After all the cold and wintery weather, those of us with green thumbs are itching to get our hands in the dirt again. But before you start planting and getting your yard ready for the season, you'll need to stock up on soil, plants, and perhaps some new outdoor furniture or decor—and you may very well head to Walmart's Garden Center to take advantage of the selection and affordable prices. Before you start shopping, though, consider this advice from retail experts. Ahead, they share the best items to buy from Walmart's Garden Center.
RELATED: 8 Secrets About Home Depot's Garden Department.
1 | Seed packets
Joni Hanebutt / Shutterstock"The biggest bang for your buck at Walmart's Garden Center will be the $0.50 seed packets," Melissa Cid, consumer savings expert at MySavings.Com, tells Best Life. "You'll save 75 percent off the shelf price at other retailers."
"You can expect to find squash, beans, zucchini, peppers, and more," she adds. However, she recommends shopping for the 50-cent seeds as early in the gardening season as possible since they tend to sell out.
2 | Seed-starting kits
WalmartIf you're a bit late in the season for seed packets, you might try Walmart's seed-starting kits, which are recommended by Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst with DealNews.com.
Ramhold specifically points to the Jiffy Seed-Starting Greenhouse Kit, which comes with 72 peat pellets to grow individual seedlings. The seedlings aren't included, but you can use these to grow flowers, small-rooted vegetables, and herbs.
Each kit is $11.88, which Ramhold says "is a great deal and more than $1 cheaper than shopping for the same item at stores like Home Depot."
While you're at it, you may also want to pick up a bag of Jiffy's Organic Seed Starting Mix, suggests Cid. A 12-quart bag is $5.97 at Walmart, whereas it's $2 more at Home Depot.
3 | Better Homes & Gardens items
WalmartIf you like the Better Homes & Gardens aesthetic—think modern farmhouse-meets-classic country—Ramhold suggests shopping the brand's garden items at Walmart.
"You may be able to find select items elsewhere, but Walmart is where you'll see the biggest selection and therefore be able to find something that suits your budget," she says.
Walmart's Garden Center has Better Homes & Garden patio furniture, seating and tables, fire pits, planters, and more. "Prices will vary, but full patio sets are available for under $500 depending on what kind of sets you're eyeing," Ramhold points out.
4 | Plants—depending on your location.
RGG Media / ShutterstockJennifer Vanderslice, owner of MoonGlow PR, shares with Best Life that she "spent several summers working at Walmart as a temporary summer employee for the nursery company that stocked and managed the outdoor garden plants."
"Walmart has nurseries that supply the plants," she explains. "The employees from that nursery come in a couple hours a day to restock the outdoor area with new plants, water the plants and prune as needed."
Therefore, the plants at your Walmart Garden Center are likely only as good as the local nursery and its Walmart-affiliated employees. However, in Vanderslice's opinion, "The quality is just as good as any other nursery in their area."
5 | Ribbed planters
WalmartOnce you've stocked up on plants, you'll need something to put them in. Ana Egger, an interior designer and stager, shared in a TikTok video that she loves buying the white ribbed planters from Walmart's Garden Center for her projects, pointing out that the smaller pot is just $11, while the larger version is only $17.
"I'm actually gonna use it as a bowl... so, it's a really great neutral piece," she said of the planter from the Better Homes & Garden line.
6 | Patio seating from The Pioneer Woman
WalmartFood Network star and lifestyle influencer Ree Drummond has sold The Pioneer Woman line at Walmart for several years now, but last spring, she launched a patio and garden collection that shoppers couldn't stop drooling over. And the one item that seemed to get the most attention was the $198 teal bistro set.
In fact, last year, Real Simpletested and reviewed outdoor furniture and rated this as the best bistro set, noting that it's "ideal for small spaces and patios."