Tag Archive for: Land and Sea

VIDEO: Planting Hydrangeas and Yews 🌸🌲 with Wyse Guide

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In this Wyse Guide project, Kaleb refreshes the entry to his mom’s driveway with smooth hydrangeas and a Captain yew for four-season structure. He plants each shrub with Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus to jump-start strong root growth and reduce transplant stress, then adds Espoma Organic Holly-tone because hydrangeas and most yews thrive in slightly acidic soil. Bio-tone delivers beneficial microbes and gentle nutrition right where roots need it; Holly-tone provides a slow, steady feed tailored for acid-loving plants so they establish beautifully in his neutral Iowa soil.

Tips from Wyse Guide:

  1. Plant when you have the window. If the soil is workable and you can water, spring through fall is fair game—plants are often better off in the ground than in pots.
  2. Match plants to the site. Kaleb chose upright, weather-tough, smooth hydrangeas for bloom and a rugged Captain yew for year-round form in part shade with occasional dry spells.
  3. Call before you dig. Always locate underground utilities before starting holes. Safety first.
  4. Plant slightly high. Set the root ball a touch above grade to allow for settling and better oxygen at the crown, especially near thirsty maples.
  5. Prep the roots. Loosen or lightly score tight root balls so roots can spread into native soil. Then, pre-soak the root ball before backfilling.
  6. Feed and mulch smart. Mix Bio-tone and Holly-tone into the planting hole for establishment and acid-loving nutrition. Finish with a 2–3″ layer of compost like Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost mulch to add organic matter to lock in moisture and suppress weeds.

A simple, well-chosen pairing—hydrangeas for flowers and yew for structure—turned this entry into a welcoming focal point. Take your time, let inspiration strike at the nursery, and set new plants up for success with Bio-tone and Holly-ton

Ready to plant? Visit your local garden center for Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus,  Holly-tone, Land & Sea Compost, and let’s get growing!

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Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag Image Espoma Organic Holly-tone Organic Fertilizer for all acid loving plants Espoma Organic Land and Sea gourmet compost

 

 

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10 Time-Saving Tactics for a More Efficient Garden | Growing Joy with Maria

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Has your garden started to feel like a tedious task on your never-ending to-do list? Here are 10 ways to avoid garden burnout by making gardening more efficient and simple, so you can enjoy it without feeling weighed down.

This blog is inspired by Episode 266 of the Growing Joy with Plants Podcast, where Maria chats with CaliKim, YouTube gardening educator and author of The 10 Minute Gardener. Together, they share time-saving hacks to help you enjoy gardening again—without the stress.

Start Small, Stay Consistent

One of Kim’s foundational philosophies is to break down large tasks into smaller, manageable ones (3-, 5-, 8-, 10-, or 30-minute jobs), which is the basis of her book. The 10 Minute Gardener also organizes these by season (early, mid, late, dormant), so you can adapt them no matter where you garden.

Practical Time-Saving Tactics You Can Try Today

3 minute tasks

3-Minute Gardening Tasks

  • Fertilizer Fridays – Every Friday, while your tea kettle is boiling or you’re sipping coffee, take 3 minutes to fertilize your plants with an organic liquid fertilizer like Espoma Organic Indoor! Houseplant Food. You can also water them or pick off brown leaves.

  • Swift Growth Seed Sowing – Keep a small basket of seeds handy by your back door or in your pocket. During a quick break, pop a few pea seeds along a trellis or lettuce seeds into a container to keep succession planting going.

  • Three-Minute Tool Tidy – Clean and oil a few garden tools, like pruners, that may be getting rusty or sticky.

5-Minute Gardening Tasks

  • Tie-Up Tuesday (and Thursday!) – Dedicate a few minutes twice a week to trellis plants like cucumbers. Keep tie tape or twine in your pocket so you can do this quickly while walking through the garden.

  • Shade Cloth Oasis – Pre-clip shade cloth to trellises so you can dash out and cover plants when the sun is blazing.

  • End-of-Season Cleanups – Pull out dead plants and toss them into nearby trash bins or pop-up bins to keep your garden tidy.

8 & 10-minute tasks

8- & 10-Minute Gardening Tasks

  • Summer Salad Station – Plant a container with salad greens, a tomato or cucumber, and herbs for a quick, ready-to-harvest dinner garden.

