One of my favorite ways to shake the winter blues is to wander around a nursery greenhouse, especially if I’m on the hunt for houseplants. Here are my top three favorite nurseries for wintertime visits.
Great Big Greenhouse at 2051 Huguenot Road is my favorite wintertime nursery. The greenhouse is just the right size where it’s big enough to encourage wandering without being overwhelming. It has a great selection of house plants, bonsai specimens, and the largest variety of orchid types in town. As of this week their seeds for this spring are in stock, and it’s a good source for monstera deliciosa.
Strange’s Florists in Short Pump at 12111 West Broad Street. You can easily spend an hour wandering the aisles. It has a large selection of houseplants, and the best selection of pots and planters, so it’s a great one stop. There’s a wide variety of succulents, and it’s a good source for the swiss cheese vine monstera adansonii and other monstera varieties.
Cross Creek Nursery at 501 Courthouse Road. Back in the day they were a little shop in Carytown called Tropical Treehouse, now they are a full service nursery. Their house plant selection is smaller than Great Big Greenhouse and Stranges, but they had some really hard to find plants at reasonable prices on my last visit, including Queen of the Night (a sweet smelling night blooming cactus orchid) and a Red Mistletoe Cactus. They also have a generous rewards program, last time I was there members were given a 25% discount on houseplants. The outside grounds are nice to stroll around, and bring a treat for the goats on the property.
So, February can be the meanest month, or the greenest month. If you get tired of the cold and the snow, take a little detour from your day and stroll through the wonderful tropical air at your local nursery. It’s good for the soul, and odds are good you’ll fall in love with some flora.
Stay safe, stay warm, enjoy!