We have been stocking up, getting ready for the spring season, and lucky for you, just in time for the Valentine’s Day holiday!  Check out a few of our favorite gift ideas for gardeners.  And remember, we also offer Good Earth gift cards!       We are very well stocked with chimes, colorful rain chains and garden ornaments.  This particular one is perfect for Valentine’s Day gift for gardeners and one of our favorites!       This nice, durable apron and gardening tools, along with some plant markers make a perfect gardener’s gift basket!   ..read more

As you might guess, we have a lot of gardeners on our Good Earth team!  Some have learned by formal education and some by experience; and most by a combination of both.  This cool season vegetable blog post was written by Trey, who as you can see, grows an outstanding garden. Before we get to Trey’s info, here are some general growing tips for cool season vegetable growing in the late winter into early spring. When to Plant Timing is tricky; Trey gives some tips on timing under each heading.  You can start seeds indoors this month (February) and plant seedling after the upcomi ..read more

If you haven’t read our last blog post, the aptly named Reasons to Prune , we suggest doing so before reading this one. A large part of good pruning includes understanding the reason you are pruning. Coming back to the reason throughout the pruning process will help you keep on track.  When you lose sight of why you are pruning, you can also easily lose sign of how to prune and what your next cut should be. What to Prune This post is all about what to prune and when, which are the next pruning steps to keeping your garden healthy and thriving.  Many plants don’t have to be pruned an ..read more

Why do we prune? What is pruning? What are the types of pruning? Some plants need to be pruned, thinned or trimmed back while others do just fine with no shaping, and can even look worse after pruning efforts.  In this post, we want to share more about the reasons to prune and in our next post, we are going to talk more about what to prune and when (link to that post will be in next weeks’ newsletter).  You can also check out our Gardening Calendar for some timing guidelines. Quick aside on some terms; pruning usually indicates a slower process with selective cuts. This would be whe ..read more

This article covers the topic of controlling Crapemyrtle (also sometimes spelled Crepe Myrtle, Crepemyrtle or Crape Myrtle) bark scale. There is a new, serious threat to one of our favorite trees.  It’s even more serious than the unsightly and oft mentioned crape murder.  As a reminder, crepe murder is the extreme pruning of crepe myrtles that results in weakened and deformed trees.  If you aren’t sure how to properly prune your crepe myrtles, check out this post.  Okay, jumping off that soapbox, let’s talk about the Crapemyrtle Bark Scale.  It has been around the Sou ..read more

This article covers the topic of pruning Crapemyrtles (also spelled Crepemyrtle, Crepe Myrtle or Crape Myrtle). Quick note; this is a great time to inspect your crepes for a serious pest called Crapemyrtle Bark Scale (CMBS).  Here is our complete blog post on this pest, including how to identify and treat it. When to Prune? If you do choose to prune your crepe myrtles, pruning should take place in mid-February to avoid winter injury. Pruning should be done only to shape the tree; not to severely control plant height. Pruning is also not necessary for blooming. The seed heads from last ye ..read more

  The answer is yes, we do offer gift cards, in any amount!  We aren’t set up for online purchases BUT it’s still an easy process.   If you are local, just stop by the garden center!   If you aren’t local or won’t have the chance to visit us, give us a call at 501-868-4666 during our business hours.  Over the phone payments for gift cards can be made via debit or credit card and we can mail your receipt to you.   Provide the mailing address of where you would like the gift card sent, along with a short message to the recipient and we will get it in the mail ..read more

The post How to Force an Amaryllis: appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center ..read more

Poinsettia Are you thinking this is going to be all about poinsettias?  Nope!  But we do have a whole post about them, including care tips.  Follow this link for all the poinsettia information you might want.  We went a little plant nerd on the topic and understand if you skip the history bits at the beginning!  Key things to remember for poinsettias are to place in bright, indirect light, water as needed and avoid over watering. For detailed information, we suggest visiting the poinsettia blog post. Christmas Cactus If we aren’t talking about poinsettias, what are w ..read more

Vines are one of the more mysterious plants in the garden because they are so varied.  But if you have a structure to soften, a nook to enclose, a fence to accent or a wall to green up, vines are a great option! Here is a brief overview of several that are wowing our team right now: ‘Shiro Bana’ Akebia Lady Banks Rose Climbing Rose Crossvine ‘Amethyst Falls’ Wisteria     The post Plant Vines to Add Vertical Interest appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center ..read more