It’s not news that I love Tractor Supply Company. We just happened to hit the last day of their weekend sale, which gave us an extra 20% off everything that wasn’t a plant, or seeds. Okay, half the items I bought were seeds, “White Carolina Pineberry” strawberries (that came with 10 pollinator red strawberries), or asparagus crowns, but the remainder of what I bought ended up being somewhere around 70% off. And, the thing is that even for fruit whips/root masses, and seeds, their full retail price is about half of what a local garden center (or even a box store) would charge. The entire bill, with pro-rated discounts, plus full price items, came to about half off what I would have paid anywhere else. This time, we didn’t need tractor parts, fencing, or animal feed, but they sell those, too, for a fair price.
My other favorite place is a local feed mill. The family that runs that place is fantastic. Their prices are fair.
What sucks is that it’s still too cold to plant pea seeds. *sigh*
my landlord gave me and a neighbor permission to put in a raised garden and some ground cover. We’re still debating what to plant.
In Iowa, this time of year, I’d go with legumes. Sugar Snap Peas, or Snow Peas would be a good choice. Even the English Garden Peas that require shelling are an option. So are pole beans. You don’t dare plant anything perennial like asparagus, because it’ll take a couple of years to produce, and your landlord may change his/her mind about what can be in there. I’d go with annuals, if I were you. Best of luck, Mel! it sounds like you have a nice landlord.