Spring 2025 is on the horizon
For Georgia gardeners, there's a sure sign of spring on the horizon. It's... the opening of Grower's Outlet!!
While winter cold persists, the occasional sign of spring can have a warming effect: early spring bulbs putting out their foliage, the occasional warm day, the pom pom blooms of a paperbush. Perhaps the foremost sign for Georgia gardeners is the opening of Grower’s Outlet.
In case you aren’t familiar, Grower’s Outlet is a local nursery based in Loganville, Georgia. As the name suggests, they themselves grow the plants they sell locally. They also rely mostly on word of mouth to advertise their benefits. This model allows for a large selection, great quality, and verrrrry competitive prices.
This year, Grower’s Outlet will open their doors for spring on Thursday, February 13. That makes it a perfect gift shopping day for the much-loved gardener in your life. Their team mentioned to me that they have specifically focused on offering a strong selection of hellebores and flowering perennials, in addition to the usual parade of great deals and prices.
My introduction to Grower’s Outlet came from a friend’s parent. A fellow gardener, she mentioned that she was gearing up for her yearly pilgrimage to that holy site. Shortly afterward, I heard my aunt raving about the same place: the huge assortment, the unbeatable prices… and on and on. I was already deep in the throes of my garden obsession, so two glowing reviews was more than enough for me to make the hourlong trip out of Atlanta.
I ended up at Grower’s Outlet in late summer, right before they change their inventory over for the fall season. As such, they were offering an unbeatable slate of deals intended to ship lingering merchandise.
It was a bonanza. I found perennials that were less than half the price of big box stores and an assortment of shrubs and perennials that rivaled any Pike Nursery in Atlanta; I even found a couple of decent-sized pineapple guava trees for $16 total. I spent more than I intended on that first trip but received much more than I expected for the money.
Since that first trip, I’ve ventured to Grower’s Outlet multiple times with friends and family, always returning with a decent - some might say exorbitant - haul. While the volume may be exorbitant, the value stands up well to scrutiny. I have, on one occasion, spent over $100 on a single tree: A much-loved dwarf ginkgo that I’ve stuck into a ceramic pot and intend to bring with me anywhere I go. When you can compare the price tag of an entire Grower’s Outlet cart filled with 20 plants to that of a single, high-falutin tree, the bang for your buck is unmatched.
Even if you don’t make it out for the grand opening weekend, you should make visiting Grower’s Outlet one of your to-dos for the year. They’re located at 159 Cown Dr, Loganville, GA. You can find other details about them, including what plants they are expecting to have on opening at their website.