How to Create a Flourishing Spring Garden

Spring has finally arrived! We know we’re not the only ones excited to dig into a fresh year of gardening. Make sure you don’t miss anything on your spring landscaping checklist.

Early Spring Checklist

  • shovel digging in dirtBefore you dig into spring planting, check your bulb beds to make sure things look good for bright, beautiful spring blooms.
  • Check the pH of your soil and supplement flowerbeds with fertilizer, lime, or compost to ensure plants stay happy all summer.
  • Prune fruit trees before buds appear on the branches. Remember: wait too long and you’ll stress the trees, leading to a low yield.
  • Divide and replant perennials, making sure each new plant has at least three stems.
  • Plant early spring vegetables like carrots, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes.
  • Clean up the landscape. Remove winter debris, repair damaged beds, and take your lawn mower to be serviced before the first mow of the season.

Mid-Spring Checklist

  • Plant fresh flowerbeds full of vibrant colors and eye-catching shapes.
  • Put your planters away until fall. Leave the birdbaths out and full of water.
  • Transplant seedlings for annuals.
  • Take stock of your spring landscape. Write down any notes about how to improve the view next year. Trust us, you’ll forget what you wanted to fix by next spring!
  • Apply mulch around flowerbeds to suppress summer weeds and help retain moisture.

Late Spring Checklist

  • Deadhead spring-blossoming bulbs.
  • Prune spring-blooming shrubs after they’ve spent their blossoms for the year.
  • Take a break and plant a fairy garden inside the house.

Do you need fresh spring flowers and shrubs, new tools and garden ornaments, tips on seasonal landscape care, or professional insight on your landscape design? Visit Whispering Springs Nursery for landscaping solutions in Jasper.

Sprinkle Fairy Dust Over Your Garden

Fairy gardens add a dash of whimsy to the landscape. They’re fun, simple to make, and brighten the yard even in the dead of winter. Ready to plant fresh enchantment? Make your own fairy garden with a little help from your friends at Whispering Springs Nursery.

How to Plant a Fairy Garden

We’re addicted to making these magical mini-landscapes. They’re a lovely addition to garden paths, porches, indoor spaces, or nestled into flowerbeds. Don’t worry if you’ve never planted a fairy garden before. This DIY garden project is as simple as it is stunning!

  • fairy garden at whispering springsGather your supplies. There are plenty of fairy garden items available in Jasper. Whether you’re looking for ceramic pots, fairy houses, tiny furniture, fanciful accessories, or lush plants for your fairy garden, you’ll find what you need at Whispering Springs Nursery.
  • Choose your spot. If you want a mobile fairy garden, look for ceramic and terra cotta pots, unique planters like wicker baskets or wheelbarrows, or empty spaces in your flower beds. If you’re planting your fairy garden directly in the ground, make sure the spot you choose has adequate sunlight and good drainage.
  • Arrange your design. Before you get started, it’s a good idea to plan your layout to ensure everything fits together. That way you don’t have to rip up succulents because you ran out of room for the cottage.
  • Plant your magic. Choose a potting soil that has adequate drainage. Plant large-root plants first, then arrange your hardscape items and fairy accessories. Voila! Your garden has been transported to a storybook world.

Time to spread some fairy dust! Visit Whispering Springs Nursery for fairy garden supplies and tips.

7 New Year’s Resolutions for Gardeners

The New Year brings plenty of opportunities for new growth. If you’ve vowed to start fresh this year, you’ve probably already thought about how to spend more time with loved ones, budget better, travel more, or live a healthier lifestyle. But have you thought about making a fresh start in the garden?

7 New Year’s Resolutions for Gardeners

  1. I will compost more. Composting helps the environment, reduces the need for fertilizer, gets rid of home waste, and makes plants grow bigger and healthier.
  2. I will plant native plants. How do we love native plants? Let us count the ways . . . Native plants enrich the soil, help prevent soil erosion, and help protect bees and other wildlife.
  3. I will start a vegetable garden. Food fresh from the garden is just as gratifying as fresh-plucked bouquets. And you don’t even have to wait for spring! Plant a winter vegetable garden with carrots, collards, English peas, Irish potatoes, lettuce, mustard, spinach, turnips, and radishes.
  4. I will keep my garden clean. Nobody wants diseases to crop up this spring!
  5. I will plan. Haphazard planting is all well and good, but with a little forethought, you can cultivate healthier plants and a more elegant landscape. Group plants by color, texture, and how much sunlight and water they require.
  6. I will plant for all seasons, not just spring and summer. Hardscaping is a great way to do this. So is finding plants with strong branches and elegant shapes.
  7. I will prune wisely. Now is the time to prune trees and woody shrubs. But remember: you can always prune more, but you can’t put chopped branches back on the tree.

