Ep. 409: How to Shop for Plants Like a Pro Gardener with Mark Thompson - Outdoor Mini-Series Pt. 3

How to Decorate

Ballard Designs

Arts, Business, Design

4.2 • 785 Ratings

🗓️ 15 April 2025

⏱️ 69 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We continue our outdoor mini-series by welcoming Mark Thompson to the show, co-owner of two iconic Birmingham businesses specializing in gardening and home decor. Mark shares his journey into the gardening world and provides valuable tips on how to shop for plants, care for them effectively, and tackle common gardening challenges. Listeners will gain insights into the importance of setting realistic expectations when shopping for plants, the benefits of starting with smaller specimens, and best practices for soil preparation. The episode also covers how to maximize outdoor spaces, handle invasive plants, and achieve a thriving garden, making it a must-listen for gardening enthusiasts of all levels. What You’ll Hear On This Episode: 00:00 Introduction to Ballard Designs Podcast 00:34 Meet Mark Thompson: Garden Shop Owner 01:44 Mark's Journey into Gardening 07:22 Opening the General Store 13:44 Tips for Shopping for Plants 18:59 Ensuring Plant Health and Maintenance 34:14 Garden Shop Plant Care Tips 36:40 Extending the Life of Houseplants 37:03 Houseplant Repotting and Maintenance 50:33 Dealing with Invasive Plants 53:46 Gardening for Non-Gardeners 01:02:33 Common Plant Problems and Solutions Also Mentioned: Ballard Designs | Shop Now @markg.thompson | Designer Instagram Please send in your questions so we can answer them on our next episode! And of course, subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. You can always check back here to see new episodes, but if you subscribe, it’ll automatically download to your phone. Happy Decorating!

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to How to Decorate from Ballard Designs, a weekly podcast all about the trials and triumphs of decorating and redecorating your home.
0:09.4	I'm Caroline. I'm on the marketing team. And I'm Taryn and I'm a product designer. I'm Liz. I head of the creative team.
0:15.0	We're your host. Join the expert team at Ballard Designs for tips, tricks, and tales from interior designers, stylists,
0:21.2	and other talents in the design world. Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at the end of each
0:25.1	episode. We love answering your questions, so don't forget to email us at podcast at balauredesigns.net.
0:30.8	Now on with the show.
0:34.6	Okay, so we're back for episode three of our outdoor mini-series, and we have got Mark Thompson here on the show.
0:42.7	He's the co-owner of two iconic Birmingham, Alabama stores, Shop and General.
0:47.7	His first store shop is a beloved garden store that started it all.
0:51.6	And in 2019, he and his partner Jay opened general, a cafe in general
0:55.8	store. He's also been renovating his own gorgeous historic home in the Forest Park neighborhood
1:00.8	of Birmingham. Welcome to the show. Right. Thanks for having me. It's enough to be here.
1:05.5	I've been begging you to come because my friend Zoe said that your house was fabulous and then you would be a perfect guest.
1:12.4	So thank you for making the trip here.
1:14.4	Yeah, I love Zoe.
1:15.2	She's great.
1:15.9	She is.
1:16.9	So you've got a garden shop.
1:20.3	And we're talking all about gardening.
1:22.5	But you know what?
1:23.0	We have never talked about on the show before is how to shop for plants.
1:29.8	And this occurred to me as I was shopping for plants last weekend. Yeah. Because it's like the thick of spring, everyone's gearing up
	...

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