  • Hustle & Bustle Garden Bed Prep – In spring, refresh your garden beds with soil amendments like Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost and worm castings.

30 min tasks

30-Minute Gardening Tasks

  • Compost Pile Refresh – Toss together kitchen scraps and yard waste to build your compost pile. Give it a splash of water, then walk away and let nature do the work.

  • Tree Branch Trellis – Gather a few sturdy sticks and lash them together to create a simple, rustic trellis for climbing plants.

Be Consistent and Keep Things Within Reach

The key is to keep everything handy and accessible. You don’t need complicated strategies to make gardening easier. Keep a basket of seeds by the door, stash pruners in multiple spots, and have tie tape at the ready. Making tools and supplies accessible ensures you stay consistent and efficient.

Listen to the Growing Joy with Plants Podcast

For more time-saving tips, listen to Episode 266 of the Growing Joy with Plants Podcast!

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Land and Sea Espoma Organic Indoor! liquid fertilizer

 

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VIDEO: Planting Tips 🌿 with Wyse Guide

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Kaleb Wyse of Wyse Guide brings his nephew, Kyan, into the garden to plant new perennials and share the joy of hands-on learning. To give their young plants the best start, Kaleb sprinkles Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus into each hole. This organic fertilizer acts like “planting insurance”—reducing transplant shock, stimulating stronger root growth, and improving soil health so perennials establish quickly and thrive for years.

Kaleb’s Planting Tips

  1. Plant in Masses
    Fill in open spaces with groups of perennials. Their foliage shades soil, suppresses weeds, and helps create a full, finished look.
  2. Loosen Roots Before Planting
    Tightly bound roots need a little teasing apart. This helps them spread into native soil and soak up water and nutrients more efficiently.
  3. Dig Smart
    Make your hole twice the size of the rootball. In tough soils, dig wider and mix in compost. Always set plants at the same depth they were in the pot.
  4. Feed with a high-quality Organic Starter Fertilizer
    Kaleb always plants with a good organic starter fertilizer like Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus. Sprinkle a handful in every hole. With beneficial microbes and mycorrhizae, Bio-tone promotes bigger roots, healthier soil, and faster establishment.
  5. Amend with Compost
    Kaleb recommends improving planting holes with a good organic compost. Try Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost, which blends lobster and crab shells with rich compost to boost soil fertility, structure, and microbial life.

Watching Kaleb and Kyan plant together is a reminder that gardens grow best with patience, care, and a little teamwork. With Bio-tone by your side, you’ll help every planting thrive from day one.

Ready to get growing? Grab your perennials, a bag of Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus. Then share your garden journey with us @EspomaOrganic on IG.

Learn More about Wyse Guide:

🪴 YouTube

🪴 Facebook

🪴 Instagram

🪴Website

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag ImageEspoma Organic Land and Sea gourmet compost

 

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VIDEO: Planting A Shade Garden 🌿 with Wyse Guide

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Whether you’re working with dry shade or full sun, Kaleb Wyse of Wyse Guide proves that every pocket of your garden can thrive with the right planning—and a little help from Espoma Organic.

In his latest video, Kaleb brings us along as he refreshes his shade beds and layers in new perennials in full-sun areas, showing how he builds textured, healthy spaces across his Iowa homestead. He’s not just planting—he’s feeding the soil and supporting every root with care.

Kaleb’s shade garden is a great example of adapting to conditions. Not all shade is the same—some spots, often under large trees, are dry shade, where roots compete for moisture and soil drains quickly. Other shady areas, like low spots or places near downspouts, hold more water, creating wet shade. Kaleb’s property has dry shade under mature maple and crabapple trees, so he selects plants that can handle lower moisture while still brightening dim areas.

To get his new additions off to the best start, Kaleb relies on Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus, his go-to for all new plantings. For hostas and other acid-loving favorites, Espoma Organic Holly-tone is also in his toolkit, enriching the soil with just the right nutrients for long-term success.

🌿 Kaleb’s Top Tips for Planting Success

1) Water Before You Plant
Always begin with a well-watered root ball so plants adjust quickly and absorb water efficiently post-planting.

2) Use a high-quality organic Starter Fertilizer
“It’s like planting insurance!” Kaleb says. He sprinkles Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus in every hole to encourage strong root development and minimize transplant shock.

