facebook tracking pixel
  • rating star
  • rating star
  • rating star
  • rating star
  • rating star
Over 2 Million Happy Customers
Meredith Gaines

Meredith's love for plants started at a young age, and only grew when she started working in the Desert Exhibit at the South Carolina Botanical Gardens and the Historic Filoli Estate in the Bay Area. After graduating from Clemson University (GO TIGERS!) with a degree in Biology and Horticulture, she found her niche in the FastGrowingTrees.com family as a horticulturist and has grown in her current role as Senior Plant Expert.

She currently resides in her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, and enjoys spending any time she can outdoors. She learns new things about plants every day and loves sharing her plant knowledge and tips with those around her. Her favorite plant is constantly changing, but her long-time favorites are peonies, oak trees, and ferns.

Questions? Contact Meredith at information@fastgrowingtrees.com.

Articles

New USDA Hardiness Zone Map: What Does it Mean For You?

New USDA Hardiness Zone Map: What Does it Mean For You?

Meredith Gaines — Dec 14

The first time you planted something, chances are, you had to find out what your growing zone was—either by looking on a map or typing ...

Read More
Summer Plant Care FAQs

Summer Plant Care FAQs

Meredith Gaines — Jul 20

Summertime is upon us! In between cooling off in the pool and snacking on watermelon you might notice some of your plants looking less than ...

Read More
Plant Terms You May Not Know

Plant Terms You May Not Know

Meredith Gaines — Nov 01

The world of plants can be overwhelming, which is why Plant Expert Meredith is here to break down some common plant terms. From deciduous to ...

Read More
Beneficial Bugs For The Garden

Beneficial Bugs For The Garden

Meredith Gaines — Jun 15

When you spot a bug, your first instinct might be to jump away or search for a nearby magazine or shoe to kill it, but ...

Read More
How Do We Measure Our Plants?

How Do We Measure Our Plants?

Meredith Gaines — May 03

Why So Many Sizes? There is no nursery-wide standard for pot sizes, meaning that container manufacturers can make pots with slightly different dimensions and designs ...

Read More
Growing Plants in the Desert

Growing Plants in the Desert

Meredith Gaines — Apr 20

Unless you live in the desert and have experienced its climate, you might think a desert is a place that’s barren, flat, and devoid of ...

Read More
Guide to Perennial Planting & Care

Guide to Perennial Planting & Care

Meredith Gaines — Feb 23

Springtime is for planting new varieties and giving your landscape a lift! With all the plants available out there, navigating them can get a little ...

Read More
House Plant Care 101: Fertilizer

House Plant Care 101: Fertilizer

Meredith Gaines — Feb 15

Now that you’ve found the right location, container and soil and perfected your watering technique, it's time to dive into fertilizer. You might be asking ...

Read More
House Plant Care 101: Light

House Plants 101: Light

Meredith Gaines — Feb 14

You water regularly, have a pot with good drainage and even fertilize, but your new house plant still isn't thriving. Did you ever consider that ...

Read More
House Plant Care 101: Water

House Plants 101: Water

Meredith Gaines — Feb 07

It’s time to weigh in on water! Plants need water to survive just as much as we do, but it’s not as simple as drinking ...

Read More
House Plant Care 101: Containers

House Plants 101: Containers

Meredith Gaines — Feb 07

Let's chat about containers! With endless shapes, sizes, and colors to choose from, picking containers for your house plants is not as simple as you ...

Read More
House Plant Care 101: Soil

House Plants 101: Soil

Meredith Gaines — Feb 01

Let's get the scoop on soil! Soil is the growing medium for house plants, and like all plants are different, the same is true of ...

Read More
House Plant Care 101: Location

House Plants 101: Location

Meredith Gaines — Jan 31

Let’s talk about location! Location matters a great deal when it comes to the overall health of your plants, so it’s vital to give as ...

Read More
Fall Garden Maintenance Checklist

Fall Garden Maintenance Checklist

Meredith Gaines — Oct 02

Just because the weather is cooling off doesn't mean you can put up your garden gloves for the season yet! The to-do list in your ...

Read More
The Lowdown on Lanternflies

The Lowdown on Lanternflies

Meredith Gaines — Apr 07

Lanternflies—if you live in New York, you might have seen (or squashed) a few of these pesky creatures. Although their polka-dot wings may make them ...

Read More
Winter Garden Maintenance: What Should You Be Doing Right Now?

Winter Garden Maintenance: What Should You Be Doing Right Now?

Meredith Gaines — Dec 15

Don’t hang your garden gloves up just yet! While you do get a break from weeding during the winter months, you’ll still need to pay ...

Read More
How to Overwinter Your Plants

How to Overwinter Your Plants

Meredith Gaines — Dec 08

Can you feel it? Cold weather is here, which may mean good news for some plants and bad news for others. While it might sound ...

Read More
Best Living Christmas Trees

Best Living Christmas Trees

Meredith Gaines — Nov 22

It's no secret that we’re big fans of trees, and that’s why we believe the holiday season calls for living Christmas trees! When shopping for the ...

Read More
Caring for Your Living Christmas Tree

Caring for Your Living Christmas Tree

Meredith Gaines — Nov 10

Do you know what’s even better than a cut Christmas tree? A living Christmas tree! You might think your only Christmas tree options are a ...

Read More
Fall Pruning Dos and Don'ts

Fall Pruning Dos and Don'ts

Meredith Gaines — Oct 28

We get it, pruning can be scary, especially when it comes to a younger plant that you spent all spring and summer encouraging to grow. ...

