The coronavirus restrictions are ramping up, meaning I'm spending a lot more time at home now. As…read moresuch, the deplorable state of my home's flowerbed is really getting to me. Once I got wind of the looming stay-at-home mandate, I decided to run one last non-essential errand: picking up a project to keep myself busy at home. I decided that fixing up my flowerbed would be my project, and so off I went to Renaissance Gardens. The location of Renaissance Gardens somehow manages to be both convenient and inconvenient. Is convenient because it's on a major road, so I pass it frequently. It is inconvenient because it is on an oddly-shaped lot, and thus has a strange parking situation. There is enough room to park 2 cars normally/perpendicular, but then you have to get creative/parallel park. There's enough room that it's not really a problem, but it might catch some people off guard. Gardening isn't really my thing, so I can't be sure, but Renaissance Gardens seem to have a good selection of plants. Certainly more than I would've guessed from my various drives past them. I didn't know what I wanted, just listed my requirements - something to grow in a full sun flowerbed and help crowd out weeds - and the ladies were able to show me some options. So I got some professional advice, pretty flowers, and a random cat sighting; awesome.

I went to check for house plants, and they had my dream hoya. A pubicalyx splash (for $14.95)! So…read moreglad I happened to drive past this and made a U-turn. I'll definitely stop by again when I'm in the area

Not your typical plant store! Well, yes, they have all the goodies and plant babies that make it an…read moreamazing plant store, but they also host music and art showcases, game nights, and other intimate gatherings. There's a small cafe area and some lounge seating. What a dreamy spot to sip some tea and make-believe you live in a houseplant jungle.

Located in the Tremé area and right off the access road, Crazy Plant Bae is a shop that is not only…read moreavailable for your plant needs but it is a unique and out-of-the-box event space for a special event like a baby shower or birthday party. This building it was situated in is a historic bank and event space from what I was told. If you look at the architecture around while shopping you see the history and can appreciate it even more. The owner is so sweet and she has some of the best plants and variety you can find. What stood out to me was how reasonable everything was and you can even buy pots and other garden supplies. Crazy Plant Bae is accessible for anyone who is wanting a green thumb and become a plant parent! You'll be happy to know you can stretch your dolalr pretty well here.

I enjoy going to Harolds. They usually have a good variety of plants and it is a friendly, quirky…read moreneighborhood go to place.

One of my favorite places in the world. I come here often looking for interesting companion plans…read morefor my tomatoes. They have an extensive variety of herbs and ground covers. They basically have everything you could ever desire as far as gardening goes. And they are cheaper then their corporate counterparts. I sometimes come here just to walk around because it's just so aesthetically beautiful. It's an experience here, truly bywater, you won't be disappointed!

Buy feed for ducks here great service. Great atmosphere and cheap prices. Can't beat that!read more

Jess and her family are amazing people who are a strong part of the Slidell Community. Their…read morededication to serving the people of Slidell and surrounding areas is outstanding. They have a great value for the American made products and a super selection of products.

What a nice treat it was to visit We Bite! I came for a plant workshop that centered learning about…read moredifferent carnivorous plants. Carlos, the owner was so welcoming to my sibling and I. He walked us around the shop and answered all of our questions about the best pots/plant pairing for our the small bog gardens we were going to create. I forgot to get his colleagues names but they led us through a step by step workshop for adding and packing soil into our pots, drainage systems and tubes and what works best for particular pots and allowed time and space for us each to arrange our gardens. I personally made one for my Mother who I will be able to share with her on Mother's day. This was the perfect outing because it was short and sweet and who doesn't love basking in the presence of all the plants! I loved walking around the shop and admiring the variety if plants and I give the shop and thumbs up for honoring covid-19 protocols and having customers mask up during the entire workshop. They even went above and beyond to give each small group their own table and work space! Looking forward to more workshops this Spring and Summer. They also have a cool "sale" section with an assorted of plants which was neat to poke around in. I'll definitely be back.

Really good selection of plants. I came from Texas and was pretty impressed with the species they…read morehad. The most interesting plant I've seen was the epipremnum pinnatum albo, which was about $120 for many leaves/nodes. Really well priced but only moderately variegated. The aroids were appropriately priced, and although there weren't many hoyas, the ones there were uncommon enough to be a good source to buy from. I found their supplementary supplies a bit expensive though, but if I was local I would believe that they would have some killer restocks and new species (especially the aroids).

I know it's a bit of a drive to get out there (at least for me!), but it's worth it and a fun…read morevisit, especially if you've never been there! Mark (the owner) is so sweet, and his variety of plants you can choose from make this place a must-visit if you're looking to add plants to your garden. His nursery feels like a beautiful forest garden. Bonus, some cute cats live there who may or may not let you give them some love too. He really focuses on bamboo plants, but he has a lot more to offer too if you're interested. I bought a gorgeous papyrus plant that I've never seen nor heard of and it's currently thriving on my patio. I love it so much, it's height makes it stand out a lot! I'll definitely have to go back for another visit when I need more plants. I got a few bamboo plants from Mark as well. He has several kinds of non-invasive bamboo that won't take over your whole yard. He says that you have to cut it down every once in a while to keep the growth manageable (as with most plants), but he's very knowledgeable and will give you specific instructions on care and management. Love this local nursery! You can tell Mark has put in a lot of love and care into this place!

