Sara Reeves Photo

Home gardens and do-it-yourself landscape projects experienced a huge boost in popularity over the past two years, and the trend shows no signs of stopping!  More time at home has given us all more time to contemplate how to use our spaces in a way that better fits our families and our lifestyles.

Looking to get started on your project but aren’t sure how (or where) to get started?  Our trained professionals have these tips for you!

• Take an inventory of your existing landscape features. When you think about spending time in your outdoor spaces, what are you missing? Some examples might include lawn area for playing, garden space for vegetables and herbs, or curb appeal as you drive up to your home.
• Set goals for your project and write them all down. You may not be able to get to them all this year, but keeping them in mind and planning for the future cuts down on double work. If you know that you will want a vegetable garden at some point but you won’t have time to implement one this year, go ahead and figure out a good sunny spot for it this year, and avoid filling it with landscape plants that may have to be relocated in the future.
• Now that you know what you are working with, and have your goals in mind, it’s time to buy plants, right? Not yet! Take pictures and measure your space. Figure out how much sun and at what time of day it gets. Our team will help you match your space with the plants that will work best in it, so the more you know about your space, the better the match.
• Ok, now you can head to the garden center! At Good Earth, the inventory is organized by sun needs; plants that love full sun are grouped together and shade to part-sun plants are grouped together. Within each category, there are evergreen and deciduous plants, one that blooms and others that don’t. Don’t get overwhelmed, we have team members available to help you every step of the way!
• Take your haul home, place plants where you think they should go, stand back and look at them, then adjust as needed. Then plant! Proper planting is key to long term plant success. We have you covered here too, with numerous helpful blog posts and videos with detailed information on all kinds of topics, including:

Starting a DIY Landscaping Project? Read This First…

Landscape Design Tips for the DIY Homeowner

How to Plant a Plant

To find out all kinds of helpful information, visit our online Learning Center. If your landscape is showing signs of winter stress right now, be sure and check this blog post out, Plant Recovery After a Hard Freeze.

The post Top Pro 5 Tips on Doing Your Own Landscape Project appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Cora Cascade Vinca (shown above in Bright Rose color)

This has quickly become one of our favorite plants for many reasons!  It has all the wonderful characteristics of regular upright vinca, such as consistent blooming, thrives in heat and sun, AND requires less water than many other warm season annuals. The Cora series of both the upright and cascading vinca are disease resistant as well.  The Cora Cascade series is unique; it trails neatly out of containers or spreads out, up to several feet in width, in the ground.  Cascading vinca has somehow gone kind under the radar for the past several years, but it’s a winner and worth trying in your landscape! It has even been chosen as an Arkansas Diamond plant selection by an experienced Arkansas gardeners, growers and horticulturists. The Cora Cascade Vinca is available in a variety of colors such as white and a wide array of pink, including cherry, lilac, rose and much more. Another feature to love about Cora Cascade; it only reaches about 8 inches in height, making it a great front layer for taller annuals.  As you might guess, it trails very nicely over stone walls too.

Lantana (shown in foreground above and in the first image, blooming yellow)

Yes, we know, lantana has been around for a long time and is nothing new BUT did you know there are new varieties that stay smaller and mound, such as the Bandana series?  And that there are tons of colors, including hot pink with orange and yellow, as well as white, purple, and shades of pink?  And white with yellow (talking about you Lemon Zest and Lemon Cream!). The tried and true spreading New Gold is always popular; one big reason is well, is just how big it gets (several feet tall and can grow to over 3 feet in width)!  The large selection of variety, from growth habit to color variation, make this heat and sun tolerant warm season annual a forever favorite.

Angelonia (above)

Did you know that Angelonia is also known as Summer Snapdragon?  Can you see the resemblance?  These upright stalks of blooms may look delicate but they take the summer heat, humidity and sun with aplomb.  There have been many advancements for angelonia over the years, giving rise to a variety of series, featuring different colors, plant size and bloom size. What do we love most about this plant?  It’s a totally different shape of annual; it’s upright without being so tall that it’s overbearing (as an example; the Serena series tops out at 12-16″ tall). The colors available include blue hues, purple, white and various pinks, so it can be used in warm or cool color scheme landscape beds or combo pots. This annual also pairs well with Cora Cascade or fanflower in front of it, or planted in mass in a variety of colors by itself.

