Garden Center at Fayetteville #3626

Gardening Sale for Mother's Day
The Home Depot Mother's Day Sale is a great time to help Mom upgrade her garden. We've got deals on popular brands of herb plants, small plants, and those details that make a garden special: garden decor, flower pots, and planters. If you're not sure of the right present when searching for Mother's Day gifts, a gift card never fails. Shop The Home Depot Mother's Day Gardening Gifts Sale from May 2nd to May 12th in-store or online.



On those beautiful days, clean up the yard before everything blooms in earnest. Lawn care is often a priority, as well. Planning your garden lets you 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 Garden Center in Fayetteville can help you enjoy your spring activities to the fullest.

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing to learn when planting veggies, spring flowers, and other seeds is your planting zone. Every location in the U.S. and its territories is sorted 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 6 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–6. The timeframe to direct sow outdoors in your garden is often around a month later than the indoor start date. Read your seed packet for details. If you start plants later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will likely even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia are in Zones 6–8. Cruciferous veggies and certain herbs are ready to grow when you're ready to plant. This includes kale, cabbage, and broccoli. Greens like spinach and artichokes, early-blooming annuals like marigolds, and fragrant herbs, including parsley, basil, and oregano, also don't mind an early beginning. Even in the highest peaks of West Virginia in Zone 5b, traditional garden vegetables like peppers of all kinds, cucumbers, and tomatoes are fine with an early spring or late winter start indoors under the grow lights.

Look up the date of your last predicted frost, then count backward 6 to 8 weeks. That's when you should sow 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
Grow 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 plant pots. If you're planting a larger garden, use seed trays — like the ones you see sprouts in at your Fayetteville Garden Center — to make it easy to stay organized and plant tiny soil plugs later. You can also use pots with potting soil and seed starter mix.

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 plant tag or toothpick. That way, you'll know where your seeds should pop up, and you'll know they're not weeds. Otherwise, it'll be a surprise when the sprouts push out of the soil.

Sprouts
Prepare your seed sprouts for outdoor life while they're still indoors. 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 when they volunteer and grow wherever, 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 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. If they're looking rough, don't push them. It’s ok to roll back a step or two if need be: Bring them inside overnight or put them in shady places instead of direct sun. As always, make sure they're watered just enough, but not too much. Whisk wilted plants inside and give them a good drink, making sure they're strong before returning them outdoors.

Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
Place your transplants in the ground, then give them a generous drink of water. Blanket the surrounding ground with mulch, marking where the plant is with a tag or stick so you can easily find it among the grass clippings, old leaves, or straw. Consider putting up chicken wire or other protective measures if deer or rodents visit your yard regularly, as your sprouts may otherwise become a snack.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish it off with mulch and compost. Mulch controls weeds and keeps the soil moist. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster stronger plants that bear more flowers and fruit. Mulch and compost 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 right amount.

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