Indian Creek Nursery in Madison Shares Suggested Timeline for Winter/Spring Planting

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January 27, 2022

Though we’re smack dab in the middle of winter, spontaneous, warm days will likely begin popping up by the end of February like they typically do here in North Alabama.

Ashleigh McMullen, the Chief Operations Officer of Indian Creek Wholesale Nursery on Slaughter Road here in Madison, says that as soon it’s warm for three consecutive days people will begin flooding the nursery for blooms of all kinds.

McMullen laughs though and encourages eager green-thumbers to hold their horses because not everything will be primed for ideal planting when that first warm spell comes around. She says that evergreens though are readily available year-round and are a perfect option for those looking to freshen up their landscapes before optimal spring planting time.

“Evergreen plants are ideal to purchase through the winter, or really any time of year,” she shares. “Evergreen means that they live through the winter, so when we get that random cold snap in March, you won’t be damaging your plants.”

McMullen says that “dogwood winter” is a real thing and can stifle springtime plants if planted too soon.

“Things start blooming and are all happy, and then we get a frost for a week or even some snow at the end of March. Contrary to hardwood stores that put out their annuals at the end of February, we strongly recommend waiting until mid-April to grab that spring inventory.”

McMullen understands that many get itchy to spruce up their yards as early as possible after the grayness of winter. For this reason, she encourages shoppers to channel that energy into physically visiting the nursery and letting employees help them plan out their landscaping so that they’re ready to go when it’s finally time to plant.

“If you’re frustrated with how your yard looks like winter, just know that it doesn’t have to look that way next winter. We have experts on-site that can help you develop a landscaping plan that has a variety of blooms year-round. You just need to come in and chat with us and make a list of what you like and dislike!”

McMullen is passionate about plant education and shares that early spring is an ideal time to landscape around your pool, spruce up with your flower beds, and put things in the ground that are going to grow. She says that now is the time, however, to come in and make a plan for what to plant as soon as spring comes around.

“A plant is kind of like a puppy that’s been with its mom. If a plant has been at a nursery, that means it’s been taken care of at an ideal temperature in the same soil. There is a transition period where those roots have to establish their new home, which is why timing is everything.”

In a nutshell, McMullen says that if you’re tired of your yard looking dead, Indian Creek has a solution for that just as soon as you are ready.

“We want you to enjoy your yard year-round, and we can help you plan for that with a design that rotates color and foliage. Just come chat with us and we’ll guide you in making your yard a dream!”

Author note: Last fall we hired Indian Creek to come up with a landscape plan for our bare side yard, and our experience from start to finish was an absolute dream and incredibly easy. We had our plants in the ground less than three weeks after we started the process, and we’ve been able to watch them “show off” sporadically throughout the fall and winter. We even had a plant surprise us with beautiful red blooms in December! We cannot wait to see everything come back to life and explode with color this spring. We will absolutely use their design services again in the future!