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Mother's Day is a wonderful time of the year at Akins. The flowers are in bloom, the sun is shining, the temps are perfect... We have all the great gifts you need to spoil those you love. Here's to all the moms that make this world go round ..read more

It's a great time to get a head start on spring with Seeds! Gardening from seed offers many advantages - you save money, you have a bigger selection to grow several varieties, and it is quite rewarding to see your success! Akin's is here to help get you stared with our line of seeds, seed starting containers and soils. We also offer great advice from our on-staff horticulturists. Things to know: Our Average Last Frost Date. In our region, our average last frost date is March 14th. The guides below (and the very informative seed packets in store) tell you when to sow your seeds based on our a ..read more

The deep freeze event in late December 2023 really took a toll on our landscapes. We are seeing lots of brown foliage and many plants have defoliated. Stay calm, and lets assess the damage before you start digging up plants. There will be some unexpected casualties, but many of your plants will pleasantly surprise you and rebound in the spring. It is also early in the Winter season, and more freezes are likely. Your plants need the brown foliage to protect them for the next 6 weeks. Our woody plants (azaleas, camellias, abelia, distylium, sunshine ligustrum ...) took a hit. These plants - alth ..read more

What to do when the weather forecast includes days below freezing. Water & Mulch. A plant's best defense against freezing temps is to be well watered and mulched. Identify Plants that go Dormant. Try not to worry about plants that go dormant. General rule of thumb is that if they are deciduous - aka lose their leaves in the fall - they go dormant for the winter. This includes hydrangeas, fruit trees (not citrus), shade trees, other deciduous ornamentals like Japanese Magnolias. These plants are in a period of dormancy and may even benefit from the cooler temps. There is no need to cover ..read more

Let's plan ahead this year so you get these big, beautiful blooms in time for the holidays. Amaryllis bulbs make a great gift, too. See below for planting schedules and planting advice. The Akins crew can arrange bulbs in your containers or one of ours! Or we can give you the guidance on how to plant at home. Let's enjoy the holidays ..read more

At Akins we LOVE Paperwhites! You may have seen some of "paperwhite pots" made famous by talented Julie. They will be back this year and decorated to the nines! We have stocked up on amazing ribbon and florals to make them a gift to remember. We will also have several containers with paperwhites planted and ready to pick up. And... as always feel free to bring us your containers and we can plant the bulbs for you. We can't wait to see you for this season! See below for tips for planting and a timing guide for when to plant to see blooms when you want them ..read more

Simple Tips for Planting Shrubs from our friends at Bracy's (one of our favorite wholesale growers of quality trees, shrubs, fruit trees, and more!) In landscaping, planting is one of the major keys to success. We may concentrate on finding the right variety of a shrub but what are the proper planting procedures to give those new plants the best chance for establishment and long term success. Here are a few guidelines for consideration: Spacing. Properly spacing shrubs is important and varies with the plant selected. If the shrub will grow 3-4 feet wide, it is recommended to space them 3-4 fe ..read more

Create fall porch displays with potted mums and crotons. Plant these vegetables in September, says LSU AgCenter: beets, broccoli (transplants or seeds through September), Brus­sels sprouts (transplants or seeds), cabbage (transplants or seeds), Chinese cabbage (transplants or seeds), cauliflower (transplants or seeds), collards (transplants or seeds), endive, carrots, English peas, snow peas, garlic (late September), kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, onions (seeds, late September), parsley, snap beans (early September), radishes, rutabaga, shallots, spinach, Swiss chard, turnips and kale. If you di ..read more

Just ask an experienced gardener – or one of Akin’s on-staff horticulturists. Every spring – after the fear of frost has passed – excited gardeners head to the nursery or garden center to find perennials, trees, and shrubs to complete their landscape. However, experienced gardeners know that actually... Fall is the ideal time to plant. But Why? … 1. Root Growth. During the transition from summer to winter, the conditions are ideal for root growth - The temps are a bit cooler, rainfall increases, and new plant growth slows. Whenever we plant something new, a key concern is getting the root syst ..read more