While you are shopping for the holidays, don’t forget to check out our six locally owned and operated garden centers in Colorado Springs. While all of these stores are great sources of quality garden tools and supplies, they also have many really interesting unusual gift options. If you can’t decide, consider a gift certificate.
I went to each of these garden centers to see what treasure I could find. I was not disappointed, as there are so many great options for gifts.
• Harding Nursery, 721 N. Powers Blvd. Walking into the store, you will definitely feel the holiday spirit. Symbols of the season are abundant and beautiful. Besides the holiday décor, Harding Nursery has a great collection of custom-made wreaths, swags and centerpieces.
• Phelan Gardens, 4955 Austin Bluffs Parkway. It’s a great place to pre-order bare-root fruit and ornamental trees. The trees will be available the last half of March. The advantage of pre-ordering is a great selection of varieties, including 10 different apples, three pear varieties and several other fruits. Ornamentals include hawthorns, maple and crabapples.
• Good Earth Garden Center 1330 N. Walnut St. Lots of holiday spirit here. Walking through the store, I was struck by the wonderful sound of gurgling fountains, both tabletop and free standing. They also feature a huge selection of tree ornaments. Garden décor is available in many styles and materials.
• Summerland Gardens, 806 Arcturus Drive. Summerland features a great selection of houseplants. Special-interest plants such as rare species and bonsai are great gift choices. Rare plants featured include the Golden Goddess philodendron, a spectacular climbing houseplant that features bold chartreuse foliage, and tea plants, which grow indoors very well. The bonsai collection includes tropical gardenias (blooming bonsai).
• Spencer’s Lawn and Garden, 1430 S Tejon St. A holiday shopping mecca. Be sure to visit the old-fashioned candy store in the basement, established in the 1950s. A display of very colorful, unusual ceramic humming bird feeders caught my eye when I visited. They also feature lots of painted pots, birdhouses and garden décor.
• Rick’s Garden Center, 1827 W. Uintah St. Rick’s carries a wide selection of house plants, and pots from tiny to huge. I was especially impressed by the succulents and colorful cacti available. For larger or climbing houseplants, unique plant supports could literally take your trailing plants in a new direction.
Enjoy your holiday shopping, and shop local!
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