Watch as Kaleb @WyseGuide adds some instant color to his decorative front flower pots.
Kaleb uses Espoma Organic All Purpose Potting Mix when adding new plants to his outdoor containers.
When planting, we always recommend adding in some Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus to help provide the nutrients plants need to thrive in their new location.
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Edible landscaping is a fun way to add beauty and flavor to your garden. You can enjoy the beauty of plants and gorgeous curb appeal, while also harvesting delicious fruits, vegetables, and herbs. It can add flavor, nutrition, and beauty to your garden, and provide food for your family. Here are 10 tips to get started.
This blog is inspired by Episode 91 of Growing Joy with Maria Podcast, where host Maria Failla interviewed her mom, lovingly referred to as “Mama Failla” to share her top 10 tips for Edible Landscaping and Gardening.
Start Small
Take the time to familiarize yourself with your land and start with a small section or specific edible plants that you love to eat. This approach allows you to learn and adapt as you go. Maria and her Mom suggest starting with herbs, as they are easy to grow and provide a variety of flavors and colors. Basil is their favorite!
Understand your light and water
Keep an eye on your garden’s light and water needs. During the warmer months, track the sunlight patterns in your garden to ensure adequate exposure. For convenient watering, plan your garden near a hose or irrigation system. If you’re hand-watering, make sure your garden is a manageable size and within your ability to water effectively. When planting, you can use Espoma Organic Bio-Tone Starter Plus to promote strong root development. This will enhance water absorption for your plants.
Understand your soil
Know your soil by getting a local soil test. Then get it ready for planting season by adding a healthy dose of compost and organic matter. Compost is like a multivitamin for your soil, providing essential nutrients and improving soil health. Choose soil and compost that you can transport easily such as Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost.
Check out this fun compost bag hack, Maria’s plant friend Melody taught her.
Pick what you can do, what you want to do, and what you can afford to do
Choose plants that suit your taste, capabilities, and wallet. Divide and reuse perennials to keep costs down and select plants that grow joy. Consider a blend of annuals and perennials for season-long blooms, and boost the soil with Espoma Organic Bulb-Tone when planting bulbs like daffodils and tulips.
Get family and friends involved
Turn gardening into a bonding experience by involving your loved ones in composting and gardening tasks. Assign different garden tasks to family members and share cuttings and plants with neighbors. Teach children in your neighborhood about how plants grow.
Get your gardener involved
If you’re a novice or unsure about your soil, bring in a gardener to give you a hand. They can help pick the right plants and assist with composting and waste disposal. Espoma Organic Garden Lime can adjust your soil’s pH, creating the perfect environment for your plants under the guidance of your gardener.
Plan your seasons
Strategize your garden layout with the seasons in mind. Plant bulbs in the fall for a burst of springtime flowers and add annuals for a summer color party. Plan for winter too with sturdy plants like cabbage and nourish your plants throughout the year with Espoma Organic Plant-tone and Garden-tone.
Start with annual color
Brighten up your garden with vibrant annuals like impatiens, begonias, and coleus. Play with textures for extra visual appeal, unless you’re aiming for a specific plant variety. Improve the growth and vitality of your flowers with Espoma Organic Flower-Tone, a premium flower food that promotes abundant blooms and vibrant colors.
Choose a time to devote to your garden
Gardening loves regular care, so it’s important to set aside specific time to tend to your garden. Three times a week should do the trick, preferably in the cooler mornings. Regular maintenance, like weeding, keeps your garden looking tidy. Use Espoma Organic Weed Preventer to naturally control weeds and create a barrier that saves you time and effort.
Mama Failla’s rules for protecting yourself in the garden
Enjoy gardening but remember to stay safe. Dress in closed-toed shoes, long pants tucked into socks, and a long-sleeved shirt with cuffs that cover your hands. Double-glove to keep your hands clean. Top it off with a hat and sunglasses to protect your skin from the sun, and consider a visor to shield the back of your neck.
By following these tips and putting in the necessary time and effort, your edible landscape will flourish, providing you with a source of joy, beauty, and fresh, homegrown produce. Enjoy your gardening journey and reap the rewards of your efforts!
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Are you adding roses to your garden this season?
