Bigger, Better, Bloomier? The Deal With Bordine's

"Bordine's is like the Walmart of nurseries."

This quote is from a neighbor, a particular fellow of discriminate, expensive taste in terms of landscaping.  He's in the landscaping industry, and is pretty much forced to endure big box package gardening all day and every day.  He loathes the mundane, his garden kryptonite being your average variegated foundation plating hostas.  For my part, based on my own grimacing that I make whenever I see a plethora of blue spruces in landscaping, I am pretty sure I understand the sentiment.  Now don't get me wrong, I am all for planting what you like and what can work well in the situation you are presented with, but if you just lack imagination and are giving the world more boring landscaping... even if you are stone broke, you can do better!

At first glance, Bordine's would seem to be a big box retailer that offers the same "shut up and plant this" offerings that your average Home Depot or Walmart presents in their garden centers.  In many ways I am not quick to suggest either a novice or experienced gardener should head to their nearest Big B.  After all, most of what they have to offer you can get anywhere else.  How do they rate on the service side of things?  While they exclaim that their purple people are all knowing, most of their sales-floor help is lacking in enthusiasm and knowledge.  You see a lot of college age kids; pretty blondes are at the registers, while all the men seem to be hauling bags of dirt and fertilizer around.

That's when it hit me: maybe they are looking for a summer job that they can learn something from and that they can gain experience in a new field for.  Every more mature Bordine's employee that I have run across has known what they are talking about, and enjoyed it too.  I usually see said employees making careful rounds around the plants and having small discussions about product placement with real concern about trying to spice up the display.  That's a difficult task in a place that does look like a giant greenhouse!

Their talents tend to shine much more at the entrance.

Granted, I have only been to the Brighton and Grand Blanc locations and have never seen the flagship store in Rochester, but the overall pattern of their stores likely follows an all business sort of plan.  So I can forgive them for presentation and sheer quantity based on, well, being a high volume business, but I'm less inclined towards generosity in the quality department.  Truth be told, I have never had to worry much there; not a single plant has ever been a bad purchase.  Yes, I'm definitely in favor of getting the best of the best for particular species at specialty nurseries, but I would definitely say that an annual from Bordine's is going to beat the tar out something from a non-nursery big box retailer.  Appearances can be deceiving, for despite the scale of the operation, Big B is still a dedicated plant growing machine, and local at that.  

And you know what?  They do actually have a few things you can't readily get at the plant stand around the corner.  While I am sure I could find Bayberry (Myrica Pensylvanica) or Baldcypress (Taxodium Distichum) elsewhere in the area, I never have, and I know they will be there and alive and kicking (until winter pulls a fast one with -20 something and makes me cry).  They also seem to have a ridiculously huge menu of annuals to choose from, so much so that I go back after my flat purchasing at the trusted, wonderful local places and experiment with more exotic fare from Big B.  In the near future I might go back for another helping and will probably share said menu choice in a post!

So what inspired me to write about Bordine's?  Well, I was not going to mention them at all in this nursery barrage that the blog seems to be on, but for the roses.

Oh yes, they have tons and tons, and they are in ship shape.  I think the only place that I have thus far been rose shopping that has come close to variety has been Farmer John's, though I do fully intend to check out some downriver destinations that are apparently amazing for roses.  This is my first year really getting into rose insanity, so I have honestly never tried looking for them before.  I have always noticed the selection at Bordine's, however, offering full sections of floribundas, grandifloras, flower carpets, miniatures, shrubs, hybrid teas, etc.  Even when I was not really into roses (I know, I know, sorry!) I always took a notice of how Big B had a rose section the size of most smaller nurseries and nearly the size of the of their perennial division! 

Bordine's is definitely worth the venture.  To be honest, I usually head there many times throughout the year, even into their Christmas displays.  Bigger, for sure.  Better, certainly in some ways.  Bloomier?  I have yet to try their plant food.  They seem to be doing something right in that regard, though.

Bordine's is found in Brighton, Grand Blanc (their huge growing center), Clarkston, and Rochester (their HQ and flagship store).

Their website.

Their facebook page.

Nursery Review: Native Plant Nursery (Ann Arbor Farmers Market)

Yesterday we explored the wonderful opportunities afforded to us by Butterfly Weed, one of the many excellent native plants found here in Southeastern Michigan.  While I fully intend to launch at length into a diatribe about why native gardening is utterly amazing, for now I figured I would just mention a good place to stop by tomorrow, if you happen to be heading to the Ann Arbor Farmers Market.  Even if you didn't have such a trip in your plans, consider going just for the Native Plant Nursery.  As the deceptively simple name suggests, they pretty much specialize in plants native to our local region, with emphasis on wildflowers and grasses.  That said, they also produce trees and shrubs, and will be happy to break down that broad wildflower category into appropriate packages, depending on your growing conditions and the level of restoration to wild conditions, if any, you want to achieve.  You will almost always run into this fellow here:

Greg is holding my latest purchase, a Prairie Dock, two Ohio Spiderworts, and two Joe Pye Weeds.  More on these individually later.

