Utah's First
Family Nursery
As a family business that has been serving the Salt Lake valley for over 130 years, one of the things we are constantly evaluating is what we can do to help our community.
Not only do we want to provide the best products and service for your gardening needs, but also give you all the information you need to succeed and your garden to thrive. Why? Well, one thing we know, which has been forefront in our minds over the last few years, is the very real therapeutic benefit of gardening.
The phrase “Garden Therapy” is one that’s been used for decades for a variety of reasons. Often it was a bit tongue-in-cheek when we bought a few more perennials than we told our spouse we would. However, these past few years has made the THERAPY of gardening a very real part of our daily lives. We now all know from personal experience the benefits of garden therapy.
There are untold benefits from gardening for our mental health. From digging in the dirt, caring for plants, watching them grow, harvesting our own food or maybe even creating beautiful bouquets to enjoy around the house.
Entire programs have been built around the physical and psychological benefits of working in a garden. There are some truly interesting studies being done in the field of horticultural therapy. This article from Psychology today hits the nail on the head. And just this year this article came out exploring research that shows gardening may help reduce cancer risk AND boost mental health.
Though we are not trained therapists, we are trained gardening experts. Within the overall theme of “gardening therapy” are dozens upon dozens of reasons that we’ve found create a sense of peace and wellbeing.
We did a poll recently in our Glover Gardening Group on Facebook to see what people found to be the most beneficial aspects of gardening. Here are the top 4 answers from you our gardening community.
Be it English style or traditional Japanese Zen, your garden reflects your own tastes and preferences. Whether you grow at home or in a community garden, your garden is your own. This makes it much more enjoyable to spend time outside in the yard. If you’re new to gardening, we highly recommend working with a landscape designer to give some expert guidance and avoid costly mistakes. Garden design is personal but a landscape architect will work with you to create your dream landscape.
From early spring blooms like Crocus or Pansies to late fall blooms like Coneflower or Mums, there is something that will bring color and texture to your garden all season long. Flowers bring a sense of joy with their blossoming. There are other benefits to be had as well – tinctures, cooking, aromatic satchels, or just a bright bouquet on the dining table.
During a regular year it is nice to pick your own tomato or gift a neighbor with some of the extra zucchini you’ve grown by hand. There is something deeply comforting in growing your own veggies, herbs and fruits.
It’s a fun experience, but also a deeply satisfying one. When your first harvest is ready and you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor (pun intended) you will not regret the time spent in your garden. Come and visit Glover Nursery to see what veggies and herbs are available and ready to plant now.
I don't know about you but 30 minutes of gardening sounds like a whole lot more fun than 30 minutes at the gym. There is always exercise in the garden. Being in the garden, digging, pulling weeds, and planting all are great forms of exercise. You'll be working different muscle groups and burning some calories. No, it’s not the same as a Crossfit session, but it’s better than nothing!
A study in the Preventative Medicine Journal reported the results of a meta-analysis of research examining the effects of gardening, including horticultural therapy, on health. They found substantive evidence to suggest that gardening can "improve physical, psychological, and social health, which can, from a long-term perspective, alleviate and prevent various health issues facing today's society."
If gardening is something that appeals to you, we are here to help. No matter your experience level, whether you are a novice who has no idea where to get started or an expert that would love something new to bring to your experience, there's the perfect gardening task for you.
We will keep you updated on everything we have coming in this spring to make this gardening season, the best yet!
We look forward to seeing or speaking with you soon. Happy Therapy!
June is Perennial Gardening Month
Gardening It's All in the Family
Our homes and gardens are our safe havens right now and as a result we are seeing a growth in….well, in growth. As far as the timing goes, it couldn’t be a more appropriate. Spring is upon us and it is time to plant.
As we do not know how this crisis will affect us long term, a number of people have started growing their own food source – some are doing it for recreation, and some as a genuine way to ensure fresh food for their families throughout the season.
If a Victory Garden is something that appeals to you, we are here to help.
You can view what is currently available to start getting ideas for what you may want to plant in your own garden. If you're looking to start anything from Strawberries to Onions to Cole Crops we've got what you're looking for in our Veggies, Fruits, and Herbs page.
We have the plants and expertise to help you start your own garden with everything needed for success. Now, that is a Victory indeed.
Find details on how we are safely conducting business under the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” directive on our website, link here.
We are open from 8am-5:45pm Monday through Saturday at 9275 South 1300 West.
See ya soon.
Garden Plant Helleborus: The First Blooms of Spring
Creative Gardening Pairings from Monrovia
Together we ran an efficient team and very nearly grew enough tomatoes to fulfill that vision. Fact is, you may very well have been one of the customers that took one home during my apprenticeship (for which I thank you and hope you made some yummy salsa).