Follow along with Laura @Garden Answer as she helps her mom beautify her garden by planting a variety of bare root roses. Laura demonstrates a clear approach to handling bare root roses, from hydrating the roots prior to planting, proper spacing and planting depth as well as the importance of using a good starter fertilizer to help mitigate transplant shock as well as provide the proper nutrients for the plant to mature successfully. Laura uses Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus to enrich the soil and create an ideal growing environment for all her new plantings.
Learn more about Garden Answer here:
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As a beginner gardener, it can be overwhelming to navigate the various factors that can affect the success of your plants. One of the most important aspects to consider is your garden’s hardiness zone, frost dates, and microclimates.
This blog is inspired by Episode 118 of Growing Joy with Maria Podcast, where host Maria Failla interviewed Rochelle Greayer of the renowned garden design website Pith & Vigor.
What are Hardiness Zones?
Hardiness zones are a way to categorize regions based on average annual extreme minimum temperatures. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has divided the country into 13 zones, with each zone representing a range of temperatures. The lower the zone number, the colder the region.
Knowing your hardiness zone is crucial because it determines which plants are most likely to thrive in your area.
When selecting plants, make sure to choose the ones that are recommended for your zone. Plant tags or online descriptions will often indicate the plant’s hardiness zone.
It’s important to note that while hardiness zones provide a general guide, they are not foolproof. Other factors, such as soil type, rainfall, and elevation, can also affect a plant’s success. However, knowing your hardiness zone is a good starting point for selecting plants that are well-suited to your area.
What are Frost Dates?
Frost dates refer to the average dates of the first and last frost in your area. These dates are important because frost can damage or kill tender plants, so it’s best to avoid planting them until after the last frost in the spring.
To ensure good germination rates and healthy seedlings, consider using a soil mix specifically designed for starting seeds, such as Espoma Organic Seed Starter.
To determine your area’s frost dates, you can consult a gardening book or website, or contact your local extension office. Another great tip is to go to your local nursery and ask the workers when they plant their gardens, they are the true experts in your region!
Keep in mind that frost dates are just averages, so it’s always a good idea to stay vigilant and protect your plants during particularly cold spells. One way to protect your plants from frost is to cover them with a frost blanket or other protective covering. You can also plant tender plants in containers that can be moved indoors during cold spells.
What are Microclimates?
Microclimates are small areas within a garden that have slightly different growing conditions than the surrounding area. These differences can be caused by variations in temperature, humidity, sun exposure, and wind.
For example, a south-facing wall may be warmer and sunnier than the rest of the garden, making it an ideal spot for heat-loving plants. A low-lying area may be more prone to frost and moisture, making it a good spot for plants that prefer cooler and wetter conditions.
By paying attention to microclimates in your garden, you can make the most of the varying conditions and create a more diverse and successful garden.
To help improve soil health and promote plant growth, you may want to consider using a plant food like Espoma Garden-tone or Plant-tone. These products contain a blend of natural ingredients that provide essential nutrients to a wide variety of plants.
How to Use Hardiness Zones, Frost Dates, and Microclimates in Your Garden.
Now that you understand the basics of hardiness zones, frost dates, and microclimates, you can use this information to plan your garden more effectively.
Start by determining your hardiness zone and selecting plants that are recommended for your area. Make sure to also take into account your area’s frost dates and avoid planting tender plants until after the last frost in the spring.
Next, pay attention to the microclimates in your garden and use them to your advantage. Experiment with planting different plants in different areas to see which ones thrive best in each microclimate.
Finally, don’t be afraid to reach out to local gardening experts for more specific advice on your area’s growing conditions. With a little bit of research and planning, you can create a beautiful and successful garden that thrives in your unique environment.
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Additional Tips
Here are some additional tips to help you make the most of your garden’s hardiness zone, frost dates, and microclimates:
1. Consider using raised beds or containers to create microclimates within your garden. You can fill these containers with soil that is specifically tailored to the plants you want to grow. Espoma Organic Raised Bed Mix is perfect for filling raised beds.
2. Use mulch to help regulate soil temperature and moisture levels. It can also help prevent weeds from growing.
3. Keep a gardening journal to track your successes and failures. This can help you refine your gardening techniques and learn from your mistakes.
4. Consider joining a local Garden Club or attending gardening workshops in your area. This can be a great way to learn from experienced gardeners and get advice on specific challenges you may be facing.
