Enhancing Outdoor Spaces: Transform Your Landscape with ARS Landscape Materials & Supply

The right landscape materials can make the difference between an outdoor project that looks good temporarily and one that continues performing season after season. Soil composition, drainage, nutrient content, grading, and material placement all influence how well gardens, lawns, trees, shrubs, and hardscape areas develop over time.

ARS Landscape Materials & Supply serves homeowners, landscapers, and contractors throughout the Denver metropolitan area with soil products designed for different landscaping applications. Understanding when to use garden mix, compost, planter’s mix, or fill dirt can help you choose materials that match the needs of your project instead of relying on one soil product for every application.

Key Takeaways

• Match landscape materials to their intended use rather than choosing soil based only on appearance or price.
• Garden mix works well for establishing or improving garden beds where balanced soil structure and organic matter are needed.
• Compost is best used as a soil amendment to improve organic matter and nutrient availability.
• Planter’s mix provides a suitable growing medium for many trees, shrubs, grass areas, and planting projects.
• Fill dirt is primarily used for grading, leveling, and establishing stable elevations rather than supporting plant growth.
• Accurate measurements and proper site preparation can reduce wasted material and improve project results.

Why Quality Landscape Materials Matter

Landscaping starts below the surface. Even healthy plants can struggle when they are installed in compacted, poorly draining, or nutrient-deficient soil.

Quality landscape materials help create conditions that support root development, drainage, moisture retention, and long-term stability. The exact qualities needed depend on whether you are planting a garden, establishing turf, preparing a tree bed, or changing the grade of a property.

A vegetable garden, for example, needs a growing medium with organic matter and favorable soil structure. A low area that needs to be raised may require fill dirt instead because stability is more important than fertility.

Choosing materials according to their function helps prevent common mistakes such as planting directly into poor fill soil or using expensive planting soil in areas where structural fill would perform better.

Choosing the Right Material for Your Project

Different landscaping projects place different demands on soil.

The following table offers a practical starting point for selecting among several common ARS materials.

Material requirements can vary based on existing soil conditions, drainage, depth, plant selection, and the final use of the area. Large structural or drainage projects may also require specifications from a landscape contractor or engineer.

Build Productive Garden Beds with Garden Mix

A garden bed requires more than loose dirt. Plants need a growing medium that balances drainage, moisture retention, organic matter, and root support.

ARS Garden Mix combines topsoil, compost, and sandy loam. According to the product information provided, the blend consists of approximately 30% topsoil, 50% compost, and 20% sandy loam.

Each component serves a different function. Topsoil contributes mineral soil and structure, compost supplies organic matter, and sandy loam can help create a workable texture.

Garden mix can be useful when creating new raised beds, improving garden areas, or replacing poor soil where vegetables, flowers, and other plants will be grown.

Before adding a large amount, consider the existing soil beneath the bed. Incorporating or transitioning the new material into the existing soil can sometimes provide a better root environment than creating a sharp boundary between two very different soil layers.

Improve Existing Soil with Compost

Compost is primarily a soil amendment rather than structural fill.

Adding mature Compost can improve organic matter in garden soil, which may support better soil structure, biological activity, nutrient availability, and moisture management.

ARS describes its compost as aged for an extended period before use. Mature compost is valuable because the organic material has already undergone much of the decomposition process before being incorporated into a landscape.

Compost can be mixed into existing garden soil or used as part of a broader soil-building strategy. It is generally not intended to replace all mineral soil because planting areas still need appropriate structure and drainage.

How much compost to add depends on the existing soil and what you plan to grow. Applying excessive amounts is not always better, particularly when the existing soil already contains substantial organic matter.

Support Trees, Shrubs, and Grass with Planter’s Mix

Trees and shrubs need soil that supports root growth while managing both moisture and air movement.

ARS Planter’s Mix contains topsoil and compost, with the supplied product description identifying a blend of approximately 60% topsoil and 40% compost.

This type of mixture can be useful when preparing planting areas, improving landscape beds, or establishing suitable soil where the existing ground is poor.

The correct planting method still matters. Trees should not simply be placed into a small pocket of highly amended soil surrounded by heavily compacted native soil without considering drainage and root expansion.

For larger planting projects, evaluate the entire root zone rather than concentrating only on the planting hole.

Planter’s mix may also be useful when preparing certain lawn or grass areas, depending on the existing soil depth and condition. The final grade should be established before planting so water does not collect around structures or low areas.

Create Stable Grades with Fill Dirt

Not every landscaping project requires nutrient-rich soil.

When the goal is raising elevation, filling depressions, smoothing uneven terrain, or establishing a base beneath future landscaping layers, Fill Dirt may be the more appropriate material.

