The sun is shining and I’m inspired to head out into the garden.  In all honest that’s what i really should be doing, but sadly, real work is calling my name.  That and a trip to the peninsula this weekend.  To brighten my spirits I did take a little trip to one of my favorite garden centers for some indoor inspiration.

Yesterday I loaded up the 4 year old into the car and informed him that we were going to a plant store.  He immediately thought we were returning to the Flower and Garden Show.  I had to break it to him that mommy could only handle such an event with a small child once a year.  This time we weren’t going where it was so busy.  20 minutes down the road we arrived at Watson’s Greenhouse and Nursery.

I first encountered Watson’s during a Greenhouse Production class in college.  The point was to visit a retail greenhouse facility that grew a portion of their own plant material.  It also happens that Watson’s has a state of the art greenhouse for their retail facility along with retractable roof grow buildings.  The business started as a small U-Pick operation in the Puyallup Valley in 1974.  Dan Watson is the proprietor of the business and runs this outstanding nursery in conjunction with his daughters.  They remodeled their facility and replaced it with a 32,500 sq. ft. glass and steel Belgian greenhouse.  It is one of the most remarkable structures I’ve ever seen.  I could go on and on about the building, but I’m a greenhouse junkie.  However, even a non-greenhouse enthusiast would be impressed by Watson’s.

Since this nursery is not located close to my home it is not one that I frequent very often.  It is a little out of the way and can be difficult to find if you aren’t paying attention.  The good news is once you get on the right road you can’t miss it.

The things I love about Watson’s are the variety of plant material year round, they keep all of their chemicals outside and every so often a furry little friend will walk up next to you and purr.  I have to say, I’m a sucker for a nursery with a shop cat.  The employees at Watson’s keep the display areas spotless.  Not a weed to be found.  Never a dead plant and plants always in bloom.  The displays are artfully created and the staff is always pleasant.  What’s more, you can take a break from your shopping and grab a cup of coffee or a quick lunch.  The cafe in the retail store serves delicious sandwiches and treats.  It was one of my favorite places to grab lunch when I worked at a wholesale greenhouse right down the street.

Prices at Watson’s are fairly comperable to that of other high end retail operations.  But with the higher price comes quality.  They purchase their plant material from some of the best growers in the area and the care given to plants once they arrive at Watson’s is top notch.  In addition to the usual trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials, Watson’s carries the largest selection of indoor plants.  Many of their indoor tropicals come from Burnaby Lake Greenhouses and I can speak from experience to the quality of Burnaby’s plants.  I walked out yesterday with 3 little 4″ houseplants to brighten the corners of my office.

Watson’s is on the top of my list of nurseries to visit in Pierce County.  Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.