• Sun to Part Sun
• Reblooming spring, summer, fall
• Plant size and bloom color varies with cultivar
• Evergreen

*We have these plants listed as a sun to part sun plant, which is different than traditional azaleas, which require shade to part sun. Please note that Encore Azaleas will require well-drained soil with regular watering to live successfully in full sun; with inadequate water, Encore Azaleas will decline.

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Spring Blooming Plants for Arkansas

There is nothing like seeing the first blooms of spring to really kick off this beautiful Arkansas season.  If your landscape could use an infusion of spring blooms, check these beauties out!

Forsythia

“What are all those yellow flowering bushes I see blooming right now”? These are forsythia plants (above), and when they flower, it definitely means SPRING. One of our favorites is Magical Gold; it is a smaller growing variety that matures at 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide, and features extra large flowers that cover stems almost entirely!

Bridalwreath Spirea

Spirea ‘Bridalwreath’ aka Vanhoutte (above) is one of those shrubs that when people are describing them, they use their arms to help explain their 8 ft tall and 10 ft wide stature, long graceful weeping foliage covered in white flowers. A true showstopper!

Royal Star Magnolias

Another show stopping spring blooming large shrub or small specimen tree are the deciduous spring blooming Magnolias.  There are several to choose from; from purple blooms to white.  The one pictured above is Royal Star; we are sold out at the moment but have more coming in soon.  Mature size is approximately 10 to 12 feet tall and wide.  Some people shy away from deciduous plants but just take a look at how well these blooms show up on bare branches.  This magnolia has excellent heat and cold tolerance.  AND it’s fragrant!

Redbud

This has been one of our favorite small trees and for good reason.  ‘Flamethrower’ Redbud features purple spring blooms, and striking burgundy, yellow then green foliage .  We also have weeping redbuds and ones that feature purple leaves! Lots of options with this spring blooming tree.

Drift Roses

Looking for something lower growing that blooms from April until November?  Drift Roses may be your answer.  The one pictured above is Peach Drift and there are many other colors to choose from. Drift roses are easy care, vigorous growing and cold hardy.  And check out those glossy, dark green leaves.  The low spreading habit makes Drift roses perfect for small spaces, in borders or along paths.  Drift Roses work well planted around established plants.

Azalea

Ahh, Azaleas. Let’s not forget about the classic spring beauty that we all know and love. Variety is the spice of life, and in the Azalea world, we have it all. They all bloom in the spring and the Encore Azaleas even bloom in the fall.  The one picture above is ‘Fashion’, a tried and true favorite.

Camellia japonica

The Camellia japonicas are in full bloom and they keep grabbing our attention! We also have a great selection of fall to early winter blooming sasanqua camellias. Use these evergreen bloomers to accent part shade beds, or mass in foundation plantings or to create a flowering evergreen hedge. A wonderful choice for espalier to dress up a drab wall.

Saucer Magnolia

Yes, another deciduous, spring blooming magnolia because they are so wonderful!  The one pictured above is a ‘Jane’ Magnolia a class blooming in landscapes all around town right now.

Whew, these are just a few of the spring blooming landscape trees and shrubs we love so much. We love helping you figure out which plants might work the best in your space; bring a picture, talk to us about how much sun the area gets and we will give you some recommendations!

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In this blog post, we are going to talk through identifying and addressing winter damage on landscape plants.

Harden Off

Ideally, plants have a chance to ‘harden off’, which is what happens when temperatures gradually get cooler from fall into winter.  This process gets plants prepared to withstand the cold, windy winter weather.  However, for example, in November of 2019, we had low temperatures in the teens, skipping several temperature ranges.  This lack of gradual cooling meant that many plants weren’t hardened off and able to take this weather without sustaining damage.

Symptoms of Winter Damage

Gregg starts off by showing us a gardenia that has a brown section in it.  The leaves on this section are all brown and still on the plant.  He suggests leaving the plant alone for a bit longer to see if that section puts on new leaves this spring.  Some shrubs have several cuttings in each pot; and it could be that this section of the shrub had a weak cutting.  This weakness could have made the winter damage worse in that the cutting didn’t have the overall strength to handle the flash freeze we had in November.