5. Don’t be afraid to experiment! Gardening is a constantly evolving process, and it’s okay to try new things and see what works best for you and your garden.
Understanding your garden’s hardiness zone, frost dates, and microclimates is important for successful gardening. By selecting plants that are recommended for your zone, planting after the last frost, and taking advantage of microclimates, you can create a beautiful and thriving garden!
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An edible garden can be a wonderful addition to any home. But with all of the information out there on vegetable gardening, it can feel overwhelming to start. This blog is here to help people who are in their first few years of vegetable gardening by covering the need-to-know basics.
This blog is inspired by Episode 89 of Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast, where host Maria Failla interviewed Toby Adams, the Director of the Edible Academy for the New York Botanical Garden.
What Vegetables Should I Grow as a Beginner?
You might be tempted to try growing lots of different vegetables, especially as a beginner. But it’s best to start with just a few varieties and get really good at growing them. From there, you can expand your vegetable garden in the following years, slowly building on your mastery.
So, where do you start? The simplest way is thinking about what you like to eat! Create a small list of vegetables you purchase regularly at the grocery store or farmer’s market. Then do a little research about the plants themselves and what they require to grow. You may find that some vegetables don’t grow well where you live, or you might be hindered by your growing set up in size, sun, and scale.
Next, think about your location. If you’re growing in a place like New York City or other Northeastern U.S. locations, you’re likely to have different seasons. Spring and fall are referred to as cool seasons. There are groups of plants that do well in cool weather with some warm days, but colder nights. There are also warm season crops that grow best in summer with no chance of frost.
If you go back to your wishlist, you can figure out which plants are cool season versus warm season crops, and plan from there. Here are some examples of cool and warm season vegetables:
Cool season vegetables: lettuce, radish, peas, spinach, carrots, kale, cabbage.
Warm season vegetables: squash, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, corn, cucumbers.
What’s a Hardiness Zone?
If you’re in the U.S., you can find your USDA plant hardiness zone by entering your zip code. This helps you determine which plants are most likely to grow well in your area based on temperature.
Once you find your hardiness zone, you can also search for the last frost date in your zip code. Your first and last frost dates will show you how many frost-free growing days you have in a season. This can help you figure out which warm and cool season crops will grow best in your area.
From there, you can even find helpful planting calendars for your area through resources like your local extension office, local or online gardening groups, and the Farmer’s Almanac.
What Do Vegetables Need to Grow Successfully?
There are a handful of factors that go into a successful vegetable garden. Below we’ll cover space, sun, water, soil, and fertilizing.
How Much Space Do My Vegetables Need?
Once you’ve got your list of vegetables, think about other growing factors like space requirements. Some plants require more space, while smaller varieties can be planted in small containers.
A tomato plant, for example, needs about 18 – 24” to grow successfully. If you’re growing tomatoes in containers, make sure to only plant one tomato per container.
On the other hand, leafy greens like lettuce and spinach can be planted close together and harvested as baby greens.
How Much Sun Do I Need for My Vegetable Garden?
The next component of successfully growing vegetables is sun exposure. Most vegetables need a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight, but eight hours is ideal. Think about your garden placement based on how much sun each area receives.
An easy way to determine how much sun your garden gets is to do a sun analysis. If you have a full day at home, check the area every hour and make note of whether it gets direct sun or not. At the end of the day, add up how many hours of direct sun you get. This will help you determine which plants will thrive in your area.
Be aware though, if you’re doing your sun analysis in winter and you have trees nearby, those trees will actually have a full canopy of leaves in summer that will cast shade.
An easy way to start is keeping in mind the following: in the Northern hemisphere, gardens that face South will get the most sunlight. Eastern gardens will receive gentle morning sun and Western gardens will receive hotter afternoon sun. Northern gardens will receive the least amount of light and may cause issues for successful growing.
How Much to Water Vegetables
Water is another key aspect of vegetable gardening. The amount you water will depend on the time of year, the needs of each plant, and the other growing conditions in your garden. A general rule is that plants don’t like to sit in water, but they do need consistent water.
Deep watering your plants with longer, less frequent periods of watering will encourage robust root systems that grow deep into the soil. During Summer months, this can look like watering 3-4 times a week at 30 minute intervals, depending on your climate.
What’s the Best Soil for Edible Plants?