Purslane

No post about heat loving annuals would be complete without mentioning purslane! A low water needs annual, featuring vibrant colors such as yellow, red, orange, magenta, even striped blooms, double blooms and blooms with little puffball looking petals in the center, surrounded with a row of different colored petals.  This is another low growing annual, that spreads or trails out of containers. It’s closely related to portulaca, and are often confused with each other. Portulaca has the longer needle-like leaves, while purslane has flat rounded leaves.  Portulaca, also known as moss rose, can usually be found in 6 packs, while purslane is available in 4 inch or larger pots, such as hanging baskets, like these shown above.  Purslane blooms may or may not close at some point during the day, based on heat and sun exposure.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of heat tolerant annuals; other options include sun coleus, SunPatiens, fanflower (pictured above), euphorbia, salvia, bronzeleaf begonias and celosia. And we haven’t talked yet about tropicals or perennials that love the heat (those posts are coming soon!). There are also many shrubs to choose from as well. Bottom line, there is still time to plant and enjoy blooms all summer long!

One great option for a mixed combination hanging basket of heat loving annuals is our Good Earth Hanging Garden Sampler baskets!  These are filled with lantana, euphorbia, purslane and silver falls.  They are created each year, especially for us, as a way to take home a ‘sample’ of our huge, and long loved, hanging gardens that welcome visitors into the Gift Shop!

The post Colorful Annuals that Love the Heat! appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Placement

Consider how much space you have in your landscape to accommodate a fountain. When you decide a location, measure length and width of the space before shopping so you have a good idea of what will fit. Take pictures of the area and consider scale as you shop. You want a fountain that will accent the space and fit right in, as opposed to overtaking the space. If choosing an in-ground feature, you may want to look at what is growing around the space so as not to damage any plants or shrubs when digging or what you may want to transplant before install.

Surroundings

Think about the existing landscape features in your chosen space, and consider how the fountain fulfills your desired affect. Visual aesthetics are important as is the sound, whether gentle or vigorous. If you are purchasing for sound, make sure to listen carefully. Louder sounds can cover traffic or neighborhood noise and energize a space, where as gentle sounds add a peaceful feel to a garden.

Electricity

After a decision to purchase a fountain has been made, consult with a licensed electrician and insure that an appropriate GFI outlet is nearby, and add one if there is not.  Most fountain pumps are low voltage but it’s a good idea to have fountain specifications handy when talking with an electrician.

Stable, Level Ground

Confirm the ground under the desired fountain location is stable and level. Soft beds can be firmed up with crushed aggregate or a piece of flagstone. For large fountains, a concrete pad may have to be installed. We can help with these choices and work with you to mitigate any potential issues.

Maintenance

Maintenance is an important aspect to consider before purchasing a fountain. You will need a way to add water regularly, and have the appropriate maintenance items on hand; mainly a winter cover and algaecide. We have a blog post with more details on maintenance here.

Fountains are a long lasting investment and our team is here to answer questions, offer our thoughts, and in general, do what we can to insure you fountain is one you will enjoy for many years!

The post Choosing a Fountain appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Keep reading for landscape lighting tips, including how it can increase your home value, add safety and more.

First of all, what is quality landscape lighting and how does it differ from the lights at box stores?

Professionally installed, high quality, low-voltage outdoor lighting is more efficient than ever before by utilizing energy efficient LED fixtures.  These new fixtures require roughly 80% less voltage!  Traditionally, fixtures became quite hot; LED fixtures create far less heat, resulting in significantly longer lamp and fixture life. Depending on application, LEDs can last 50,000 hours or more. Additionally, with FX Luminaire LED lights (pictured above), you have the option of creating different themes that vary the mood and ambiance in your outdoor space to fit a quiet evening with family or a festive gathering with friends.  LED lights are easy to come by but there is a wide range of quality.  The FX Luminaire LED light fixtures our Landscape Services team installs are durable, constructed of brass and/or copper and come with a great warranty.

Why install landscape lighting?

