A Fresh New Look Out Front
Today (Monday, at the time of this writing) was planting day!
You may remember us mentioning last fall that we were working on redoing the landscape beds in front of the store. It was time for a change!
Back in November, our Landscape Team cleared out all the existing plants to create a blank slate. Next, they planted a selection of perennials, grasses, and shrubs to form the backbone of the new design. Here’s what we planted and why:
- 40 – Panicum ‘Shenandoah’ – A native grass with beautiful red color in late summer and seeds that feed the birds
- 20 – Limelight Hydrangea – Easy to grow with season-long blooms that change color as they age
- 20 – Miss Kim Lilac and 20 – Spice Island Viburnum – Fragrant spring blooms, compact size, and gorgeous fall color
For the rest of the space, Russ and I decided we wanted color—lots of it! We want to fill in with vibrant annuals and will change the design each year. Back in December, I designed the layout, inspired by the Gardens at Ball. I studied color combinations and created three mini designs that repeat throughout the beds.
In total, we custom grew 1,850 plants just for the front of the store!
Monday, I had a full to-do list at my desk, but when Russ said, “It’s finally planting day!” (after several weather delays), I dropped everything and headed outside. As he brought plants out on the tractor wagon and we began laying them out, I had a moment of doubt—Are we crazy? This is a lot of plants!
One plant I’m especially excited about is a new Ageratum called ‘Monarch Magic.’ There’s been a lot of buzz about how much monarchs love it—and it must be true! It wasn’t even planted yet and a monarch already landed on one. So exciting!
I’m also excited about the Cuphea ‘Honeybells’ and Lantana—it’s going to be a pollinator party at the greenhouse this summer. Woo hoo!
It felt so good to get out of the office and into the dirt. Now I’m back at my desk with dirty hands and sunburned shoulders (oops!), but my heart is happy. I can’t wait to watch the garden grow through the summer and into fall.
I still have plenty of planting to do at home… how about you? Someone asked us recently if it’s too late to plant annuals. If you’re wondering too, the answer is a big, resounding NO! It’s never too late! In fact, we grow a fresh crop of annuals specifically for the summer, just in time for our Summer Open House. Summer planting is just getting started—come join us!
If we can help in any way, let us know. And if you’re short on time, bring in your containers—we’ll plant them up for you!
Happy gardening,
Melanie has been with the family garden center business since 1999, gaining hands-on experience in nearly every aspect–from cashiering and greenhouse production to bookkeeping, perennial buying, marketing, and store management. Now serving as Finance and Marketing Director, she combines her expertise with a passion for growing the business. She and her husband, Russ, have loved seeing how plants, gardening, and beautiful landscapes bring joy to our community.