Visit Whispering Springs Nursery for landscaping ideas and gardening supplies in Jasper, GA.

Give Holiday Greenery a Fresh Twist

Tired of that faded, plastic Christmas wreath you hang over the fireplace year after year? Nature abounds with holiday greenery that’s just begging for a place in your home. Add variety to your living Christmas decorations with these holiday tips from Whispering Springs.

Fresh Ideas for Christmas Greenery

  1. Succulents. Want a holiday wreath that will last all season and isn’t made of plastic? Succulents make the holiday home feel fresher and more alive. They also stay alive, even if you have a black thumb or forget to water them before hitting the road this Christmas. Decorate with succulents in cute containers, as mantlepiece accents, or even in a holiday wreath.
  2. red twig hearts and holiday berriesRed Twig Dogwoods. These shrubs have a fiery holiday presence. Slender, elegant, and bold red, Red Twig Dogwood cuttings are perfect for adding color and height to Christmas greenery. They’re also gorgeous on their own. Place woody branches in a tall, elegant vase with white, silver, or gold filler stones.
  3. Mistletoe. Mistletoe is good for more than stealing kisses. Make a mistletoe holiday wreath for a simple, elegant holiday decoration for the door or mantle. Bonus: no one can catch you beneath the mistletoe without your say-so!
  4. Evergreens. Why mess with a good thing? Firs, cedars, and other evergreens have fragrant branches that make excellent wreaths, garlands, and spots of color scattered around the house. Keep ‘em simple or add your own twist with ribbons, berries, and festive holiday decorations.

Have you visited Whispering Springs lately? Stop by our Jasper nursery for more holiday plants and decor.

Things To Remember When Preparing Your Garden For The Winter

Winter plantsThe leaves are beginning to fall off of the trees and the cooler winter temperatures are rolling in. That means it’s time to prepare your plants and garden for the winter. We care about your lawn and garden at Whispering Springs and this is why we’ve taken the time to put together a guide to help you find what you should be planting this month. Remember to keep us in mind when you’re clearing out your fall lawn and garden debris. Check it out!

November and December are great months to get ready for the new year. Spreading manure, rotted sawdust and leaves over your garden and plowing them under – don’t forget to save those plants for a compost heap!

Now, it’s time to take inventory. Everybody loves to save money, right? If you like to get the most for your money, taking inventory at the end of the year can save you a lot of money next gardening season. Maybe you had too much of some vegetables and not enough of others – or maybe there were some unnecessary “skips” in the supply. Now is a great time to make a note about favorite varieties and start planning next year’s garden now.

Look around at your gardening tools and see what needs to be replaced, then hint for those as a Christmas gift. 🙂

For more information about our plants at Whispering Springs Nursery, visit our website or give us a call at 770-893-1254. Have you visited our nursery lately? Rate and share your experience with our team in the review section of our Facebook page today. We always enjoy hearing from you!

Why Leaves Change Colors

leavesWe all enjoy the colors of autumn leaves, especially the Whispering Springs Nursery team. The changing fall foliage never fails to surprise and delight us, but do you really know why the leaves change colors in the fall?

Let’s Get To It

According to Sciencemadesimple.com, “as summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter. This is how the trees “know” to begin getting ready for winter – this is where the color changing process begins. During winter, there is not enough light or water for photosynthesis. The trees will rest, and live off the food they stored during the summer. They begin to shut down their food-making factories. The green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves.”

When this happens sometimes we may see shades of yellow and or orange appeal on the leaf. Most likely, small amounts of these colors may have already existed on the leaf, but you couldn’t see it because of it was covered by the green chlorophyll.

Leaves that turn red in the fall usually have food trapped in them while leaves that turn brown have waste in them. It is the combination of all these things that make the beautiful fall foliage colors we enjoy each year.

For more information about our products and services at Whispering Springs Nursery, visit our website or give us a call at 770-893-1254.  Are you a current Whispering Springs Nursery customer? Rate and share your experience with us in the review section of our Facebook page today. We enjoy hearing from you!

Decorating Your Yard This Halloween

pumpkinsHalloween is right around the corner. At Whispering Springs Nursery, we love to see all of the creative ways are customers like to decorate their yard for the holiday. So just in case you waited and haven’t decorated your lawn just yet, we’ve put together some cool ideas that are easy to put together at home. Check them out.

Make Use Of Your Potted Plants

One of the easiest things to decorate for Halloween are your potted plants. Whether it’s just a simple homemade spider web, plastic bugs crawling in the plant or a fake hand protruding from the soil of the plant. There are so many ways you can incorporate your plants into the decoration.

Decorate Your Fence

Your fence can be easily incorporated into a Halloween decorative scene but can also be easily forgotten. Decorating your fence is similar to decorating your pots in the sense that you have many decorative options and visions you can explore. Whether you’re wanting to make your fence look old and worn, spider infested or splattered with blood (fake blood, of course), your fence can be a great prop in decorating for Halloween.

