Central Plano Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.