Indoor plants, outdoor plants, plants for your garden, or plants for that one blank spot in the corner of a room that you know needs something but can’t figure out what… my solution is simple: Just add a plant!
My love of plants most likely stems from my mom, who also loves plants (see what I did there — stem??), but I also think my love of the outdoors and nature fuels my passion for all things plant as well.
One of my favorite things to do in the spring is get my garden space prepped for sunflowers and butterflies, throw a few beans over in this corner, plant a couple of tomatoes and peppers in that corner, add a glass of wine in between, and then get ready to see what starts to sprout in the weeks to come. Sometimes it’s hit or miss what makes it, but each year my garden is a little different, which adds to the excitement for me.
Shifting gears to houseplants, I’ve never met a pothos that I didn’t like, especially a good hardy neon pothos with long flowy strands of bright leaves — these guys can practically live in the dark. Super easy to care for, grows pretty much anywhere you put it, and even lives in a vase if you want. One of my wedding gifts was a carafe vase that I just never knew what to do with or when to use, so I made it my pothos vase.
So, as I was thinking how much I love plants, I thought I’d share my favorite garden centers and nurseries to visit for unique plants, trees, shrubs, pottery, and just a plain ol’ mood booster.
Proctor Ace Hardware (Neptune Beach)
Proctor Ace Hardware in Neptune Beach is my all-time favorite and first on my list for a reason! Walking into their garden center is like walking into an exotic jungle. I LOVE it. You will find unique foliage, indoor plants, pottery, fountains, lighting for gardens, and more. Outside you can find more unique trees and landscaping-type plants, but just walking around this garden center alone puts me in a good mood. They also take care of their plants very well so everything looks lush and green. Having a sad day? Visit this garden center please, and tell me it doesn’t help. 1281 Atlantic Boulevard
Bent Oak Nursery (Ponte Vedra Beach)
Bent Oak Nursery is great if you are looking for landscaping-type plants, bushes, or trees. They also have seasonal garden flowers and plants, and you can book a landscaping consultation if you have some yard design to tend to and don’t know where to start. Family owned and operated, every time I have visited them and had a question, they knew how to answer it. I bought my azalea bushes from them years ago, and they were the only ones that had the color I was looking for! 5045 Palm Valley Road
The Candle Garden (Atlantic Beach)
The Candle Garden sells (you guessed it!) small-batch soy candles, but they are also very well-stocked with a wide variety of cacti and house plants. Plant species and pot colors are rotated regularly to keep things fresh every season, alongside the endless candle scents, naturally. 363 Atlantic Boulevard, Suite 8
Plant Ranch Nursery (Intracoastal)
The folks at Plant Ranch Nursery have been around for as long as I can remember, are just as knowledgeable, and are also locally owned and operated. My son loves this nursery the most because they always have the best Venus fly traps and Pitcher plants — who doesn’t love a good carnivorous plant? Nature is cool. 14108 Beach Boulevard
Earth Works (Intracoastal)
Earth Works is just plain ol’ fun to walk around even if you don’t buy any plants. Landscape services and garden design, water gardens and ponds, and pottery, giftware, and koi fish make this nursery unique. This place will cheer you up for sure. Buy a fish, buy a plant. Sounds good to me! 12501 Beach Boulevard
Trader Joe’s (Jacksonville Beach)
Not a nursery or garden center, but why do I walk into Trader Joe’s needing almond milk and walk out with a cool succulent in a fish-shaped vase for only $7.99 and beautiful tropical foliage for only 10 bucks? Not to mention their cut flower selection is pretty awesome, too. Trader Joe’s knows what they are doing to plant lovers by putting them all out front and as soon as you walk in! Who can resist?! I certainly cannot! 4180 S. 3rd Street
Walmart Garden Center (Intracoastal)
Don’t sleep on the Walmart Garden Center, people! Last but certainly not least and probably the most cost-efficient, they have your basic indoor plants from pothos to fiddle figs to vegetable varieties and fruit trees. I love the unique indoor plant selection Walmart has, and it’s probably the cheapest next to Trader Joe’s! 13490 Beach Boulevard
So, the next time you are feeling blue, just remind yourself that maybe a little plant therapy can help — it never hurts to have just one more!
Where are some of your favorite plant shops in and around Jax?