In addition to tomato seeds, at his knowledgeable side, I learned to sew herbs, squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, peppers…the list goes on and on…all from seed. It never failed to amaze me that he would pull a dusty bin out from under his bench where these little seeds had stayed dormant for months, sometimes years, just waiting for the right conditions to start their own journey from seed, to sprout, to plant, to becoming a bountiful harvest that would grace many tables over the course of a season. When we hear the term “farm to table”, I can tell you first hand where that starts – and my many destroyed manicures will back me up.
When I look at the seed racks that are set up and ready for our customers to start their own growing journey, I wondered what I could share that would help them make the greatest success of their time and efforts. While it is not rocket science, thank goodness, there are a few things I learned at the hands of my grandfather that will help anyone looking to create their own growing fields, or, maybe just to fill a garden box (if you’re not trying to feed the whole valley, like he was).
Tip #1 – Make sure you have the right set up so your seedlings have the best advantage for a successful start. This includes having your seed trays filled with a great soil mix to give them the nutrients they need while holding moisture in the soil for those tender roots to grow. While you could throw a bunch of seeds into any old soil and hope for the best, to guarantee a good crop, start with good soil, an easy ability to keep the soil moist (not wet) and plenty of light.
Tip #2 - Watering can be a tricky thing to get right. Too much water drowns them, not enough water and they won’t get that little magical spark that helps them grow. Seedlings need to have a slightly damp environment while they germinate. I learned from my grampa, the easiest way to know how moist the soil is – stick your finger in it. If the top is feels wet but it doesn’t percolate down, then you need to put a bit more water on and let it soak in. There is also the trick of the trade which is to water from the bottom up; seed trays are designed specifically for this type of watering which allows the soil to absorb the water it needs through the holes in the bottom of the tray. A good soil will help hold moisture properly, it is worth getting an appropriate blend designed for starting seeds.
Tip # 3 - If you are going to start your seeds outdoors, be sure they are protected from the cold. Seeds need warmer conditions to get started, so if your seeding trays are in a shed with no insulation or warming counters, those little guys are not going to make it. It doesn’t need to be a blazing inferno by any means, but watch the temperatures and keep them steadily warm. A good range to have in mind is 65-75 degrees until the seeds sprout. After they sprout, they can handle a bit more variant in temperature (though, I wouldn’t recommend sticking them directly outside just yet! Make sure the weather is holding steady in spring temperatures before hardening them off for transplanting). One way to help them along is cover the trays with glass or plastic, this creates a mini greenhouse environment that helps retain moisture and heat.
Tip # 4 – Depth of planting matters. Imagine you’re a seed and you get stuck down deep in the soil, so deep that it feels like you will never make it out….well, you won’t. Seeds can’t grow out of soil that is 10-20x deeper than they are tall. If the seed packet doesn’t have a recommended planting depth, a good rule of thumb is to plant the seed no deeper than 3 times the width of the seed. This can be a bit tricky to figure out, but one thing we did in Grampa’s Greenhouse was to press all the soil before laying seeds on top, then cover the seeds with a light cover of soil before watering them in. The pressing of the soil beneath the seeds will prevent them from sinking down too far and a light dusting of soil above will settle in around them with watering. This way, they are protected and getting necessary moisture while still able to reach for the light.
Tip # 5 – Light source is important. Seedlings need light, lots of light. Though the days are getting longer, the likelihood that they will get enough light sitting in a garage or shed, even if they have south facing windows, is low. It would be extremely beneficial to invest in a growing lamp and make sure that lamp shines on them between 12-16 hours per day. There are loads of great DIY ideas out there of how to build growing tables or structures to make this work easily. We don’t have a favorite because there are so many wonderful ideas and different ways to utilize your space. A quick Google search will bring up dozens of amazing ideas; look for something that is easy to install in your growing area.
Tip # 6 – The last thing I would recommend when starting out with growing seeds is to make sure and label everything. Sharpie on a popsicle stick is a great combo for this because neither will wash away if they get wet. Put the name of the plant and the date you started seeding. This way you can monitor the seedlings and if they haven’t started sprouting in the expected time frame, you’ll be able to tell sooner than later. Every type of seed has a different length of time it takes to germinate, so making sure it is all properly labeled will help guide you as to which seeds may not have made it versus just needing a bit more time to get growing.
After reading all this you are probably wondering why you should bother! Well, I will share one more thing my grampa taught me when I asked him the same question. A tomato that started by your hand, grew because of your work and ripened in the sun due to your efforts tastes a heck of a lot better than anything you can get at the store. He, as always, was right.
Happy Seeding!!! Let us know what you grow – or feel free to share any time, we are open from 8am-6pm through March (closed Sundays) J
~ Regan Glover
Updates, Sales, and Gardening Tips
9275 S. 1300 W. West Jordan, UT 84088 Phone: (801) 562-5496 Fax: (801) 562-5595 Email: [email protected]
Updates, Sales, and Gardening Tips
