Great Escapes: Get Away in the Garden

The greatest escape of all for many gardeners can be found by simply walking out the back door and into the yard.

The feel of cool, moist soil in their hands and warm sunshine on their faces can be just the salve green thumbs need to let the cares of the world slip away. If you're one of those who loves to fuss over shoots and buds or gets joy out of green grass, there are plenty of opportunities nearby to pick up the supplies you need or connect with kindred spirits.

In Berkley, stop by , which offers landscaping design and installation, along with a selection of plants for your yard. If it's equipment you're need, pop in over at Ace Hardware, which has all the gloves, shovels and fertilizer you could need to keep your yard looking ship-shape.

If you like to keep it natural in your garden, visit  in Ferndale. The shop, which is celebrating its one-year anniversary this month, features organic gardening supplies including vegetable, grass and flower seeds; soil; rain barrels; composters; and eco-friendly mulch. Staff members are on hand to answer questions. Also in Ferndale, make sure to check out . The garden supply shop, fittingly tucked on a corner in a quiet neighborhood, gets new stock in daily. Seasonal Corner sells plants and gardening supplies and offers free potting and car-loading services.

In Clawson, check out the two hardware shops for materials to get your garden started this spring. Ace Hardware has a wide selection of gardening materials including rakes, shovels, fertilizers, flower baskets, work gloves, planting seeds and more. You can also stop in and find similar materials, plus Miracle Gro garden soils, Espoma natural fertilizers and Preen Garden Weed Preventer. The Clawson Farmer's Market will also have a special flower day on May 22 with a wide selection of flowers to choose from.

In Royal Oak, stop by on Coolidge. Not only does the garden center off one-stop shopping for plants, tools and supplies, but the Royal Oak location also offers a large selection of how-to classes. And along with offering tips to care for your vegetables, English Gardens offers an extremely large selection of vegetable seeds. Berries, flowers and other plants are just one escape away on Royal Oak!