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Lost in a garden centerI recently had a troubling encounter. But not at a garden center. It was at the paint store during the process of renovating my bathroom. Once I got the old wallpaper off, I knew that I would need some of that 'mud stuff' to texture the walls and then some paint. Easy, right? I walked in the store with a modest level of confidence; not extremely high, but not rock bottom either. It is funny how the clothes you are wearing in certain situations seem to paint you in a specific light. This day I was wearing a skirt, a nice top, and some high heels on my way home from work. This only served to emphasize the point that I was not extremely familiar with this process. After walking quickly to the swatches, I grabbed a sample of my pre-selected color, #1615 Totally Tan, and made a couple loops around the store, as if I knew what I was looking for. Then finally a sales person asked if they could help. I began with the 'mud stuff,' which he informed me was called joint compound. I grabbed one small bucket, assuming that would suffice for the job. He asked if I had something to put it on the walls with. I said yes, so I would sound more experienced; but in my head I was picturing myself applying it with a kitchen spatula. Now to the paint. He asked how many square feet I was going to be covering. I had measured the square footage of the floor, but I had not given much thought to the walls. Before I knew it, I was standing on the entryway rug at the paint store babbling something to the guy that my water closet room was about the size of the rug with 'normal height' ceiling. At this point he has his head cocked sideways like a German Shepherd and was looking at me like I had never held a paint brush before. After buying the supplies and making two trips back for more joint compound and more paint--the bathroom is painted and now waiting for new tile. But this somewhat humbling experience caused me to relate to the feeling that an enthusiastic 'non-gardener' might feel when they enter a large garden center and are surrounded by a herd of Latin speaking plant lovers in Crocs. Venturing to a garden center with minimal knowledge, but the best of intentions can leave a person somewhat deflated and confused. After my humbling trip to the paint store I discovered three great ideas that could help in a similar situation at the garden center. The first tip is to have an exact description of the area that you plan to landscape. Knowing the square footage of the area is helpful when calculating the amount of plant material that will be required. Also having a thorough understanding of how much sun the area receives and at what time of day it is exposed will help in selecting the best suited plants. Drawing a map of the area and surrounding structures can be especially helpful to the sales person that may assist you at the store. Be conscience of power lines, surrounding trees, underground utilities, driveways, sidewalks, etc. The second discovery I came across was to always plan on making a few trips, and I don't mean the trips to go get materials that you didn't buy enough of. Make a couple of browsing trips before you are ready to purchase. This will allow you to compare costs and the variety of materials that the nursery has. Make a list of the plants that appealed to you and then spend some time researching those plants. Research can be done in the library or online. But, as with everything, be careful not to believe everything that you read from 'Joe Bob's Blog'. Another great source for reference is the OSU Master Gardener Hotline, 405-713-1125. They can share their experiences with particular plants as well as use university research based materials to help you decide. The final tip to help you survive your garden center experience is to go with a friend. Moral support is always comforting when facing unfamiliar territory. A second opinion is also helpful in the question asking process. My friends always think of questions that I might have missed on my own. And I know that I would have felt better if my good friend was there to laugh at me while I was dancing around on the rug to try and estimate the square footage of the water closet walls. Gardening is just like any good project or hobby--the first time may be a bit scary, but it is a sure thing that you will know more about it than when you started. Good luck shopping! 9/8/08 Date: 9/2/08 Advertisement
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