Garden Center at Glendale Heights #1917

Gardening Sale for Mother's Day
When you're searching for Mother's Day gardening gifts, check out the big bargains on our flower pots, garden decor, and planters. Our Mother's Day Sale is your solution for the right present. You can even surprise her with new patio furniture. If you're overwhelmed about what to get, a gift card always works. It's easy to shop the sales that run from May 2nd to May 12th on our mobile app or in person at your local store.



On those beautiful days, clean up the yard before everything blooms in earnest. Many people feel inspired to refresh their outdoor space for entertaining, as well. Planning your garden lets you make the most of your time and space. You can also add beauty and interest with hardscaping, stonework, and water features. No matter what outdoor projects you choose to tackle, The Home Depot Garden Center in Glendale Heights can help you enjoy your spring activities to the fullest.

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing to know when planting spring flowers, vegetables, 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 plant hardiness 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. For best results, choose plants in your zone number or less. 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
This area is primarily in Zone 6, with Zone 5 starting in Central Illinois, slightly north of Peoria and Bloomington-Normal. The outdoor growing season doesn’t begin here until mid-March or even April, although you can plant some veggie seeds halfway through February. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and other classic garden crops will thrive in this region, and most of them can get an early start indoors before spring really moves in.

Also, check out cruciferous veggies and certain herbs if you’re ready to get planting. This includes kale, broccoli, and cabbage. Greens like spinach, artichokes, and fragrant herbs, including basil, parsley, and oregano, also don't mind an early beginning. The main concern is waiting until the frost has passed for the season, so planting seeds outdoors as direct sow is later here compared to farther south.

Plant Seeds Outside With Direct Sow
Planting seeds with the direct sow method, right into the soil, is another 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.

Your seeds might get washed away or struggle to grow, or rodents or bugs might eat the sprouts. But if you're really fortunate, you might get strong sprouts, perfectly spaced and ready to grow all spring. The reality of your garden will usually be somewhere in between, and spreading out tiny sprouts throughout the soil isn't so bad. You know those sprouts are primed to survive and hardy, although there are no guarantees.

Start Seeds Indoors
If you'd like more control over your seedlings' journey or you're eager to get growing, 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 sunlight and rain. Keep your seeds cozy with heating mats and grow lights, water them carefully with a spray bottle 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
When your plants have three or four real leaves — different from mini seedling leaves – it's time to transplant them. In quality soil, dig a hole the same size as the dirt plug where your transplant has been growing. If your ground soil isn't great, dig a slightly bigger hole and fill the extra space with nutrient-rich topsoil. Apply fertilizer as directed. Don't apply more than recommended, as you could burn the plant and kill it instead of helping it.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish your flower bed with mulch and compost. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster larger and stronger plants that bear more flowers and fruit. Mulch keeps your soil moist and controls weeds. Mulch and compost can be purchased in-store or created at home. The next time you're looking for "mulch near me," stop by the Garden Center to get the perfect 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, seeds, and soil you need in the aisles of your Glendale Heights Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.