Simply put, landscape lighting is a cost effective way to both beautify your home and add outdoor living space without costly renovations. High quality, professionally designed and installed landscape lighting has been shown to increase the value of your home. Landscape lighting also provides everyday benefits such as safety and curb appeal. In addition, it enhances outdoor gathering areas as well as illuminates walkways, steps, entryways and of course, highlights your home’s landscape plantings and architectural details.

Who can install landscape lighting?

By hiring a lighting professional, such as The Good Earth Landscape Services team, you are guaranteed a custom designed, properly installed and maintained functional system for years to come. As with any project at your home, hiring properly licensed, insured and skilled experts saves you money and future hassles. Choosing unskilled labor to install high quality products such as the FX Luminaire line won’t result in lasting success.  Our Landscape Services team are experts in designing and installing these lighting systems, with a focus on safety and proper voltage requirements. Our skills insure that your lighting system will operate trouble-free for many years to come.

Where can landscape lighting be placed?

From specialty underwater lights to uplighting and downlighting, FX Luminare’s products can create a variety of effects at your home. In addition to the aesthetics, these systems can be easily controlled from your smartphone or tablet. Email The Good Earth Landscape Team today for your estimate!

The post Landscape Lighting Tips appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Pansies are the most commonly planted fall and winter annual in our area and for very good reason.  Pansies bloom from fall into next spring, all the way through time to plant warm season annuals.  They offer a large variety of color choices and offer a variety of bloom colors and interesting features.  Care is simple; we suggest using Ferti-Lome Premium Bedding Plant Food at planting as well as Good Earth brand Jump Start to promote rooting.  Additional feedings with water soluble BR-61 (which is like steroids for flowers!) is also recommended.  This can be done during warm spells for best utilization by the plants. Mulch after planting and water as needed.

As mentioned above, pansies offer a wide variety of color choices.  Blotch pansies, which are also referred to as ‘with face’ are pansies that feature a dark area near the middle of the plant. The blotch color varies depending on variety and may be a darker tone of the same color, or as on light colored pansies, it can be a dark maroon or brown color.  Blotch or no blotch, which to go with?  It’s all a matter of personal choice, both are beautiful.  Keep in mind that all these varieties we mention move fast, and there is a different selection each week.  Don’t wait to plant or you could miss out on your favorite colors!

Viola

Pansies typically have large blooms, which are very showy!  However, sometimes the large blooms get weighed down with rain and winter weather.  Depending on how long they are wet, they don’t always stand back up.  Violas on the other hand have much smaller blooms that don’t get weighed down during rain, the result being flowers that stay upright.  Violas are also known for more heat and cold tolerance, which can mean a better spring display.

Panola

One more great option to mention is Panola!  Panolas have the best of both worlds, durability of the viola and the larger bloom size of a pansy.

Nature Series Pansy

Let’s talk about the Nature series of pansies; wow, are they cool!  They are more compact than a viola, with blooms standing up taller.  The bloom size is closer to a viola than the bloom size of panolas but the color choices are lovely. Ocean, which is a striking blue color and Mulberry Shades are staff favorites.   Nature series pansies are very cold tolerant and feature unique bloom colors!

Cool Wave Trailing Pansy

We can’t finish this conversation without mentioning one of our favorites; the Cool Wave trailing pansy.  The bloom size is smaller but the trailing/ spreading growth habit of these plants makes it perfect for pots.  Our staff knows from personal experience how awesome these are; we are talking gorgeous color, trailing out of containers with a length as long as eighteen inches.  These also create mounds of color in landscape beds; the spreading habit means you can plant them much further apart.

As always, use quality potting soil in pots and prepare the planting area in landscape beds.  You can get the best plant, plant them correctly and in the best spot, fertilize, water and mulch them, and STILL not have a great looking if the proper soil isn’t chosen or the bed areas haven’t been prepped.  Take a few minutes to visit The Good Earth’s Learning Center for more planting tips, and pick up some Good Earth brand Professional Growing Mix.  It’s what we use for a reason… it’s the best.  Keep in mind that all these varieties we mentioned move fast, and there is a different selection each week. Oh, and add in some dusty miller, cabbage, and kale for more interest. It’s the perfect time to plant fall color; the longer you wait, the smaller the selection will be!