His name is Greg Vaclavek, probably the most (mind the pun) gregarious individual I have ever run into in the plant growing industry.  He's able to answer even my most plant-geek plant questions, and much can be gleaned about what you can/should be doing with plants just by listening to him talking; there will often be a line full of patient people waiting to get a chance to pick the ear of the guru.  Even if you end up buying nothing, a trip to even catch a little free garden wisdom here is worth it.  That said, if you do come to buy, everything is laid out with a ton of information in front of each plant.

Sorry for the usual glare.  This was on a tablet camera. 

My advice to first time native plant growers is the same advice that I would give to novice gardeners of any type: pick the right plant for the right place.  If that label calls for sun or shade, bake or cover accordingly.  If it calls for moisture or dryness, soak or neglect accordingly.  Native plants will work well in cultivation in general, but even more than some exotic annuals and perennials, they will thrive if you try to mimic their natural conditions.  They were, after all, made for doing it well right here, right now.  Greg and company have their plants displayed as such, with simple yet abundant data on what does and does not work for each plant.  Best of all, they are all locally sourced and grown from wild type seed; your flower will actually be a child of a long line of plants from our corner of Michigan!

In addition to keeping it real with the local varieties, they offer kits to make breaking into the experience that much easier and once you get used to the game, can also take requests to bring in the following week for offerings that they don't typical bring in.  They take cash, but you can always get tokens at the market office if you are running on plastic.  As should be obvious by now, they don't have an independent storefront, and you pretty much have to come to the market to visit the nursery, although in a pinch alternative arrangements could probably be made.  That should not be an issue though; why would you not want to go to the market?!

Nursery Review: Alexander Farm Market

Alexander, like our last reviewed nursery, Blocks, is distinguished by decent prices (for the most part) and quality of product.  They are not nearly as large, but perhaps because they are a bit more out of the way for most in metro Detroit (but pretty much easy to get to from most of greater SE Michigan), they tend to be ready and waiting for the customer a bit longer.  As a smaller operation, they tend to take longer to get everything up and running, but this year they exploded onto the scene within their opening week with almost everything laid out.  They certainly do an excellent job at presentation.

<drool>

Scratch that... they have some of the finest nursery displays I have seen anywhere in the industry.  Greenhouses four and five are a feast for the senses. 

Aside from the sheer beauty, they have a friendly, helpful staff who can tell you everything you need to know about making their products thrive.  If the staff and the selection of merchandise is any indication, Alexander Farm Market is run by gardeners who like beautiful and vigorous plants.  Why?  Because they practically give away their flowers and veggies, yet they are plants which of the same quality would qualify as premium offerings at many other nurseries.  Here you will find heirloom and rare varieties of vegetables, a huge selection of perennials, and flats upon flats of more types of annuals than you can imagine. 

Seriously, this is just a slice of the buffet.  Go see for yourself ASAP!

Picture your typical gardening dictionary, and you are likely to find everything and anything from it here.  That's right, this is a small, basically mom-and-pop operation, yet it makes Bordine's look small in terms of variety.  My only wish for them is that they start getting a native plant section going, but I would not be surprised if that is right around the corner; they improve noticeably every year I go there.

Even when the plants start to run out, there is still every reason to come visit for the fresh produce from local farms and their own home grown corn, picked daily.  Once they start opening the produce store on site, the place turns into a rival for the best farmer's markets of the region.  I could gush on and on...

For the novice, Alexander combines both an extensive variety in a very local, non-threatening small scale atmosphere.  You will find stuff to try here that will be more than suitable for most area gardens, but you will also have many options that will invite, rather than dissuade, you to dive in even deeper.

For the experienced green thumb, this is the place to get really crazy with perennials for a very obvious reason... wait for it...

They offer starter perennials at 99 cents.  That's right, 99 cents.  We're talking everything from coneflowers to lupines to lobelias and then some.  Yeah, they start out small, but by the end of the season they are positively huge and the following year, for an investment of around 20 dollars, you can have a garden that looks like you poured gold into the making thereof.  They rotate the stock too, so that every new year you are going to find new things to grow.  The same goes for their cells of annuals, which run 1.09 for four plants, or for their veggies which run a little bit more.  This year I encountered all the coolest heirloom varieties I figured I could only get by seed from the mail order places like Baker Creek.  They even sell flats of corn.  Corn!  Sorry, but I think that's fantastic. 

This is not to say that they don't have high end offerings either.  Do you want designer 70 dollar peonies?  They have those, and at a fraction of the cost that you would find them at big box garden centers.  They have bananas, cannas, variety pots, and even moderately priced faerie garden crap, which I will probably find a new love for with a niece on the way, meaning I will be sucked in even further into this awesome place. 

Just go pay them a visit, and bring as little as ten bucks, even though you will easily want to spend thirty and have to dig a whole new garden bed.  The downside to them is that you will wish you had spent over a hundred once you get home.  Yep, I love this place just that much.  OK, so the real downside is that the parking can be a pain in the behind on a busy day; don't bring a massive truck or try to come during the dead of the afternoon on a weekday.

