Planting season is in full swing and it’s a great time to start your garden, get some new house plants or repot some of your current ones. Whether you have outdoor space, a deck or balcony, or just a windowsill, now is the perfect time!

A few helpful tips from experienced gardener The Works’ Kellie Phelan:

• Growing food in containers isn’t a limitation! Containers are a great way to grow food in a small or otherwise unusable space. They can turn a sunny patio, deck, or even a driveway into a custom-sized, productive garden.
• Annual plants complete their life cycle in one year or less, so they need to be replanted every year. Annuals you can be planting now include arugula, lettuce, carrots, cilantro, and peas.
• Spacing your plants properly is one of the most important elements of a successful garden. Plants need room to grow, access to water and nutrients without too much competition from nearby plants, and proper air circulation. When in doubt, plant too much and thin later!

To learn more about gardening, check out The Work’s Growing Food at Home class on April 14th.

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Outdoor Plants

Swansons Nursery 

Swansons has been open since 1924 and is a Seattle staple. It’s fancy in an approachable way. It’s like a really beautiful little garden oasis. I think of it as a field trip. It’s easy to spend an hour or more browsing their vast indoor and outdoor selection. They also have a good selection of medium to large-sized pots.

9701 15th Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98117

West Seattle Nursery

One of our favorites because of the consistently exceptional customer service. The staff are super friendly and often go above and beyond. On my first visit, I was buying a pot and realized I didn’t have a liner and the staff person went behind the counter to see if there were extras they were going to recycle. They found one and then offered to give me a scoop of dirt since I was repotting my plant. What! When does that ever happen? I was blown away and I’m willing to drive a little extra to get there.

They have a nice selection of outdoor plants, trees, and a moderate section of indoor plants and pots.

5275 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98136

Molbak’s Garden + Home

It’s a bit of a haul over to Woodinville, but it’s one of the best nurseries if you’re already on the Eastside. Like Swansons, Molbak’s could be an afternoon. Huge inventory for indoor and outdoor nurseries, knowledgable employees, and lots of supplies for your garden, including garden art, fountains, and statues. Besides plants, gifts and outdoor furniture, this garden center also has an on-site cafe.

13625 NE 175th St, Woodinville, WA 98072

Indoor Plants

Glasswing Shop

If you live on or around the hill, Glasswing is easy to get to and a beautifully curated store to peruse. Located on the front side of Melrose Market, Glasswing has clothing, home accessories, and a third of the store dedicated to small to medium-sized plants and pots. They also have a nice selection of air plants (pictured above) if you are looking for super low maintenance plants. They just need water once a week and don’t need soil or a pot! Amazing.

1525 Melrose Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

Indoor Sun Shoppe

This hidden gem in Fremont offers a great selection of succulents, air plants, and other indoor plants at affordable prices. They have a small offering of pots and glass containers for air plants and all materials required to make a terrarium.

160 N Canal St, Seattle, WA 98103

Plant Shop

With two locations in Central District and Capitol Hill, Plant Shop has a large variety of indoor plants and helpful staff that can help you find plants suitable for your space, amount of sunlight, and the level of care you’re willing/able to dedicate. Need plants for your bedroom with little light? Want something for your shelf that gets sunlight all day? Looking for something that isn’t fussy? They’ll point you in the right direction. If you are buying bigger plants that aren’t easy to carry, the shop will deliver (for a fee) to you if you’re in the Central District, First Hill, or Capitol Hill.

2202 E Olive St, Seattle, WA 98122
411 E Pine St, Seattle, WA 98122