I know this is an unpopular opinion. But can we stop buying plants from Costco? Or any other windowless wholesale club or grocery store?

Consider buying plants that are sold outdoors, that are not wrapped in plastic/kept in a cart, from a garden center with a knowledgeable sales staff.

If you went to your independent garden center and there was a pallet of unrefrigerated artichoke dip, with a great price on it, stacked up on a pallet in the sun. Would you buy and eat that artichoke dip, expecting great results? It’s really the same thing. Sorta.

Because here’s the deal, some may have success with those wholesale club plants but most are just impulse purchases destined to die. Some have been a week inside a truck to the inside of a warehouse without receiving any care (plants need sunlight, fresh air and water). Probably that plant is going to die on your watch and you’re going to feel really bad about yourself, you might even think you can’t grow anything but really it wasn’t you. You just saw pretty plants at a great price and got a little excited.

Get your artichoke dip at Costco. Get your plants from the Mud People that work at an independent garden center.

—Amanda Thomsen Kiss My Aster on Facebook