Fill dirt generally contains less organic matter than planting soil. This makes it better suited for applications where stability is more important than fertility.

For example, if a section of a yard needs to be raised significantly before a lawn is installed, placing premium planting soil throughout the entire depth may be unnecessary. Fill dirt can establish the lower elevation, followed by an appropriate topsoil or planting layer near the surface.

Proper compaction is especially important when fill is placed in deeper areas. Loose material can settle after construction, creating depressions or uneven surfaces.

Soil Selection for Denver-Area Landscaping

Colorado landscapes can present challenging soil conditions.

Some properties have clay-heavy soils that drain slowly and become difficult to work when wet. Others may contain disturbed construction soil, compacted layers, or areas where previous landscaping has altered the original soil profile.

Denver’s semi-arid climate also makes water management important. A soil that drains too quickly may require frequent irrigation, while poorly draining material can hold excessive moisture around some plants.

This is why soil selection should consider both the new material and the conditions already present on the property.

Before ordering, identify whether your main goal is plant growth, soil improvement, grading, drainage, or structural stability. That distinction usually narrows the material choices considerably.

Planning How Much Landscape Material You Need

Accurate material estimates reduce unnecessary cost and help prevent interruptions during installation.

For a rectangular area, calculate volume using:

Length × Width × Depth = Volume

Make sure all measurements are expressed in compatible units.

Landscape materials are commonly ordered by the cubic yard. Because one cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet, measurements taken in feet can be converted by dividing the total cubic feet by 27.

For example, an area measuring 12 feet long by 9 feet wide with a desired depth of 6 inches would require approximately 2 cubic yards before accounting for compaction or project-specific allowances.

Irregularly shaped spaces, slopes, and deep grading projects are more difficult to estimate. Providing a material supplier with your measurements can help you determine a more practical order quantity.

Consider Delivery and Site Access

Bulk landscape materials become heavy quickly.

Even a relatively small landscaping project may require several cubic yards of material, making delivery more practical than transporting repeated small loads.

Before scheduling delivery, determine where the material can safely be placed. Consider driveway access, overhead wires, parked vehicles, gates, landscaping features, and how far the material must be moved after unloading.

The closer the delivery point is to the work area, the less time and labor may be required to distribute the material.

Large contractor projects may also benefit from coordinating material deliveries with the installation schedule so soil does not obstruct other work taking place on the property.

A Better Approach to Landscape Material Selection

Instead of asking which landscaping soil is “best,” start by asking what the material needs to accomplish.

If the goal is growing vegetables, choose a productive planting mixture. If existing soil needs improvement, compost may be appropriate. Trees and shrubs may benefit from planter’s mix, while elevation changes may require fill dirt.

This function-first approach makes it easier to avoid overpaying for materials that do not provide a meaningful advantage for the project.

It also helps create a landscape in layers. Structural material can establish the shape of the site, while appropriate planting soil can be concentrated where plants actually need it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What landscape material should I use for a new garden?

Garden mix is generally a strong option for new vegetable and flower beds because it combines mineral soil, compost, and sandy loam. The existing soil, drainage, planting depth, and types of plants should still be considered before installation.

Is compost the same as garden soil?

No. Compost is an organic soil amendment, while garden soil or garden mix typically contains both mineral soil and organic material. Compost is commonly mixed with soil rather than used as the only growing medium for an entire landscape bed.

Should I use fill dirt or planter’s mix?

Use fill dirt when your primary goal is grading, filling low areas, or raising elevations. Planter’s mix is more appropriate where trees, shrubs, grass, or other plants need a suitable growing medium.

For deep landscaping areas, both materials may be used in layers, with fill dirt below and planting soil closer to the surface.

Can landscape materials be delivered in the Denver Metro area?

ARS Landscape Materials & Supply offers material delivery for landscaping projects throughout the Denver metropolitan area. Delivery can simplify projects that require more soil, compost, or fill than can reasonably be transported in a personal vehicle.

Create a Stronger Foundation for Your Outdoor Space

Successful landscaping starts by putting the right material in the right place. Garden mix, compost, planter’s mix, and fill dirt are designed for different jobs, so choosing according to the function of the area can improve both immediate results and long-term performance.

ARS Landscape Materials & Supply provides bulk landscaping materials for homeowners, landscapers, and contractors throughout the Denver area. Whether you are establishing new planting beds, improving existing soil, preparing space for trees and shrubs, or changing the grade of your property, planning the soil layer first can make the rest of the project easier.

Contact Us to discuss your landscaping project, material requirements, and delivery options.