May 2, 2008 11:00 pm US/Eastern
3 On Your Side: Garden Deals
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
From roses to rhododendrons, pansies to petunias, many people will be heading to a garden center this weekend whether it's to buy a hanging basket for dear old mom, or to pick up a plant or two for yourself.
3 On Your Side's Jim Donovan did his annual spot check of big chain stores, to see what smart shoppers can expect.
For many, before you start working in your yard, you'll possibly pay a visit to Wal-Mart, Home Depot or Lowes. Their garden centers are overflowing with merchandise. But is it worth your time and money?
3 On Your Side spot checked a few locations with Kevin O'Donnell, superintendant of grounds for Villanova University. We looked at their selection.
"Lots of different plants," Kevin O'Donnell said.
We looked at quality.
"I would be careful about selecting something here," Kevin said.
We also checked out pricing and customer service. We asked Lowes while on hidden camera;
"What if it does frost? What should I do?" Kevin asks. "Cover them over," said one store employee.
At Home Depot on Route 70 in Cherry Hill, they had a wide selection of well labeled plants.
Home Depot Hidden Camera: "It's out here with a good amount of sun. They're not crammed together, these are really healthy," Kevin said.
We found them to be properly watered.
Home Depot Hidden Camera: "If you feel moisture that is great. You don't want to see any drooping or broken flower stems," Kevin said.
Their pricing was competitive and their employees answered our questions accurately. Kevin gave them a score of 4 out of 4.
"Very good this year. They really stepped it up," Kevin said.
Nearby at Wal-Mart on Route 38, the selection was smaller and;
Wal-Mart Hidden Camera: "It's very dry, if you put your finger in it your finger is dry," Kevin said.
We found the quality was hit or miss. Either the plants were well watered or bone dry and the prices?
"The prices weren't marked, that again, was hit or miss. Some of them had them, some didn't," Kevin said.
And when we asked an employee if we should worry about frost, he said no.
"He got the answer wrong, totally wrong," Kevin said, "There is still a possibility of frost."
Kevin rated them 2 out of four.
At Lowes on Route 73 in Maple Shade:
Lowes Hidden Camera: "Everything looks very healthy, lots of buds, you are going to see a lot of flowering on these plants," Kevin said.
The selection was the largest of the locations we spot checked. Plants were well watered with competitive prices and clearly labeled planting instructions.
Lowes Hidden Camera: "If you're not familiar with the plant read the label, ask questions," Kevin said.
And Kevin had no qualms about giving them a perfect score of 4.
"You can see that they really are taking an effort to take care of the plants," Kevin said.
Wal-Mart tells me that they're reviewing the conditions at the Cherry Hill garden center Friday and will correct any and all issues over the next 24 hours.
Now while annuals are great for a burst of seasonal color, if you're looking to stretch your landscaping dollar, opt for perennials. They come back year after year.
Also, if you need to fill in large beds, you'll often get more bang for your buck with flats of flowers, rather than purchasing individual pots.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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