3) Only Disturb Roots When Necessary
If roots aren’t bound tightly, skip scarification. Gentle handling helps reduce stress.

4) Embrace Compost—Even Last Year’s Leaves
Kaleb layers homemade compost—or a high-quality mix like Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost, a rich blend of natural ingredients enhanced with lobster and crab shells—right over last year’s fallen leaves. This creates a living mulch that enriches the soil naturally and builds long-term garden health.

5) Group Plants in Odd Numbers
Repeating clusters of five or seven create harmony and visual rhythm, especially in larger beds.

6) Prioritize Soil Coverage
From epimedium to hosta to Agastache, Kaleb aims for dense plantings that naturally suppress weeds and conserve moisture.

Ready to Grow Like Kaleb?

If Kaleb’s video inspires one thing, it’s that soil health is at the heart of every thriving garden. Whether your shade is dry or wet—or your planting area is in full sun—start with rich compost, thoughtful watering, and organic support from Espoma, and your plants will thank you season after season.

Let’s get growing—whether you’re filling a shady nook or bringing a sunlit border to life.

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Learn More about Wyse Guide:

🪴 YouTube

🪴 Facebook

🪴 Instagram

🪴Website

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag ImageEspoma Organic Holly-toneEspoma Organic Land and Sea

 

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VIDEO: Planting 🍅 Tomatoes, 🫑 Peppers & 🌿 Herbs with Wyse Guide

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Watch as Kaleb Wyse from Wyse Guide refreshes his raised beds and herb containers. He tops off his raised beds with Espoma Organic Raised Bed Mix and mixes in Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost to improve soil structure and health. He plants heirloom tomatoes and peppers using Espoma Organic Tomato-tone and Bio-tone Starter Plus to give his new plants the nutrients they need to develop strong roots and big blooms.

Kaleb fills terracotta pots with Espoma Organic Potting Mix and mixes in Bio-tone Starter Plus to support healthy growth of basil, rosemary, thyme, and more.

Kaleb’s Top Plant Care Tips:

  • Refresh raised beds as needed—especially if the soil has settled or it’s time to replant—using high-quality organic soil like Espoma Organic Raised Bed Mix and compost like Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost to improve soil structure, boost microbial activity, and maintain healthy growing conditions.
  • Feed tomato plants with a high-quality organic fertilizer like Espoma Organic Tomato-tone, which provides calcium to help support proper fruit production.
  • Whether planting in the ground or containers, mix in an organic starter fertilizer like Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus to encourage strong root growth and quick establishment.
  • Regularly harvest herbs to stimulate continuous growth.
  • Ensure containers receive consistent watering to prevent drying out.

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Learn More about Wyse Guide:

🪴 YouTube

🪴 Facebook

🪴 Instagram

🪴Website

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Potting soil Mix Big bagEspoma Raised Bed Mix bag Espoma Organic Land and Sea Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag ImageEspoma Organic Tomato-tone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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VIDEO: Planting Potatoes & Ranunculus 🥔🌱🌸 with Garden Answer

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Follow along as Laura from Garden Answer plants some ranunculus and potatoes! 🥔🌱

To save time and money, Laura is using leftover potatoes from last year’s crop and planting the entire spud directly on the ground. Plus, planting with a high-quality organic starter fertilizer like Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus and top-dressing with a nutrient-rich organic compost like Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost, she’s creating the perfect environment for a stronger, more delicious yield.

Laura recommends following up with some organic fertilizer in her routine garden maintenance. She will feed her potato plants with Espoma Organic Garden-tone and her Ranunculus with Espoma Organic Flower-tone, providing each plant type with the specific fertilizer specially formulated to produce happy healthy plants. 

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Learn more about Garden Answer here:

https://www.youtube.com/@gardenanswer/featured

https://www.gardenanswer.com/

https://www.facebook.com/gardenanswer

https://www.instagram.com/gardenanswer/

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag Image Espoma Organic Land and Sea gourmet compost Espoma Organic Garden-tone Espoma Organic Flower-tone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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VIDEO: Spring Garden Awakening with Summer Rayne Oakes 🌿

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Spring is stirring in the Finger Lakes, and Summer Rayne Oakes of  Flock Finger Lakes is already deep into her garden chores. In this video, she takes us on an early-season walk through her ever-evolving landscape highlighting emerging bulbs, sharing design plans, and laying the groundwork for a bountiful, sustainable year ahead.

