Garden Center at Forest City #263

Mother's Day Gardening Gifts
When you're searching for Mother's Day gardening gifts, check out the big bargains on our flower pots, garden decor, and planters. Our Mother's Day Sale is your solution for the right present. You can even surprise her with new patio furniture. If you're on the fence about what to get, a gift card always works. It's easy to shop the sales that run from May 2nd to May 12th on our mobile app or at your local store.



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. You can also add beauty and interest with hardscaping, stonework, and water features. No matter what outdoor projects you choose to tackle, The Garden Center in Forest City can help you enjoy your spring activities to the fullest.

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing you should know when planting spring flowers, veggies, 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 planting zone map and learn when to plant seeds.

For example, you could transplant bell peppers outdoors in mid-March in Zone 10, but not until the end of May in Zone 4. You'll have good results with plants that have your zone number or less. In other words, a Zone 6 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–6. You can plant seeds indoors roughly a month before you can plant them outside, or direct sow. Be sure to read your seed packet for details. If you start them later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it should even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
In the areas of Zones 9 and 10 stretching across the Southeast, you can plant indoors early in the year. Your odds of frost are low in this part of the country, but not zero. Keep an eye out for cold snaps and cover any sprouts or early-riser bulb plants during cold times.

Growing season begins early and ends late in this part of the country. The weather and climate make it easy to get and keep a beautiful garden. A wide variety of plants, veggies, and flowers thrive in Florida and southern Georgia. If you've got good soil drainage, you can even grow citrus trees. You'll have excellent results with peppers of all heat levels and colors, including bell peppers, jalapeños, and more. Cucumbers, zucchini, squash, and pumpkins, which are direct sow only, will flourish. Tomato plants will yield thriving fruit and leaves, as they're tropical in origin and are happiest in the heat.

Plant Seeds Outside With Direct Sow
Planting seeds into your garden soil, or using the direct sow method, is an alternative option. There's less planning and tending than growing indoors. If you like to go with the flow, follow the instructions on your seed package and try it out.

Prepare to deal with whatever hand nature deals you: You may have no seeds that germinate. A critter may eat the seedlings. All the seeds you plant in each hole may sprout, so you'll need to thin them out by only leaving the most robust sprouts. Garden pests or bugs might make a meal out of your seedlings before they take off. But if you're lucky, you'll get strong sprouts that are ready to grow all spring.

Start Seeds Indoors
If you're eager to get growing or would like more control in the care and feeding of seedlings, start your seeds indoors instead. In general, you can plant seeds indoors about a month before you can do it outside. Like direct sow, you push the seeds into the soil as directed on the seed packet, but that's where the similarities end.

You're responsible for giving them quality substitutes for sun and rain. Keep your seeds cozy with warming mats and grow lights, water them carefully with a spray bottle or watering can, then thin them as they germinate in groups of three. Give them a boost with a gently blowing fan as they lengthen into sprouts if you'd like. Harden them off to get them used to outdoor conditions, then transplant them into your garden when they're big enough.

Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
When your plants have three or four real leaves — different from miniature seedling leaves – transplant them. In quality soil, dig a hole that's 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 any fertilizer as directed on the package, either on top of the soil after it's planted or in the hole. Don't apply more than recommended, as you could burn and kill the plant instead of helping it.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish your garden bed 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 your soil from drying out. 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
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 fertilizer, seeds, and soil you need in the aisles of your Forest City Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.