The post Meet the Pansy Family! appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

• • It’s the Goldilocks of grasses; doesn’t grow too big or stay too small. Mature size is 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Not only does ‘Red Rocket’ shine in landscape beds, it also makes an outstanding ingredient in fall combination planters!
  • You might have noticed the dark plumes in the image above; the darker color is unique to this particular variety.  The plume color contrasts nicely with medium green blades.
  • As with many grasses, ‘Red Rocket’ is drought tolerant once established. Use Good Earth brand Jump Start at planting to get the roots established faster this fall.
  • For best results, plant in a full sun location (six hours of full sun exposure). However, if you have a spot with at least four hours of sun, that should be adequate as well.

The post All About ‘Red Rocket’ Pennisetum appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Thriller

Thrillers are taller plants that add vertical drama to a container planting.  They can be flowering plants, foliage plants or even ornamental grasses.  For containers that will be viewed from all angles, place the thriller in the middle.  For containers that will only be viewed from the front, place the thriller in the back.

Filler

Next, it’s time to add your filler plants.  Fillers are rounded or mounded plants that are placed around or in front of the thrillers.  Place the fillers mid-way between the planter edges and the thriller to leave room for the spiller.  Some great filler options include Diamond Frost euphorbia, petunias, calibrachoa, and many more!

Spiller

Add the spillers next!  Plant spillers around the edges of the container; all the way around if it will be viewed from all angles or around the front if it will only be viewed from the front.  Spiller options include sweet potato vine, ivy, bacopa, vinca vine and that is just to name a few!  Water the container well right after planting.

Done!

The Thriller in this container is Angelface Blue angelonia, Filler is Supertunia Bordeaux petunia, and Spiller is Illusion Emerald Lace sweet potato vine!  Other key tips include using Good Earth brand potting soil (yes, it really is better than the more famous yellow and green bags of soil), use Good Earth brand Jump Start at planting, check soil moisture often and fertilize with BR-61 for amazing blooms!  The annuals mentioned and the images are from Proven Winners; a great line of successful annuals that we carry here at The Good Earth!  Check out our Pinterest board called ‘Combination Planters’ for more ideas and read our container gardening blog post for more planting tips!

The post Create the perfect combination planter using the ‘Thriller, Filler, Spiller’ technique! appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Spring 2019 update

This year, the gardens are planted with two different varieties of Lantana, Bandana Lemon Zest, and Bandana Cherry Sunrise, all planted in the tops of the planters, and then Rio Series Raspberry Lemonade, Orange and Yellow Purslane on the sides and near the bottom of the planters, the Silver Falls Dichondra.  We also planted a few Breathless White Euphorbias in the top of the planters. We typically hang the planters mid-April or so, after planting them in March.

We get tons of comments and questions about our Hanging Gardens over the Gift Shop entrance every year!  These welded baskets were custom designed for us and are very heavy duty.  The baskets are lined each year with fresh burlap.  A plant design is created and x’s are cut in the sides of the coco-moss liner in strategically placed spots, which are then planted.  Here is a rundown of the plants and maintenance of these sun-loving beauties.   As we all know, Central Arkansas summers are hot with sporadic rainfall, although this summer has been a welcome exception! We typically hang the planters mid-April or so, after planting them in March. This gives them extra warmth in order to encourage root establishment.

All of the plants (listed below) were chosen for both their heat and drought tolerance.

Why we love these annuals:

In addition to being heat and drought tolerant, these plants are all self cleaning… no deadheading, no trimming, and no sidewalk cleaning necessary.  Bottom line, we love these plants!  They have given us all season blooms with basically no care at all.  As far as watering goes, this year drip irrigation was added and these get watered via the system three times a week for 20 minutes. We also fertilize twice a month with water soluble fertilizer such as BR61.  Maybe the most commonly asked question is, ‘What is this stuff that looks like Spanish Moss?’  Find the answer below!

1.  Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’ or ‘Diamond Snow’

There are both perennial and annual Euphorbia plants; Diamond Frost is an annual variety, great for adding a fine texture and light, airy feel to planters.  It works great as a filler or in this case as the top layer of a mixed planter.  There are two Diamond Frost plants in the top of each planter.

