Living in Ohio, the winter was bitter cold and seemed extremely long.  So, in the last week as temperatures warm up and trees and flowers begin to bloom, I find myself smiling and almost giddy.  I love spring!  It makes me happy, plain and simple.

As you can imagine, since I love spring I also love flower gardens.  In the five years I have lived at my current residence, I have planted many, many flowers, shrubs and trees.  My backyard has a huge perennial garden that I have spent years cultivating.  In fact, I can tell you exactly which week of the year it will be in full bloom with all the varieties at their peak.  That would be the third week of June.

If you are someone who is trying to build up your own garden or just add a few plants here and there, I have found one of my favorite methods for getting great deals on many garden varieties is online via garden nurseries.

First of all, I can usually snag deals that would be much more expensive at my local stores and garden centers.  Online shops have monthly deals on plants and often sell them in bulk at ridiculously low prices per plant.  Some even have penny sales.

What is the catch?

These plants often come and are very young, small and often don’t, frankly, look that great.  Sometimes they even look dead already.  They are not like buying plants directly from your local store where they are larger and look healthy.

But, don’t be fooled.  These plants are often hearty.  I have planted flowers from Spring Hill Nursery for years now, and the plants I now have growing in my backyard have grown so large, I have had to split them and even share them with neighbors.

Why else do I love these sites?  Most of them guarantee your purchase ( check the specific site for details ).  So, if after you plant them they then die, don’t fret.  They will send you new ones.  I have had this happen a few times, and the ease of getting my new products was very easy.

On top of that, these companies will usually tell you which plants grow well in your area of the United States and will send them to you and the appropriate time of planting.  So if you order something today, but the specific flower should not be planted until the end of May your shipment will not arrive until then.

Finally, my favorite aspect is that they have plants I just canNOT find locally.  I find I visit stores in my area and they all have the same types of flowers and plants.  But, the online nurseries have items I could never find around here.

So as spring planting time approaches, I would like to share some online nurseries Shop at Home offers.  When you go to their sites, make sure to register to receive their catalogs.  Most of them are sending out coupons with their books for $25 off $50 purchases.  That means, you will get approx 50% off already low prices.  And, when you hit their sites always check out what is on clearance or sale.  That is where you will find the best deals.

- Spring Hill Nurseries – 12% back
- White Flower Farm – 2% back
- Dutch Gardens – 9% back
- Direct Gardening – $3 Back
- Blooming Bulb – 11% Back

Have a beautiful spring!!