Last, you’ll need a soil medium based on where and how you’re growing. A well-draining soil that contains organic food for your plants, like compost and fertilizer, is a good option.
If you’re growing in containers, Espoma’s Organic Potting Mix works great for growing vegetables. If you have an outdoor growing space, the Raised Bed Mix or the Vegetable & Flower Garden Soil work well for edible plants.
Whatever soil you choose, make sure that it has good drainage. Most of your plants’ root systems need oxygen to grow and don’t like to sit in water.
If you’re growing in an in-ground garden, a soil test is essential to know what nutrients and heavy metals are in your soil. Your local extension office may have soil testing or be able to direct you to companies that do. You can use Espoma Organic Land & Sea Compost to amend your soil.
Do I Need to Fertilize My Vegetable Garden?
Plant nutrients are broken up into macro and micronutrients. The main macronutrients you need to know about are the famous NPK: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K).
Starting with high quality soil and compost sets your edible garden up for success. Throughout the growing season, your vegetable garden will use up and absorb many of the macronutrients in your soil, and they will often need to be replaced by using fertilizers.
Use a general fertilizer like Garden-tone or use the plant-specific fertilizer line of “Tones” that Espoma has to offer like Tomato-tone, Berry-tone or Bulb-tone. For a list of Espoma’s wide varieties of “tones,” visit our website.
The Best Vegetable Gardening Advice
What’s the best advice you can get on starting your edible garden? Just start! Remember to try growing only a few different vegetables, making sure they have the right conditions, and expand from there. We hope this blog inspired you to try growing some of your own vegetables right in your own backyard!
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About Bloom & Grow Radio Podcast
Bloom & Grow Radio Podcast helps people care for plants successfully and cultivate more joy in their lives. Host Maria Failla, a former plant killer turned happy plant lady, interviews experts on various aspects of plant care, and encourages listeners to not only care for plants, but learn to care for themselves along the way.
About Our Interviewee
The NYBG Edible Academy is a state-of-the-art educational facility featuring hands-on activities and innovative programs that help children, families, teachers, and the general public learn about growing and preparing vegetables, fruit, and herbs while encouraging a lifelong interest in gardening, nutrition awareness, and environmental stewardship. Toby Adams has worked at the NYBG for almost 20 years, and has a passion for helping people understand how to grow food.
Follow the New York Botanical Garden:
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Watch as Kaleb Wyse @Wyseguide transplants trees and fertilizes his Hydrangeas this spring.
Kaleb uses Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus prior to putting his trees in the ground and Espoma Organic Holly-tone when fertilizing his Hydrangeas.
Learn More about Kaleb Wyse here:
Kaleb Wyse – @WyseGuide: https://www.youtube.com/c/WyseGuide
Website – https://www.wyseguide.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WyseGuide/
nstagram – https://www.instagram.com/wyseguide/
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/wyseguide/
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Join Kaleb from @WyseGuide as he digs into new projects for spring!
Have you considered changing the locations of your trees, shrubs or other plants in your garden? Or maybe you are debating adding some new garden beds to your space this spring, but feel overwhelmed by the project? Kaleb @will show how easy it can be to create new flowerbeds by letting us follow along as he makes a new one in his landscape. He will show how easy it can be to edge and design a new garden bed without any professional experience. Then continue to watch Kaleb as he transplants a spruce tree from one area of his property to another. He will also explain why he chooses to use our Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus when he wants to encourage root growth with transplanting or any new plantings.
Learn More about Kaleb Wyse here:
Kaleb Wyse – @WyseGuide: https://www.youtube.com/c/WyseGuide
Website – https://www.wyseguide.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WyseGuide/
nstagram – https://www.instagram.com/wyseguide/
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/wyseguide/
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Need a winter project?
Check out the awesome stone raised bed Summer Rayne Oakes @homesteadbrooklyn and the Flock Fingerlakes team are building/prepping for the next growing season. Espoma’s Raised Bed Mix and Land and Sea Compost are the perfect growing medium for their future plants!
Learn more about Flock Finger Lakes here:
Website: flockfingerlakes.com
Instagram – @flockfingerlakes
YouTube –Flock Finger Lakes
Twitter – @flockny
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Caring for plants can connect us back to nature. Engaging with them on a daily basis either in our homes or in our gardens can help us understand the importance of preserving the natural world around us. In this blog, we do a deep dive into low-waste choices you can make to have a more sustainable plant collection and a more positive impact on the environment.
