Buying Desert Plants At Big Box Home Improvement Stores

9.28.2010 - Big box home improvement stores out here in the desert have a lush assortment of gorgeous plants at rock bottom prices. The two big guys even have 1-year guarantees on their plants, no questions asked. I love this.

What I don't love about these same stores is two-fold.

First, let's talk about the people that work there. Every week I see the same lady working in the garden department. She knows my name. She is from Georgia. All of her answers usually end with "I'm not sure dear we don't have this kind of stuff in Georgia." Fantastic. Combine this with the stoner cash register attendant and it makes you wonder who even does the ordering at the store. I have checked out several different big box stores and there is only one where the woman really knows her desert plants. She knows where to plant them, how much water they need and what will not grow out here. Today she gets all of my business when I need a big-box type of plant. I still hit the little nurseries for the special stuff!

Second, the inventory at big box stores is very similar to going into a car lot and finding a bright, shiny Ferrari you just adore, buying it, driving it home and realizing the damn thing doesn't fit in the garage. The same can be said for the plants here. Camellias? Mandevillas? Really? This isn't San Diego, folks. Ever see what a camellia looks like out here in August? Do you see that dead thing in the corner? That was it. Camellias should really be sold as annuals here. They will look nice in the winter and unless you move them into your garage or something, forget it. The biggest threats to a camellia are hot sun and dry winds. These things look gorgeous and thriving in filtered sunlight at the store but the minute they hit the real desert environment, you might as well light a candle for them.

I did a little digging and found out the majority of the plants they ship in to these stores out here in AZ come from sunny Southern California. Not the Palm Springs kind of California. The moist, not-too-hot part of California. They have never seen a minute of desert sun. The good part about most of the nurseries in this state is they are grown here. That means less transplant shock, less sunburn and a better chance of survival.

The big stores can be a great place to find nice plants for only a few dollars. Just keep in mind where they come from and make sure they grow in your zone before you take them home.