Remember to check the plant again in a month or so and see if it has put on new growth.  If it hasn’t, cut this section of the plant out and let the remainder of the plant fill in.

The next plant that Gregg he discusses is an azalea.  This azalea is an evergreen azalea… but it’s lost about 90% of its foliage.  This is pretty common after an early flash freeze and most likely the plant will be fine.  One way to know how the plant is really doing is to scratch the surface bark off and check to see if there is green tissue under it.  There is on this plant and it should flush out with new growth when temperatures start warming up this spring.

Feeding Winter Damaged Plants

Next, Gregg and Jeff discuss fertilizers Cottonseed Meal and Good Earth brand Jump Start; these are wonderful natural fertilizers to help get the plant growing this spring.  You will want to apply this fertilizer when temperatures start warming up so that the nutrients are present when the plant breaks out of dormancy and starts putting on new growth.  Mid-March should be fine.  Later on in the growing season, you can also apply Ferti-Lome Start-N’-Grow.  You want to use Start-N’-Grow once the chance of frost is past and you want to encourage more top growth.

Last but not least, Gregg shows us winter damage on an Emerald Green Arborvitae.  The winter damage shows up as brown tips on the ends of branches.  He brushes through the foliage and shows that it will fall off and encourages the same fertilization method as mentioned above.

Now you know how to identify and address winter damage on landscape plants! Bottom line, usually winter damage doesn’t kill plants but it can set them back.  Knowing what to do this spring to get them started out right this season is key!

For more information, watch this video as well.

The post Protecting Shrubs from Winter Damage appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Learn about fertilizer, azaleas and crabgrass here!

Apply Fertilizer in Summer

Summer chores can make all the difference this fall.  Remember to fertilize azaleas several times through the end of summer.  Apply Ferti-Lome Azalea/ Evergreen Food Plus; this will both feed your azaleas and control lacebugs.  Lacebugs are the most common insect pest on azaleas.   For more information on growing azaleas, visit this blog post.

Lawns also benefit from summer fertilizer applications.  Apply Good Earth brand Weed Preventer with Slow Release Nitrogen Fertilizer every 60 to 90 days during the growing season.  This will provide nutrients for your lawn and prevent weed seeds from germinating.

Kill Existing Weeds

A post emerge weed killer, such as Ferti-Lome Weed Out will take care of many broadleaf and grassy weeds.  Image or Sedge Ender may be necessary for nutgrass and other difficult to control weeds.

Treat for Fungus

If you had lawn fungus issues last fall or this spring, stay diligent.  Apply fungicide through fall to keep fungus from spreading.  We have both fungicide granules and sprays available.

Finish the season strong by fertilizing azaleas and treating for weeds, such as crabgrass, and fungus in lawns!

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Encore Azalea

Encore Azaleas were developed from a variety of older types of azaleas and have several unique and attractive qualities.  These evergreen shrubs can thrive in more sun than traditional azaleas, provided there is good drainage and adequate, regular watering.  As the name Encore would indicate, these plants offer encore seasons of blooms, with a full bloom in the spring, sporadic flowering in the summer and another full bloom cycle in the fall.  There is an Encore azalea for everyone with colors ranging from white to pink, red, and even purple and bi-color.  As with traditional azaleas, prune after spring blooms fade, and apply Ferti-Lome Azalea/Evergreen Food with Systemic Insect Control several times throughout the summer to both feed and protect the plants.  We just stocked up again and have many available!  See our current Encore Azalea inventory here.

‘Sunshine’ Ligustrum

‘Sunshine’ ligustrum is one of our favorite new plants of the past few years!  The vibrant golden foliage is present year round, and the small, oblong leaves provide a fine texture to landscapes.  This from the Southern Living plant collection, which features plants that grow well in the southern states. ‘Sunshine’ Ligustrum works well as a hedge, planted as accents, mass planted and also in container plantings!  Pair it with one of the other plants mentioned here for maximum contrast and outstanding visibility!

