Ready, Set, Plant
Published 1:30 am Friday, April 10, 2026
The arrival of spring means it’s time to prep the garden for planting. If you’re itching to buy vegetable starts or flowers, there are local nurseries that have you covered. And if you’re not ready to buy plants but want a colorful pick-me-up because it’s an overcast day, the flower displays will offer a multitude of colors.
Satsop Landscaping & Nursery
This year marks the 40th spring for Satsop Landscaping & Nursery that is run by Paul Peterson and his wife, Claudia. And after being in business for four decades, there are a number of regulars who visit annually for their plants.
On this sunny afternoon, many of the outdoor plants are out on display and the buds are readying to break.
“This stretch of weather had a good start to the season in spite of the rain,” said Peterson.
The Petersons grow almost all of their own vegetable starts, and also available are the always popular hanging baskets for Mother’s Day, but those will be put on display closer toward the end of April.
“Mother’s Day is D-Day for us,” Peterson said.
What’s also a popular item is blueberries, with 25 varieties available.
A unique flower that Peterson has stocked for three years is the Perfume Princess Daphne, whose fragrance is noticeable as you walk by. It blooms from February through April so it’s possible to see its flowers for another week.
Garden Starts Nursery
Although Garden Starts Nursery has been selling plants for 18 years, it’s location is tucked off Highway 8 so you need to look for it. Inside the greenhouses are rows of hanging baskets stretching the length. There’s over 2,000, said Garry Whitney; the exact number is unknown as they lost count at 2,000, and they usually sell out before Mother’s Day.
For tomato enthusiasts, there are 33 varieties to choose from, and with new varieties are grown each year based upon demand. How many tomato plants? Over 5,000.
And for another impressive number, “We’re set up to do 50,000 plugs from seed,” Whitney said.
If you’re wanting seeds, those are available too, as is a soil mixture that’s made onsite. And there are bulbs too, with 38 types of dahlias and 25 gladiolas.
Even after being in the business for nearly two decades, Whitney said he’s learning stuff every day.
