Opening Week at Nana’s Bloomers: What Local Gardeners Should Buy First

Opening week is exciting.

After a long Montana winter, it is tempting to walk into a greenhouse, load up a cart, and try to buy your whole spring and summer in one trip. We understand the feeling. When the season finally starts to turn, it is hard not to want everything all at once.

But here in Billings, Laurel, and across Yellowstone County, the smartest gardeners usually do not shop that way.

They shop in phases.

They buy what makes sense now, hold off on what needs warmer nights, and build their yard, porch, containers, and garden step by step. That approach usually leads to better-looking results, less wasted money, and a much more successful season.

So if you are coming to Nana’s Bloomers during opening week, here is what we think local gardeners should buy first.

Start with plants that match the moment

Opening week is not about pretending it is already late May. It is about choosing plants and color that fit where our season actually is right now.

That means your first purchases should be the ones that bring life, beauty, and momentum to your space without pushing too far ahead of the weather.

This is the time to think about smart early-season color, hardy options, and plants that let you start enjoying spring now while leaving room for the rest of the season to unfold.

Buy your early color first

If you are craving that first hit of spring, start with color that feels fresh and seasonal rather than trying to jump straight into full summer mode.

Opening week is a great time to choose plants that brighten your porch, entryway, or patio and help your home feel awake again. For many local gardeners, this is less about filling every container immediately and more about creating a few beautiful focal points to start the season strong.

Think of it as your first layer of spring — enough to enjoy now, with room to build later.

Choose statement plants for the spots you see every day

You do not need to redo your whole yard in week one.

In fact, some of the best early-season buying decisions come from focusing on the spaces that make the biggest visual difference right away: your front porch, the area by the front door, a favorite patio pot, or a high-visibility bed near the house.

When local gardeners start with the spaces they see most often, they get an immediate lift without overcommitting too early. A few well-chosen plants in the right places can make it feel like spring has arrived, even while the rest of the season is still unfolding.

Look for plants that fit your real yard, not your idealized one

This is where smart shopping matters most in Yellowstone County.

Some yards get full sun all day. Some are blasted by wind. Some dry out fast. Some areas stay cooler longer. The best opening-week purchases are not just the prettiest plants in the greenhouse — they are the plants that match your actual conditions.

Before you buy, think about where the plants are going:

• Is the area sunny, shady, or mixed?
• Is it protected, or does it get hit with wind?
• Will you water it consistently, or do you need something more forgiving?
• Are you planting for instant impact, or for longer-term performance?

The more honestly you answer those questions, the better your opening-week purchases will perform.

Hardy perennials are a smart early-season buy

If you want to make a purchase that keeps paying you back, opening week is a great time to start thinking about hardy perennials.

Perennials can give structure, return year after year, and help create the backbone of a yard that gets better over time. For local gardeners who want more than just one season of beauty, this is one of the smartest categories to shop early.

They also make it easier to build your garden in stages. You can start with strong foundational plants now, then layer in more seasonal color as the weather warms.

Plan your containers in phases

One of the biggest mistakes local gardeners make is feeling like every pot needs to be fully finished right away.

It does not.

Opening week is the perfect time to begin your containers, not necessarily complete every summer planter in one shot. You can start with a few strong early looks, get your favorite pots ready, and leave space for warmer-season additions later when conditions are more dependable.

This phased approach usually gives better results than rushing to force a summer look too early.

Do not rush the most tender choices

Part of shopping smart during opening week is knowing what not to force.

As tempting as it is to treat the first greenhouse trip like peak planting season, our local weather does not always cooperate. Some plants simply do better when they are brought in closer to the right timing instead of too early.

That does not mean you should wait to shop. It just means the best opening-week trip is usually a smart first round, not the final round.

Come in with a plan, even a simple one

You do not need a master landscape design before you visit Nana’s Bloomers. But it helps to come in with a few basics:

• Photos of the spaces you want to plant
• A rough idea of sun and shade
• The number of containers or beds you want to fill
• A sense of whether you want low-maintenance color, statement planters, pollinator-friendly planting, or a mix

That little bit of planning makes it much easier to buy the right plants first instead of buying twice.

What Nana’s Bloomers wants opening week to feel like

At Nana’s Bloomers, we want opening week to feel exciting, inspiring, and genuinely helpful.

We are not here to push local gardeners into buying everything at once just because the greenhouse looks beautiful. We want to help you make smart decisions for Billings, Laurel, and Yellowstone County conditions — decisions that give you a better-looking yard and a better experience all season long.

That means helping you choose what makes sense first, what can come later, and which plants are most likely to succeed in your specific space.

The bottom line

If you are visiting Nana’s Bloomers during opening week, start with the purchases that will give you the most beauty and momentum right now.

Focus on early color, strong focal points, hardy structure, and plants that match your real conditions. Build in phases. Leave room for the season to develop.

That is how local gardeners shop smarter — and usually end up with better results by summer.

We open April 1, and we cannot wait to help you get the season started the right way.

Come see us at Nana’s Bloomers and let us help you choose the best first plants for your yard, porch, patio, or garden this spring.