Read More
Guide to Plant Dormancy

Guide to Plant Dormancy

Meredith Gaines — Oct 05

You’re most likely familiar with leaves falling off of certain trees when the weather starts to get cold–it marks the beginning of fall and signals ...

Read More
Fall Planting Tips By Region

Fall Planting Tips By Region

Meredith Gaines — Oct 05

Click below to jump to fall planting tips for your region: North South Midwest West Coast I think we can all agree that there’s something ...

Read More
Landscape Design 101: Creating a Vision

Landscape Design 101: Creating a Vision

Meredith Gaines — Mar 15

Download the printable Creating a Vision questionnaire and worksheet here! Now that you have a good understanding of your space and have studied it in detail, ...

Read More
Landscape Design 101: Understanding Your Landscape

Landscape Design 101: Understanding Your Landscape

Meredith Gaines — Mar 13

Get the downloadable companion worksheet here! Every piece of art starts as a canvas—just as every beautiful landscape starts as an empty yard. Landscape design ...

Read More
Grass Seed 101: Recap & Recommendations

Grass Seed 101: Recap & Recommendations

Meredith Gaines — Sep 21

Now that you’ve completed our Grass Seed 101 Course, let’s recap. As you’ve probably noticed, there’s a lot that goes into a green lawn, but ...

Read More
Grass Seed 101: Troubleshooting

Grass Seed 101: Troubleshooting

Meredith Gaines — Sep 15

Even the best lawn keepers are bound to experience challenges. So, how should you handle them and how do you fix the issues before they ...

Read More
Grass Seed 101: Maintenance

Grass Seed 101: Maintenance

Meredith Gaines — Sep 12

Want the best-looking grass on your neighborhood’s block with minimal effort? We hear you and we want to help! After the initial step of starting ...

Read More
Grass Seed 101: Choosing and Planting

Grass Seed 101: Choosing and Planting

Meredith Gaines — Sep 12

There’s nothing quite as inviting as a lush green lawn. Or maybe you prefer the manicured grass of a golf course or football field. However ...

Read More
Popular Plant Pairings

Popular Plant Pairings

Meredith Gaines — May 12

Ever wonder what the difference is between a dull landscape and a great one? Well, the secret is in the plant combinations! Mastering colors, textures ...

Read More
Landscape Design 101: Installing Your Landscape

Landscape Design 101: Installing Your Landscape

Meredith Gaines — Mar 27

Download and print the companion worksheet for this module! Pick up your shovel and let's get to work! Now that you have your plan in ...

Read More
Landscape Design 101: Choosing the Right Plants

Landscape Design 101: Choosing the Right Plants

Meredith Gaines — Mar 22

Download and print the companion worksheet for this module! Now, for the fun part–shopping! When picking out plants, it's very easy to get carried away ...

Read More
Landscape Design 101: Landscape Layout

Landscape Design 101: Landscape Layout

Meredith Gaines — Mar 20

Download and print this module's companion worksheet here! Grab your colored pencils! It's time to use your notes and put your design to paper. Don’t ...

Read More
Landscape Design 101: Maintaining Your Landscape

Landscape Design 101: Maintaining Your Landscape

Meredith Gaines — Mar 28

Download and print the companion worksheet for this module! You made it! You’ve observed, planned, measured, drawn, made lists and put hard work into your ...

Read More
How To: 30-minute Yard Refresh

How To: 30-Minute Yard Refresh

Meredith Gaines — Jul 13

Is the family BBQ tonight, but your backyard is in need of a little TLC? Maybe you’re looking at your neighbor’s lush landscape and experiencing ...

Read More
Health Benefits of Plants

Health Benefits of Plants

Meredith Gaines — Jan 13

With the New Year comes new health goals and often a new gym membership. But, what if you could increase your health by just sitting ...

Read More
How to Keep Unwanted Insects Away

How to Keep Unwanted Insects Away

Meredith Gaines — Aug 30

If you walk outside and look around you’re sure to spot at least one insect, if not a few! A garden is a world of ...

Read More
thrivelogo

Get peace of mind: We guarantee your plants will arrive alive and ready to thrive! If you’re not satisfied or have issues with your plants within the first 30 days, we will replace them for you.

Growing zone matters: Plants that are not suited for your growing zone will not be covered by this guarantee. If you’re not sure whether a plant will work for your location, our Plant Experts are here to help!

Note on dormancy: If you order a deciduous tree in winter or spring and it arrives without leaves, it is likely dormant. If your tree does not start showing growth by that June, we'll be happy to help!

Done

Drop N Grow™

Because this tree is grown in a burlap bag, its roots grow into the cloth, rather than circling around the pot. This brings moisture and nutrients into the tree, for faster, healthier growth and ease. Simply dig your hole, place the Drop 'N Grow™ bag in the center (burlap included), then use excess dirt to fill the hole. That's it!

 
Done
warrantylogo

1-Year Warranty

Want extra protection for your plants? We’ve got you covered.

Our 1-year Warranty guarantees your plants for a full year. If a plant gets damaged – from weather, human error or anything else – just send in a picture, and you’ll get store credit to replace your plant!

Get peace of mind for your new plants. Purchase a One Year Warranty today!

Close

How do we ship your plants?

We carefully pack and ship each plant, so they arrive happy, healthy and ready to grow.

See our process in the video below:

YouTube video player
Done

Planting

We recommend keeping the plant outside during the warm months of the year to maximize fruit production

Close window

Chill hours

Chill hours are the number of non-consecutive hours exposed to temperatures of 45°F or lower in a year, which some fruit trees require in order to produce fruit.

Close window