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Do you have what you need to make your garden grow?
Explore Your Local Garden Center at a Home Depot Near You. Get inspired to upgrade your plants and landscaping.
Garden Center
Store Hours
Mon-Sat: 6:00am - 10:00pm
Sun: 7:00am - 8:00pm
Curbside: 09:00am - 6:00pm
Location
2784 King Ave West
Billings, MT 59102
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Frequently Asked Questions About Gardening
Which planting zone am I in?
Check the USDA growing zone map, as planting zones have shifted over the years. Zones with higher numbers can plant earlier in the year. Increase your odds of successful gardening by choosing plants that are meant for your zone.
What does direct sow mean?
If the soil is warm and pliable, consider planting your fruit, flower, or vegetable seeds directly into your garden. This is called the "direct sow" method. The time to plant will be after the threat of frost is gone for the season, as seedlings and sprouts can't weather those conditions. You can also start your seeds indoors if you'd like. Consult your seed packet for when and how to sow seeds.
How do I plant veggie seeds?
Check your seed package for the best info on how to grow spring flowers, fruits, and vegetables — indoors or outdoors. Requirements vary with each seed type. Certain seeds should only be sown indoors, and your seed envelope will tell you that, too. For more details, check out how to grow a garden from seeds.
Do I have to harden off my seedlings before planting them outside?
Yes, if you raised plants indoors from seeds, harden them first before you transplant them. Hardening is the process of getting them used to the great outdoors and rain, sun, and temperature swings. It slows their growth until they're strong and ready to take off during a spring warm front. Hardening also makes your plants more resilient to a sudden cold snap. Read your seed packets or speak to a garden center associate for more info on caring for your seedlings.
How do I plant a transplant or baby plant?
Squeeze the plastic around the plant to loosen the soil. Gently coax your transplant and the surrounding clod of dirt out into the palm of your hand, then place it into the hole you dug for it. Make sure the top of your transplant's soil is even with the garden soil, and carefully press the earth into place. Avoid leaving the plant as island in a puddle of water, and don't tamp down the ground too tightly. Your plant baby needs to breathe.
Should I use peat moss starters or coir starters?
Seed starters, full of nutrients in pellets or pots, work for new and experienced gardeners alike. You don't have to use these starters if you're planting in soil, but you may want to. Starting seeds in peat pots works best for delicately rooted plants like cucumbers and eggplant, as well as flowers that need acidic soil. Some people prefer coir starters instead, as they have a neutral pH. Check what type of soil your plants need to help narrow it down, and chat with a garden center associate if you need more info.
Garden Project Ideas
The Home Depot Garden Center at Billings
It's time to start thinking of spring. We're here to help you prepare for fragrant breezes, sprouts poking up, and warmer temperatures. Planting seeds indoors means you'll be ready to transplant young veggie plants and spring annuals when the frosts are through and the ground thaws. You might even want to directly sow seeds into the earth.
Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing to learn when planting spring flowers, veggies, and other seeds is your planting zone. Every location in the U.S. and its territories is sorted by climate. Find your zone on the USDA growing zone map and learn when to plant seeds.
For example, you could transplant bell peppers outdoors in mid-March in Zone 10, but not until the end of May in Zone 4. The plants that'll thrive in your area are in your zone, and all the zones numbered less than that. In other words, a Zone 5 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–5. You can plant seeds indoors roughly a month before you can plant them outside, or direct sow. Read your seed packet for details. If you start plants a little later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will likely even out as time passes.
Gardening in Your Growing Zone
In the Pacific Northwest, Idaho, and Montana, there’s a wide range of climates and growing zones. Most of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are Zones 6–9, with the higher peaks coming in as Zones 4–5. Montana is in Zone 5 on the western end, but the mountainous regions are mostly Zone 4, with the tallest mountains as Zone 3.
The differences in planting zones means your seed sowing times will vary. The coastal regions in Zones 8 and 9 can start many seeds indoors in mid-January. Colder regions in 6–8 should wait a little longer to plant, and all these zones need to wait an additional month before planting seeds outdoors rather than indoors. Mountainous regions in Zones 3 to 5 will have the shortest growing season, with seed starters going in later in the spring. Although the weather may vary, wait until the frost has passed to give your seeds the best chance at a hearty and healthy life.
Popular veggies of all kinds, including cucumbers and tomatoes, are fine with an early spring or late winter start indoors under the grow lights. Your spring flower seed choices, whether they're perennials or annuals, can also often get an indoor beginning.
Plant Seeds Outside With Direct Sow
Planting seeds into your garden soil, or using the direct sow method, is an alternative option. It doesn't give you as much organized planning in terms of space and reliability as starting indoors. However, if you like to go with the flow, follow the instructions on your seed package and try it out.
Prepare to deal with whatever hand nature deals you: Be ready for none of your seeds to sprout, all of them to come up, and anything in between. Your seedlings will need to survive wind, rain, rodents and bugs that crave tender greens, and cold snaps. But if you're lucky, you'll get strong sprouts that are ready to grow all spring.
Start Seeds Indoors
If you're eager to get growing or would like more control in the care and feeding of seedlings, start your seeds indoors instead. In general, you can plant seeds indoors about a month before you can do it outside. Like direct sow, you push the seeds into the soil as directed on the seed packet, but that's where the similarities end.
You're responsible for giving them quality substitutes for rain and sunlight. Keep your seeds warm with warming mats and grow lights, water them carefully with a mister or watering can, then thin them as they germinate in groups of three. Give them a boost with a gently blowing fan as they lengthen into sprouts if you'd like. Harden them off to get them used to outdoor conditions, then transplant them into your garden when they're big enough.
Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
Place your transplants in the ground, then give them a generous drink without overwatering. Surround them with mulch, marking where the plant is with a stick or tag so you can easily find it among the grass clippings, old leaves, or straw. If your yard is regularly visited by rabbits, squirrels, deer, or chipmunks, consider putting up chicken wire or other protective measures so your plants and veggies are less likely to get eaten before they thrive.
Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish it off with compost and mulch. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster stronger plants that bear more fruit and flowers. Mulch controls weeds and keeps the soil moist. Mulch and compost can be DIY creations, but you can also purchase them in-store. The next time you're looking for "mulch near me," stop by the Garden Center to get the right amount.
Greet the Spring
Early spring is an exciting time in the world of gardening. Don't miss a minute of growing season. Prepare to fertilize your lawn, plan your garden and landscaping, and browse our garden center pages to find inspiration on which spring flowers to plant when the weather warms. Shop for the fertilizer, soil, and seeds you need in the aisles of your Billings Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.