Homemade Blow-up Pumpkins

Turn a yard full of leaves into a pumpkin family in little to no time. Simply buy some trash bags that have a pumpkin face on them (these are often available at the supermarket during the fall) and stuff them with leaves! The more bags of leaves you have – the bigger your pumpkin family will be. It’s an easy way to efficiently clean and add personality to your yard.

So whether you’re looking to make your yard look spooky, scary or friendly this Halloween, these ideas are definitely great places to start. Embrace your creativity this holiday season and let it show in your lawn. Happy decorating!

For more information about Whispering Springs Nursery, visit our website or give us a call at 770-893-1254. Have you been by the nursery lately? Rate and share your experience with us in the review section of our Facebook page today. We always enjoy hearing from you!

Plants Working To Purify The Air In Your Home

snake plant We spend a lot of time indoors so the quality of the air we breathe is essential to our health. According to Lung.org, “you may not know it, but the air in your home can be dirty and hazardous to your health. In fact, indoor air can be even more polluted than the air outdoors.” While it’s easy to see when you need to dust or sweep, it’s harder to know when the air in your home needs cleaning. Take a look at a few plants that can help improve the air quality in your home.

Aloe

This plant is easy to grow succulent and loves to be in the sun. It helps clear formaldehyde and benzene, which can be a byproduct of chemical-based cleaners, paints and more.

Spider plant

If you tend to neglect houseplants, this plant is perfect for you. It has lots of rich foliage and tiny white flowers, the spider plant battles benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene, a solvent used in the leather, rubber and printing industries.

Snake plant

this plant is one of the best for filtering out formaldehyde, which is common in cleaning products, toilet paper, tissues and personal care products. It goes by the nickname “mother-in-law’s tongue.”

Gerbera daisy

This bright plant is effective at removing trichloroethylene, which you may bring home with your dry cleaning.

These are just plants a few will help improve your home air quality. Get healthy today!

For more information about our plants at Whispering Springs Nursery, visit our website or give us a call at 770-442-3901.  Are you a Whispering Springs Nursery customer? Rate and share your experience with our team in the review section of our Facebook page. We enjoy hearing from you!

Designing Your Garden On A Budget

GardenPlanning your own garden can be difficult but at Whispering Springs Nursery, we take pride in showing people that working in the yard doesn’t have to be hard. So no matter if you have a lot money to spend or if you’re redesigning on a budget, we’re here to help. Take a look a some cool things you can do to spruce up your yard for little to no money.

Spice up your outdoor living area for the Fall with an inspiration piece and build your decor around it. The piece can be as simple as a chair or patio table. Adding planted pots also adds to the outside decor (in addition to your outside flowers, of course).

Repurpose items you already have to add flare to your yard. You know that antique table you have stored in the garage? Tighten the legs of the table, paint it and my it on the patio for a nice place to sit and enjoy the Fall breeze. By repurposing items you already have, you’re saving money on outside items that cost the most.

With these easy tips your garden will be revamped in no time. Are you too busy to revamp your own garden? Let us help. Our team of creative team’s knowledgeable and ready to bring life back into your garden today.

 

For more information about Whispering Springs Nursery, visit our website or give us a call at 770-893-1254.  
Are your a Whispering Springs Nursery customer? Rate and share your experiences with our team in the review section of our Facebook page today. We love hearing from you!

Indoor Gardening for Beginners

Indoor gardening Summer is coming to an end and soon the leaves will begin to change colors and Fall will be here. If you’re wanting to continue your gardening through the Winter, indoor gardens are a great option. Check out these quick tips that’ll make sure your indoor gardening is a success.

Water at the bottom. – When watering a plant, it is easy to think just pouring water over the plant is enough, but it’s not. Many times the water can and will roll off of the leaves of the plant. This means the roots of the plant aren’t getting any water.  Water poured directly onto the soil may flood, or not reach the pot plant’s roots. An easy way to water the bottom is by sitting your plant in a dish and watering the dish. One more thing before we move on, yes it is possible to overwater your plants. Be sure to look up the type of plant you have and how often you should water it (you don’t want to drown your plants).

Pay attention to plant position. – Make sure your plants are in a place where they can receive sunlight. Don’t be afraid to try different spots until you find the right spot.

Don’t forget to feed your plants. – Most people think you only have to water plants, but adding fertilizer allows your plants to get the nutrients they need to grow strong. Believe it or not, even the best soil may not provide all of the essential nutrients required for optimum growth.

For more information about Whispering Springs Nursery, visit our website or give us a call at 770-893-1254.  
Are you a Whispering Springs Nursery customer? Rate and share your experiences with us in the review section of our Facebook page. We can’t wait to hear from you.