2. Lantana

We mix it up each year and alternate the lantana color to complement the purslane colors of the year.  This is another one chosen for its’ hardiness, drought tolerance and ability to thrive and bloom, regardless of how hot it gets.

3. Purslane

Talk about amazing!  Purslane plants are true givers, perfect for areas that don’t get much water.  The blooms are only open during the day and close up at night, which is a neat little characteristic!

4. Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’

It’s most intriguing plant for most of our visitors!  You have most likely seen (and overlooked) this plant for years.  We carry it in small 4″ pots and it doesn’t look like much when it is young… just some silver leaves in a pot with runners growing over into other pots.  BUT once you use it, you will fall in love with it!  It’s a wonderful spiller for planters as you can see!  These are the long spanish moss looking runners that grow from the bottom of each basket; there are 9 on each side of each basket. Yes, these are the very long silver curtain-like plants that wave you in from off Cantrell Road with their 6 foot long waves!

Look for Good Earth Hanging Garden Samplers this spring!  These hanging baskets have lantana, purslane (several colors available) and Silver Falls dichondra in them.  It’s a perfect opportunity to enjoy a bit the Good Earth Hanging Gardens at your home all season long!

We have all of these plants in stock right now, so it’s a great time to create your own tough, summer heat lovin’ hanging basket or pick up one of our Good Earth samplers! Once we are out, we are out for the season…

The post Good Earth’s Hanging Gardens appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Looking forward to making changes to your landscape but aren’t sure how to create a plan that works?  The Good Earth has landscape design tips to get you started in the right direction!

Research Before Planting

• Sun or shade… or both? On a sunny day, stand in your landscape areas every two hours from 8 am to until dusk.  During the winter, consider tree shadows and how much shade you might have spring, summer and fall when leaves are on the trees.  Take into account that winter sun is lower in the southern sky than in the summer, when the sun is more overhead. Take pictures and make notes.  Four hours of morning sun is much different than four hours of afternoon sun.

• Plants grow, we all know this, right?! But here’s the thing; it’s easy to forget that when you are looking at a shrub that is 2 foot tall right now, just the height you wanted. Read the plant details; that 2 foot plant may grow to 10 foot tall at maturity; and you have just created a long term maintenance nightmare!   Choose based on the mature size of the plant not the size it is now.  If you want a more mature looking landscape right now, purchase a more mature, larger plant instead of purchasing more plants.

• Scale and space matter. If you want the layered look, you will need to accommodate that in your space.  A 3 foot deep landscape bed won’t allow for much layering, unless you are planning to layer perennials and annuals.  To layer most shrubs, you will need at least a 6 foot deep bed.  Keep the scale appropriate.  Design to accent the home, not hide it.

• Before you dig, draw it out, on paper and in your landscape. It’s much easier to change bed lines before the sod comes out and the edging goes in.  Use spray paint to easily mark bed lines.  Run a mower around the lines to check the ease of maintaining them.

Other Design Elements to Consider…

• Choose focal points carefully. Large pots at your entrance, a boulder accent here and there, a large seasonal color display; anything that draws the eye to a focused point should be worthy of it.  Framing your garage, for example, should be avoided (unless you have one heck of a garage!).

• Design for visual interest. This can be contrasting leaf color or size, groupings of blooming plants, specimen trees… or ideally, all of the above! Repeat plant choices, plant in odd-numbered groupings, and consider planting both evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs.

• Traffic flow is real and retraining our brains is harder than you think. Work with how your family uses the space instead of against it.  Or, for example, learn to live with basketball-dented rose bushes.

• Changing the bed lines and plantings means changing the irrigation system. And the lighting system, and maybe even addressing drainage issues.  For long term success, don’t skip this step!  Change the sprinkler system AS you change bed lines, before planting.  Doing so afterwards is often a bigger headache and is often put off until the nebulous ‘later’.  ‘Later’ can quickly result in dead plants.

Plan for the Future

• Make a maintenance plan. Here is a link to The Good Earth’s Gardening Calendar for Arkansas.  And our team is also available via email, phone, Facebook… you get the idea.  Ask questions during the planning process to head off plant decline.