Alexander Farm Market is located off of US 23 just north of Ann Arbor, off of Whitmore Lake rd, which is a left turn off of North Territorial which exits off the freeway.  Head west on North Territorial to the first light, which is said road.  Alexander is a few hundred feet down the next left, but you can't miss it for the giant sign at the corner.

Best time to visit: Now! Why aren't you there yet?

Websites:

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Nursery Review: Block's Stand And Greenhouse

When I started this blog a few weeks ago, the planting season was getting underway and local gardeners such as myself were in their full spring fever.  Nurseries around the area were crowded full of plant fanatics and eager growers looking to tell winter to buzz off, and the concept of writing to share with all of you the rush was... a bad idea.  To new growers, the thought of having you smashed into a mob full of overly-energetic retiree-aged hobbyists and fanatical master gardeners is amusing but also intimidating.  Let's be honest, April is a time when you see the good, the bad, and the ugly in the gardener's world.  Now, however, the crowds have died off a bit, the staff is more than eager to keep sales running smooth, and nurseries are a grand place to visit.  I'm going to show you around a few of my favorites. 

To be fair, most of them are downriver, on the west side, or even further in both directions.  I know some of the more experienced visitors here will shout out names like Telly's and Eastern Market, as well as a slew of places I might have never heard of.  As we all know, however, metro Detroit consists of people who think that anything on the opposite side of Woodward is terra incognita.  By all means, suggest a place for me to go, but in the meantime you are going to see a lot of "west side nursery story".  Our first visit takes us south, actually.

The most incredible selection, in terms of sheer volume of healthy, hearty plants that you will find anywhere in SE Michigan is going to be at Blocks at Eureka and Middlebelt, just outside of Metro Airport.  You know how I said things get nuts at nurseries in late April and early May?  They get positively INSANE at Blocks.  This is because they grow their own stuff for the most part, they have incredible quality to it, and they have tons of stuff. 

Picture this times 20, and you have Blocks.  HUGE.

Mind you, they also tend to actually sell out of stuff, too.  Remember what I said about avoiding the crowds?  I apologize.  Don't do it for Blocks.  Learn to handle the mob, get some good plants, and go within the first week of their opening at the top of May.  Next year, if I still maintain this blog, I will make a reminder post about them around that time.  They are simply that good.  Their staff is helpful even under the insanity period, they carry a wide variety of selections of everything from fruit trees to exotic veggies, and their pricing is, well, affordable.  I am particularly fond of their 3 for 10 one gallon perennial pots; they seem to have a unique selection every year and said sale has brought many new perennial friends into my life.  For comparison, many gallon perennials cost anywhere from 7-20 dollars at most other local nurseries, and are often big box grower purchases.  Blocks sells you their own stock, for the most part. 

For the novice gardener, they are an excellent place to dive in to the hobby/calling and get lost for a few hours.  You will find everything from good, cheap garden hardware (like those adorable frog watering cans) to every sort of plant you will ever need to start making your little slice of paradise with.  They also have seeds, roots, mulch, and more free advice than you can shake a stick at.  Yes, Blocks will be intimidating if you are starting out, but it will also be convenient, one-stop shopping with help right around the corner.  Your wallet, if nothing else, will thank me, both in terms of initial investment and with how well your purchases do. 

For those with more advanced green thumbs, all I have to say is that if you have never been here, go.  In my opinion, Block's is going to offer a selection every bit as worthy as Eastern Market, and the prices and attitude are far, far less elitist.  Don't get me wrong, Eastern has some incredible stuff if you enjoy city driving, parking, and if your credit score is good enough to get you a bank loan.  At Blocks, you might have to park a fair piece from the gate, but you won't have to fight to get a spot, and the staff will actually smile at you.

Speaking of smiles, my two friendly cashiers.  They are friendly while not sacrificing efficiency; the crowd behind them was also ringing out and yet the lines were pretty decent.

OK, so I exaggerate, but for the most part, the experience in Romulus is going to be a bit less stressful than at the Market.  I accordingly promote Blocks as a worthy EM level alternative. 

The downside to them is that they do tend to sell out rather quickly, before summer even really gets going.  If you are finicky about frost and want to wait until Memorial Day to do your planting, you will most likely be out of luck.  The other drawback, to some at least, is that they are not very much into display.  Their flats are healthy and beautiful, but presented in unremarkable rows and tables.  For the novice, this can sometimes be a deterrent from getting too excited about the place; my best piece of advice is to go with a more experienced gardener who can point the way and draw you to some truly great purchases.  For my needs, the no-frills approach to the display works out just fine; Blocks is pretty much an essential trip for the basics concerning veggies and annuals every year, and a bonus in regards to perennials.  I come for the quality and affordability.  If you want a show while you set up the backbone of your garden, go to Eastern Market. 

Blocks is located at Eureka and Middlebelt in Romulus, Michigan.  It is two miles away from I-275's Eureka exit, and over 3 from I-75's Eureka exit, so fairly easy to get to from many places in SE Michigan.  I tend to combine my annual binge at Blocks with visits to other downriver nurseries, which can be another reason in justifying driving from as far away as Lansing or Port Huron to pay them a visit. 

Best time to visit: Early May (or whenever they open, usually the last weekend of April). 

Websites:

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