As winter takes a back seat and spring begins to emerge, people who live in Sussex County start coming out of their cold weather hibernation. Spring flowers do the same, peeking through the ground and budding on the trees. And so do the garden centers, many that either shut down during the winter season or maintain reduced hours in those months.
If you are a county resident, this might be the time of year that you start thinking of planning your garden. If you planted spring bulbs like tulips or daffodils — or plan to plant them for the coming spring — you’ll want to have your bulbs in the ground in the fall. For bulbs that are less hardy in the winter, like Calla Lilies, you’ll want to lift them before frost hits, storing them indoors. You can replant them in the spring after the potential of freezing temperatures has passed.
As spring arrives, though there will still be chilly temperatures some nights, if you would like to plant vegetable crops, this is also a time to begin planning. According to Rutgers Cooperative Extension, should you be starting your spring and summer vegetable and herb garden from seeds, it is recommended to begin them indoors, if possible. Experts there suggest plants should not be started too early — and additionally should not be placed into the ground until the danger of frost has departed. That is typically around June 1 in the Sussex County area for warm season crops, like tomatoes. Rutgers offers a handy chart and information about how much time seedlings need to grow indoors, before they can be transplanted into a garden plot outside. Contact the Cooperative Extension of Sussex County, with specific questions.
Of course, if you would prefer to start your gardens by plant, you can begin later in the season. There are many garden centers in Sussex County where you can buy excellent quality herb, vegetable and fruit plants, as well as fruit shrubs and trees.
Whether you live in a more rural section of Sussex County with acres of property, or sections of the county that are more densely populated, there are still ways to start a garden of your own, even on a deck or patio if you don’t have the land.
Where can you shop in Sussex County for seeds, peat pots, pellets, containers, greenhouses, potting soil, garden soil, plants, garden tools, mulch, and other supplies for your garden adventure? Here are just a few places in the county to begin, that are both small local (in many cases, family-owned) businesses, as well as chain retailers:
Local/Small Business Garden Centers:
- Andersen Farms, 212 Route 23, Sussex. Tel: (973) 875-8171
- Augusta Hill Farms LLC, 47 Augusta Hill Road, Augusta. Tel: (862) 303-3521
- C&C Growers, 156 Hampton House Road, Hampton. Tel: 973-960-2591
- Cerbo’s Hampton Nursery, 86 Route 519, Hampton. Tel: (973) 579-5518
- Culver Lake Nursery & Farmer’s Market, 441 Route 206, Branchville. Tel: (973) 262-6065
- Farmside Gardens & Florist, 19 Loomis Avenue, Sussex. Tel: (973) 875-3160
- Gardens of the World, 58 Whitehall Road, Andover. Tel: (973) 786-6023
- Green Life Market, Newton Sparta Road, Andover Township. Tel: (973) 512-3900
- Heaven Hill Farm, 451 Route 94, Vernon. Tel: (973) 764-5144
- Ideal Farm and Garden Centre, 222 Route 15, Lafayette. Tel: (973) 579-3893
- J&G Farms/Blackburn’s, 237 Route 565, Wantage. Tel: (973) 702-0700 or
46 Route 206, Branchville. Tel: (973) 948-4700 - Nester’s Greenhouse, 234 Stanhope Sparta Road, Andover. Tel: (973) 398-3841
- Pochuck Valley Farms, 962 McAfee – Glenwood Road, Glenwood. Tel: (973) 764-4732
- Sparta Nursery & Garden Center, 163 Woodport Road, Sparta. Tel: (973) 729-9400
- Sunnyside Garden & Gifts, 35 Route 206, Stanhope. Tel: (973) 347-3010
Chain Store Garden Centers and Chain Retailers with Garden Supplies:
- Dollar General, 11 Nelson Street, Newton. Tel: (973) 862-4899
- Dollar General, 110 State Route 183, Stanhope. Tel: (973) 804-9410
- Dollar General, 46 Route 94, Vernon. Tel: (862) 207-4191
- Dollar General, 380 Route 23, Wantage. Tel: (609) 400-1392
- Garden Center at Home Depot Store #984, 7 North Park Drive, Newton. Tel: (973) 383-4206
- Lowe’s Garden Center, 39 Hampton House Road, Hampton. Tel: (973) 300-3820
- Ocean State Job Lot, 60 Sparta Avenue, Sparta. Tel: (973) 726-3356
- Tractor Supply #322, 775 Route 23, Sussex. Tel: (973) 875-7087
- Tractor Supply #2435, 135 Hampton House Road, Hampton. Tel: (973) 940-0749
- Walmart Garden Center (Franklin), 230 Route 23, Franklin. Tel: (973) 209-4242
- Walmart Garden Center (Newton), 26 Hampton House Road, Hampton. Tel: (973) 300-1859
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Members of Life In Sussex staff have contributed to this post.