Clumping (non-invasive) bamboo is an excellent choice for privacy screen. Mark offers free on site…read moreconsultation and quick delivery. I'm glad to support this local small business!

Wonderful selection of plants. I appreciate the large selection of plants and easy check-out. I…read moresuggest that they ask a couple of local master gardeners to come to the nursery to give advice to customers who need it for the plants they buy. Monrovia could visit this nursery on a Saturday in April for a lovely Louisiana spring day.

excellent service very fair prices, and a variety of gorgeous healthy plants that are here at this…read morenursery. The help and the people here that are working are very knowledgeable and professional about their plants.

"May I help you find something?"…read more (What are words you rarely hear in the gardening areas of Home Depot or Lowes for 500, Alex?) You will be helped at Perino's. So yes, walk in to the huge nursery but don't feel overwhelmed. There will be a well-informed employee there to help you. And you don't have to go hunting for them. Perino's is paradise at this time of year when most of our minds are geared towards making our outdoor spaces beautiful, even if in a month or two we will be hiding inside from the heat. Perino's has it all from annuals to perennials to shrubs to trees and everything in between. Yes, you're paying more for things than you will at HD or Lowes, but the quality is profoundly superior to what you'll get there (sidenote: it's depressing to see the wilting flora at the big box stores, clearly due to lack of watering. Then they put them on sale but c'mon). Perino's has sales at times, too. Proof of quality: I see in my last review 12 years ago that I mention buying a star jasmine vine. I still have that vine and it made it through two cross country moves!

We went to Perino's to pick out my first real Christmas tree ever. It was the first weekend that…read morethey had trees, so they were very, very busy! They were quickly putting new trees out as others were purchased. We found the 7-8 foot section and I quickly found one that I liked. We opted to have the tree delivered ($55 for our area). They had a large selection of trees in all sizes. They build their own stands and have the water bowl built in to keep the tree fresh and they give the tree a fresh cut on delivery day. Only disappointment we had is that their info sheet they give you for delivery says they'll help you decide on which side to face outward and trim any branches that need trimming. Instead they brought the tree in, put it on the floor protector we bought, and cut the string wrapped around the tree before running out the door. We had quite a bit to trim around the base before decorating including quite a few small branches that went directly into the water bowl. Next time we may just have them tie it to the car and save the delivery fee.

One Friday I was at home thinking about plants, as one does, and decided today was the day I get…read moreone of my wishlist plants, either a Hoya Kerri or a Hoya Hindu Rope. I called & facebook messaged every nursery in town and up to an hour and a half away to try and find these special plants! The only nursery that replied back with a "We do have a hindu rope plant" was Wild Thymes! And to my surprise they were a mere 30 minutes from my house! I'd heard of Wild Thymes before, at a Covington Farmer's Market years ago my best friend and I had purchased air plants from them. Boy am I lucky that they invited me onto their property to buy some BEAUTIFUL and RARE plants! Not only is the property & greenhouse LUSH and WONDERFULLY GREEN, the owners are incredible and were SO MUCH FUN to talk with! I enjoyed every second of my time in their secret garden! They have an enormous collection of cactus, sanseveria, and quite a few begonias. There are plenty of different sizes to choose from, and they're all special plants, taken care of by people who truly love them. I'm actually sentimental about this place and I plan to go back a bunch!

They're the best. Desiree has the patience of a saint and helps me with my plant dilemmas when I…read moreneed it. They have beautiful plants.

As if the store's self checkout ringing up prices above the displayed shelf price want enough, as…read morean extra twist to the inconvenience, they've turned store credits into an ORDEAL. My wife had given me one she was given when I went today to buy $65 worth of merchandise. After being prompted to scan the card I was next prompted to enter a pin which was revealed after a scratch off on the back of the card. What fresh hell? I wondered. But that wasn't the end of it. I was next prompted to scan my personal driver's license (?) which was rejected as 'invalid.' So one of their workers came over to assist, and punched a few buttons, after which the display now showed a zero balance on the store credit. Which was asinine seeing as how I had to scratch off the card to reveal the PIN, so obviously it had NEVER BEEN USED. No telling how much I was SWINDLED out of, but I left the items in the basket and walked the heck out. Went to Walmart and spent less for essentially the same stuff. The HD worker was "sorry," he said. Anyway, Word to the wise: Don't let them try to stick you with a store credit. And double check what's being rung up.

I love this Home Depot. If you're wanting expert opinions about a project you're working on or even…read moretools in the store, tbh you're likely looking in the wrong place. But the staff here has been phenomenal! I grew up in the East and recently moved back, so with all the projects I've taken on at home, I've been coming here so often that it has felt like I've lived here part time. When I come in, I am often greeted at the door by security or staff and the people are super nice and helpful! Tam on the paint center, Henry in the lumber section, and especially Adrian (he seems to be everywhere and know everything). Adrian in particular and the other staff have been so kind to my young children when we've come in the store, even my kids like going to HD and remember the workers! The store is always well stocked, too. I'm glad this HD is in NOE and while lots of businesses are leaving and unsustainable amidst the rising crime and declining NOE economy, I hope this store is here to stay.