Drift Rose

Who doesn’t love roses?  Ok, who doesn’t love easy roses?!  Drift roses are low growing, easy to grow, and easy to care for roses.  Only two feet tall and three feet wide at maturity, Drift roses make a wonderful border for sunny landscape beds.  Prune hard in February and enjoy blooms from April to November.  Apply an all in one rose food with insect and disease control throughout the growing season for maximum blooms. Drift roses are also disease resistant!  With many colors to choose from, including this lovely Coral Drift, this series is a winner!  See which Drift Roses are stock now.

Loropetalum

‘Purple Diamond’ loropetalum is also from the Southern Living plant collection.  When you think of loropetalums, you may think of the 8 feet tall, traditional varieties but there are smaller ones available such as ‘Purple Diamond’ which is only 4-6 feet feet tall with a spread of 4-5 feet wide. It can be kept at a 3-4 ft height. The purple foliage and hot pink blooms in spring contrast well with the bright foliage of some plants… such as ‘Sunshine’ ligustrum!  There are actually several newer varieties of smaller sized loropetalums such as Crimson Fire and Cherry Blast.  See our complete inventory here.

Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses may not bloom all season, but they absolutely shine in the fall!   Ornamental grasses are easy care, drought tolerant, showy and unique, which is why they make the list.  Even in the winter when the grass blades have turned a wheat color, they offer visual interest.  Every fall, we get many questions about the purple blooming grass at Pleasant Ridge Town Center just up the road.   Purple Muhly grass, with its showy purple clouds dancing in the breeze, is stunning and we are very well stocked at the moment.  We also have many other ornamental grasses, both in 3 gallon containers and for the first time, quart size grasses, which are perfect in fall container gardens or in areas where compacted soil makes for difficult digging.    Check out our inventory here.

This isn’t a complete list, of course; there are so many new and exciting shrubs to choose from!  We invite you to take some pictures of your landscape, take note of how much sun your area gets and come see us for more possibilities!

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Choosing an azalea  Native and old fashioned azaleas such as formosas and gumpos require afternoon shade; plant in a location with morning sun or dappled afternoon sun should be fine for these varieties.  Encore azaleas are very popular; they are called Encore because they bloom in the spring and then again in the fall.  Encores can take more sun but will require more water than if planted in a more shady area.  All azaleas will do better with afternoon shade here in Arkansas.

Planting  Proper placement of azaleas is key; watch the area to see how much sun it receives before choosing your plants.  Azaleas also require well drained, slightly acidic soil.  The best formula formula for successful azalea planting here in central Arkansas includes:

• Doing a soil test to learn pH; soils tend to be acidic here but checking is recommended
• Amending the soil by adding organic matter (such as Organic Compost) to increase soil drainage
• Applying Good Earth brand Jump Start with mycorrhizea for best root establishment
• Planting with the root ball slightly above grade (about an inch)
• Add mulch
• Watering thoroughly at planting and regularly thereafter
• Keep mature plant size in mind; azaleas need good air flow to cut down on insect issues

Care  Although azaleas like well drained soil, they require regular watering.  Plan to hand water your plants if the area isn’t watered by a sprinkler system.  Regular watering with alkaline water can alter the soil pH; perform a soil test occasionally.  Fertilize with Ferti-Lome Azalea/ Evergreen Food with Systemic Insecticide after the spring bloom season has ended.  Another good product for azaleas is Espoma Holly-Tone, which is an all natural fertilizer for acid loving plants. This will both feed and protect your azaleas from their most common pest, the lacebug.  After spring bloom is also the time to prune.  Azaleas have a wonderful natural form so it’s best to work with that when pruning.  Look for the tallest branches that need trimming back and follow the branch down under the canopy height you are trying to keep.  Prune just above a fork in the branch to encourage further branching.  As a good rule of thumb, do not remove more than 30% of the plant at any one time.   Since azaleas should be pruned mostly for shaping reasons, this shouldn’t be an issue.

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