• Yup, ask more questions. Our team (many of whom are Certified Nursery and Landscape Professionals) is experienced; put that experience to work for you. We have created an entire online Learning Center with tons of articles and helpful tools.  We have organized our plant materials at the garden center to help you; shade shrubs together, sun shrubs together, perennials all together, etc.  Cultivating your success is our mission.  So ask us questions; we are the experts after all!

Still not sure how to get started on your do-it-yourself landscape project?  Take pictures of your space, bring those to the Good Earth team, as well as measurements and we will help you get started in the right direction.  You can also start the process by following this link.

Interested in our experienced, award-winning Landscape Services team installing your next project?  We would love to connect with you.  Follow this link to get started!

The post Landscape Design Tips for the DIY Homeowner appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

What is a pansy?

Pansies are the most commonly planted fall and winter annual in our area and for very good reason!  Pansies bloom from fall into next spring, all the way through time to plant warm season annuals.  They offer a large variety of color choices and many have huge blooms!  Deadheading will help promote further blooming but isn’t completely necessary.  You will need to feed them though; we suggest using Ferti-Lome Premium Bedding Plant Food at planting as well as Good Earth brand Jump Start to promote rooting.  Additional feedings with water soluble BR-61 (which is like steroids for flowers!) is also recommended.  This can be done during warm spells for best utilization by the plants. For more information on planting, including soil prep, visit this blog post.

As mentioned above, pansies offer a wide variety of color choices.  Blotch pansies, which are also referred to as ‘with face’ are pansies that feature a dark area near the middle of the plant. The blotch color varies depending on variety and may be a darker tone of the same color, or as on light colored pansies, it can be a dark maroon or brown color as shown in the first image.  Blotch or no blotch, which to go with?  It’s all a matter of personal choice, both are beautiful!  Keep in mind that all these varieties we mention move fast, and there is a different selection each week.  Don’t wait to plant or you could miss out on your favorite colors!

Pansy

Viola

Pansies typically have large blooms, which are very showy!  However, sometimes the large blooms get weighed down with rain and winter weather.  Depending on how long they are wet, they don’t always stand back up.  Violas on the other hand have much smaller blooms that don’t get weighed down during rain, the result being flowers that stay upright.  Violas are also known for more heat and cold tolerance, which can mean a better spring display.  Although there are less color options in violas, there are some stunning ones out there.

Viola

Panola

One more great option to mention is Panola!  Panolas have the best of both worlds, durability of the viola and the larger bloom size of a pansy. Plus there are more color options available in panola than there are with violas.

Panola

Nature Series Pansy

Let’s talk about the Nature series of pansies; wow, are they cool!  They are new for us this year, and seem to be more compact than a viola, with blooms standing up taller.  The bloom size is closer to a viola than the bloom size of panolas but the color choices are lovely!  Take a look at these:

Nature Series Pansy

We can’t finish this conversation without mentioning one of our favorites; the Cool Wave trailing pansy.  The bloom size is smaller but the trailing/ spreading growth habit of these plants makes it perfect for pots.  Our staff knows from personal experience how awesome these are; we are talking gorgeous color, trailing out of containers with a length as long as eighteen inches!  These also create mounds of color in landscape beds; the spreading habit means you can plant them much further apart.

Cool Wave Pansy

Don’t forget to add accents such as Dusty Miller and ornamental cabbage and kale.

Dusty Miller

And here is the last tip from us (for this post anyway!).  Use quality potting soil in pots and prepare the planting area in landscape beds.  You can get the best plant, plant them correctly and in the best spot, fertilize, water and mulch them, and STILL not have a great looking if the proper soil isn’t chosen or the bed areas haven’t been prepped.  Take a minute to read the blog post referenced in the first paragraph and pick up some Good Earth brand Professional Growing Mix.  It’s what we use for a reason… it’s the best.  We look forward to seeing you this fall!  Keep in mind that all these varieties we mentioned move fast, and there is a different selection each week.  Don’t wait to plant or you could miss out on your favorite colors!

The post Pansy versus Viola… what’s the difference anyway? appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.