Cost-effective gardening: The economy is changing what people plant

Tough economic times seem to have touched every part of our lives — including our gardens.

According to Marilee Paver, who owns Moore’s Western Nursery in Atascadero with husband Bob, the recession has helped gardeners cultivate a more patient approach to their pastime.

“It’s like a younger generation is going back to the way I was raised as a youngster,” said Marilee.

For some, this means forgoing the quick gratification of the supermarket for the slow but infinitely more satisfying approach of growing your own produce. Marilee attests that sales of vegetable plants and fruit trees have been brisk at the nursery this year.

For others, patience involves bypassing showy but expensive annuals in favor of low-maintenance perennials that don’t require yearly replanting.

Marilee reminds people that perennials may need a few years to reach their full glory and need to be spaced accordingly.

“The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, the third year they leap,” she said.

Such old-fashioned, no-nonsense plant advice is commonplace at this no-frills nursery that has serviced North County gardeners since 1953. The Pavers purchased it in 1983.

In the early years, the nursery had a Western theme (hence the name) where employees wore gingham shirts and walls were bedecked with ropes and saddles. The Pavers have long since abandoned gimmicks and embellishments. You won’t find a lot of lavish fountains or fancy garden art. What you will find is a good selection of plants that grow well in the North County, including natives; drought-tolerant, freeze-tolerant, and deer-resistant bedding plants; shade plants; fruit trees; and shade trees.

The Pavers have turned the nursery into a full-service garden center. They carry pottery, chemicals and amendments, and they sell and deliver bulk landscape products like bark, rock and sand. Marilee handles landscape design, and Bob and his crew provide landscape installation, maintenance and tree removal. They also own a complete lawn-spraying company with business partners Larry and Tina Wysong. Four Seasons Lawn Care operates out of the nursery and handles both weed and insect spraying.

Of course, Marilee, a seasoned gardener herself, is always eager to dish out gardening advice. She believes that a patient approach to gardening reaps rewards far beyond fresh produce or handsome garden beds.

“Having a home vegetable garden and perennial garden is so rewarding,” she said, “I love to go home and work in my own yard. It’s how I relax.”