Summer uses organic products for all her gardening projects—including our trusted Tone line of organic fertilizers, premium Potting Mixes, and organic Liquid Fertilizers—to create healthy, thriving spaces across her property. When planting new bulbs like daffodils and tulips, she relies on Espoma Organic Bulb-tone to set them up for success. And whenever she plants something new, Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus is her go-to to support strong root development from day one.

For all her new garden beds, Summer builds nutrient-rich soil from the ground up with Espoma Organic Raised Bed Mix, Land & Sea Gourmet Compost, and our premium Potting Mix—ensuring each planting area is full of organic matter, supports microbial life, and has optimum moisture-holding capacity.

From rewilding meadows and restoring forest edges to designing pollinator patches and building a 60-foot sustainable chicken coop, Summer’s garden isn’t just beautiful—it’s intentional. Her approach reflects a great mission: to nourish plants, support biodiversity, and build a healthier planet from the soil up. 🌱

Watch the full garden walk to get inspired for your own spring garden reset!

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Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag Image Espoma Organic Bulb-tone bag Espoma Raised Bed Mix bag Espoma Organic Land and Sea Espoma Organic Potting soil Mix Big bag

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VIDEO: Planting Strawberry Raised Beds 🍓🌱 with Garden Answer

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🌱 Join Laura from @gardenanswer as she gets her hands dirty setting up beautiful raised beds for her strawberry patch!

She fills her new beds with Espoma Organic Raised Bed Mix, the perfect foundation for thriving plants. Then, she mixes in our organic starter fertilizer Bio-tone Starter Plus—our secret to strong, healthy root development from day one.

To finish, Laura tops it all off with Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost, adding rich nutrients and moisture-retaining goodness for strawberries that can’t help but flourish. 🍓✨

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Learn more about Garden Answer here:

https://www.youtube.com/@gardenanswer/featured

https://www.gardenanswer.com/

https://www.facebook.com/gardenanswer

https://www.instagram.com/gardenanswer/

Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus Bag Image Espoma Raised Bed Mix bag Espoma Organic Land and Sea gourmet compost

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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VIDEO: How to Plant a Raised Bed Like a Pro with Farmer Nick

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We’re always excited to see our brand partner Farmer Nick (@farmernick) bringing his garden to life with organic fertilizer — and his latest reel is packed with great tips for every gardener!

In his recent project, Nick repaired his planting trug and got it ready for a fresh season of growth using organic fertilizer.

Here are his top takeaways:

  • ✅ Even if your soil still looks good, always amend it before planting — Nick uses Espoma Organic Garden-tone to recharge the soil and get it ready for seedlings.

  • ✅ Some fresh organic compost like Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost can also help boost the soil’s nutrient content.

  • ✅ Nick recommends mixing in an organic fertilizer like Espoma Organic Garden-tone with rich organic compost like Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost at least once a month during the growing season to keep plants fed and thriving.

  • ✅ Many gardeners forget that plants need regular feeding — consistent fertilizing leads to healthier plants and bigger yields.

  • ✅ Espoma offers specialized “Tone” fertilizers (like Tomato-tone, Rose-tone, and Plant-tone) so you can meet the unique needs of different plants.

Ready to help your garden thrive? Take a page from Nick’s playbook and feed your plants throughout the season!

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Featured Products:

Espoma Organic Potting soil Mix Big bagEspoma Organic Land and SeaEspoma Raised Bed Mix bag  Espoma Organic Tomato-toneEspoma Organic Rose-tone bagEspoma Organic Plant-tone organic fertilizer

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VIDEO: Installing a NEW Perennial Bed & Path with Wise Guide ?

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Join Kaleb from  Wyse Guide as he takes you through his latest landscaping project. Watch as he creates a new garden space, from installing a beautiful hardscape path to amending new garden beds for perennial plants. Kaleb guides you through each step of the process, sharing tips and insights along the way. Kaleb amends his new garden beds with Espoma Organic Land & Sea Compost to enrich his native soil with organic matter, which is beneficial to plants and also improves soil structure and drainage.

Learn more about Wyse Guide here:

? YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WyseGuide 

? Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WyseGuide/

? Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WyseGuide/

? Website: https://www.wyseguide.com/

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