This blog is inspired by Episode 110 of Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast, where host Maria Failla interviewed Nick Cutsumpas of Farmer Nick.
Don’t get intimidated by the “zero” in “zero waste”
As a society, we often get intimidated and overwhelmed when we see something that says “zero.” Even if we strive for zero waste, we recognize that there are certain wasteful elements in our lives that are inevitable.
Let’s face it—achieving “zero waste” is almost close to impossible. Instead, let’s try to reduce waste as much as possible and promote a “low waste” style of plant parenthood.
We don’t need 10% of the population living a 100% zero waste lifestyle. We need 100% of the population making choices that lead them to be at least 10% more sustainable.
What is Waste?
To put it simply, waste is something that will end up in a landfill. Items that cannot be recycled should be considered waste. It is a growing problem affecting not just the environment but also our population.
Waste contaminates water if not disposed of properly and can get absorbed by fish and other aquatic life. This then spreads into the food chain and is now affecting the population.
Here are 3 low waste tips you can apply to your approach to plant care.
Low Waste Tip #1: Reuse everything (or at least as much as you can)
Take a look at something, pick it up, and instead of the Marie Kondo style of, “Does it bring me joy? If not, throw it away,” try saying, “What kind of purpose do you have in my now?”
Here are some examples for upcycling your plant products:
Espoma has always been a zero waste manufacturing facility and continues to strive to create zero waste during its manufacturing processes.
Here are some of Espoma’s sustainability accomplishments
Low Waste Tip #2: Choose sustainably made, organic fertilizers and potting mixes
Plant roots require soil as a foothold. It contains nutrients that allow plants to grow. Putting them in high-quality potting mix or soil is an easy choice when trying to set your plant up to thrive.
Anyone who wants to take care of the environment should not be buying from places that use potentially harmful synthetic fertilizers.
As for quality soils, look no further than Espoma’s Organic Potting Soils. This contains a rich blend of only the finest natural ingredients. No synthetic plant foods or chemicals are used.
Low Waste Tip #3: Know your plant number!
This might be tough for some people to hear, but knowing your plant number not only saves you money but also saves your plants and your waste footprint!
Say you have 50 plants and they’re all thriving under your care. Let’s assume that is your limit or plant number. If you add your 51st plant and then the quality of care suffers for the other plants, you might start losing plants in your collection due to overwhelm or negligence. That’s not sustainable.
Before you bring a plant home, be honest with yourself and ask, “Do I have the space? Do I have the time and the right environment for this?”
This is also a lesson in restraint—by taking a step back and knowing that you don’t need another plant in your collection: you limit waste and increase the likelihood of your plant collection bringing you joy instead of stress.
Protecting the environment
In today’s world that divides us, the environment is one of the things that can be quite polarizing depending on what views you have. But no one can disagree with the fact that we all use and require the natural resources the Earth so generously offers us.
Anyone who has been inspired by the vastness of the ocean, the awesome height of a redwood tree or the simple relaxation a hike can bring can understand the importance of nature. So all humans, in essence, should view themselves as stewards of the earth.
Understanding your responsibility to the Earth doesn’t require you to move to a cabin and live off the grid. You can live in sync with nature and it can be done so in a way that does not detract from your lifestyle by making simple, sustainable choices that benefit you and the planet.
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About Our Interviewee
Nick is a “plantrepreneur” who is passionate about all things green. As a full-time plant coach, urban gardener, and landscape designer, Nick’s mission is to leave the earth greener than when he found it—giving people the knowledge and confidence they need to create their own green spaces in the pursuit of environmental action and social justice.
Watch Nick and other rapid-fire renovators on Netflix, Instant Dream Home. This showcases Nick and his incredibly talented friends taking big risks and making painstaking plans to transform families’ homes from top to bottom in just 12 hours.
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Another win for Garden Answer! From boxwoods to trees to a brand new bulb-garden, this planting haul is one for the books. Honorable mentions? Espoma Organic’s Bio-Tone, Potting Soil, and Bulb-Tone are the true heroes of this epic. See how they’re essential for long-lasting healthy blooms in the video below!
Learn more about Garden Answer here:
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