This DIY veggie pallet planter, made by Laura from Garden Answer, is a great upcycled vertical planter idea. Laura shows how you can grow lettuce and flower in a small space using Espoma organic potting soil and organic fertilizer.
With vibrant hues of blue and sweet flavor, no summer fruit is better known (or better for you) than the blueberry. These blue wonders play a vital role in health and well-being.
Plant a blueberry bush today and savor the fresh berries all summer.
If flavor is your top priority, you absolutely must add these blueberries to your garden! Just imagine how mouthwatering that first, homegrown blueberry will be! Until then, though, you’ll keep busy! While growing blueberries, be sure to feed with Holly-tone and keep the soil pH low with Soil Acidifier.
Photo courtesy of Richard Shiell for Monrovia.
Southmoon Blueberry – A southern favorite that does well in hot temperatures, the Southmoon blueberry is a delicious pick. The sky-blue berries are a nice touch, too. Plant in lighter, sandy soils and ammend with lots of organic material.
Blueberry Type: Southern Highbush
Light: Full sun
Size: 6’ H x 6’ W
Zone: 6-9
Chill Hours: 300-500
Ripening Season: Early: Early-late July
Taste and Size: Large berries with sweet, juicy blueberry flavor
Yield: Moderate yield
Features:
Photo courtesy of Richard Shiell for Monrovia.
O’Neal Blueberry – The O’Neal produces dark blue berries that taste more like candy than fruit. With high-sugar content, you’ll want to eat these yummy berries right as soon as you pick them. As a semi-upright shrub, you can let this blueberry grow wild and free or train it to grow up.
Blueberry Type: Southern Highbush
Light: Full sun
Size: 4-6’ H x 4-6’ W
Zone: 5-9
Chill Hours: 500-600
Ripening Season: Early: Early May-Early June
Taste and Size: Large blueberries that taste juicy and sugary-sweet
Yield: Moderate yield
Features:
Polaris Blueberry – If you love to eat blueberries early in the season, the Polaris is for you! The Polaris was developed in Minnesota, so you know it can handle the cold, too! Go ahead, and pair with Northblue to increase blueberry yield.
Blueberry Type: Half-high
Light: Full sun
Size: 3-4’ H x 3-4’ W
Zone: 3-8
Chill Hours: 800+
Ripening Season: Early: Early July-Early August
Taste and Size: Medium, firm blueberries that taste sweet with a hint of acidity
Yield: High yield, 4-7 pounds of blueberries
Features:
Bushel and Berry™ Blueberry Glaze – These berries are small in stature and have incredibly glossy, dark green leaves reminiscent of boxwood, and can easily be sheared as such. Small, almost black berries present in little bundles mid-summer. With their deep flesh color, Blueberry Glaze packs a healthful punch with antioxidant-rich qualities.
Blueberry Type: Dwarf
Light: Full sun
Size: 2’ H x 3’ W
Zone: 5-8
Chill Hours: 600
Ripening Season: Mid-summer
Taste and Size: Small, intense flavor much like the flavor of wild blueberries
Yield: Moderate yield
Features:
Looking for more options? To learn more about blueberries, the best blueberries for containers, how to plant, care for and grow, visit our Organic Blueberry Growing Guide.
Grow berries for more than just flavor! They’re filled with antioxidants and they’re good for your heart, body and brain. Plus, the plants look beautiful in the landscape.
Are you ready to plant a blueberry this year? Trust us, they are berry easy — even if you’ve heard otherwise. The trick is to pick the perfect berry for your conditions and to give it the right care.
Questions to Ask Before Choosing Which Blueberry to Grow
Berry Good Advice for Gardeners
The Best Blueberries to Grow in Containers
How to plant blueberries in containers
Blueberries are nutritional powerhouses packed with high concentrations of antioxidants that help guard against cancer and heart disease. Just one serving of blueberries serves up almost 25 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C.
Growing blueberries maximizes small spaces and keeps fresh, nutritious fruit nearby. Even if space is limited, you can still grow blueberries at home. Some blueberry shrubs are the perfect fit for containers on the porch, patio or balcony.
Ought to Pot: The Best Blueberries for Container Gardening
Photo courtesy of Bushel and Berry™
Bushel and Berry™ Pink Icing – With breathtaking spring and fall foliage and large, sweet berries mid-summer, this gem makes small spaces shine. Plus, these bushes are self-pollinating, so only one bush is needed to produce fruit.
Blueberry Type: Dwarf
Light: Full sun
Size: 3’ H x 4’ W
Zone: 5-10
Chill Hours: 500
Ripening Season: Mid-summer
Taste and Size: Large blueberries with sweet, robust flavor
Yield: Moderate yield
Features:
Patriot Blueberry – The Patriot puts on a show each season – from striking white blooms in spring to warm, vivid foliage in fall. During summer, you’ll be busy munching on up to 20 pounds of blueberries!
Blueberry Type: Northern Highbush
Light: Full sun
Size: 4-8’ H x 3-5’ W
Zone: 3-7
Chill Hours: 800-1,000
Ripening Season: Early: Mid-End of July
Taste and Size: Large blueberries that taste classically sweet
Yield: High yield, 10-20 pounds of blueberries
Features:
Photo courtesy of Bushel and Berry™
Bushel and Berry™ Peach Sorbet – Full of charm, these compact blueberry plants are four-season showstoppers with stunning leaves ranging from peach to pink to orange to emerald green. Spring’s white, bell-shaped flowers will give way to an abundant summer crop of healthy, sweet blueberries mid-summer.
Blueberry Type: Dwarf
Light: Full sun
Size: 1½’ H x 2’ W
Zone: 5-10
Chill Hours: 300
Ripening Season: Mid-summer
Taste and Size: Medium blueberries with a sweet, tropical essence
Yield: High yield
Features:
Photo courtesy of Doreen Wynja for Monrovia
Sunshine Blue Blueberry – These berries are even more nutritious than other blueberries because they’re high in Vitamin P. Another fun attribute of the Sunshine Blue is their hot-pink flowers in spring and blazing red leaves in fall!
Blueberry Type: Southern Highbush
Light: Full sun
Size: 3-4’ H x 3-4’ W
Zone: 5-10
Chill Hours: 150
Ripening Season: Mid-season: End of May-End of June
Taste and Size: Medium blueberries that taste opulent and sweet
Yield: Moderate yield, 5-10 pounds of blueberries
Features:
Northsky Blueberry – Meet the most cold-hardy blueberry out there. The Northsky can withstand temperatures of -45° and can even bear snow on its branches. In spring, the Northsky produces lots of sweet, white blooms that look absolutely darling.
Blueberry Type: Half-high
Light: Full sun
Size: 2-4 H x 2-3 W
Zone: 3-7
Chill Hours: 800+
Ripening Season: Mid-season: Mid-End of July
Taste and Size: Small, firm blueberries that taste fresh, wild and free
Yield: Small yield, up to 2 pounds of blueberries
Features:
Photo courtesy of Bushel and Berry™
Bushel and Berry™ Jelly Bean – This blueberry is prolific – producing a bumper crop of large, flavorful blueberries mid-summer with a super sweet flavor like homemade blueberry jelly. Brilliant green new foliage emerges in spring which gives way to darker greens with red hues throughout the summer and fall.
Blueberry Type: Dwarf
Light: Full sun
Size: 1’ H x 2’ W
Zone: 4-8
Chill Hours: 1,000+
Ripening Season: Mid-summer
Taste and Size: Medium to large blueberries with homemade jelly flavor
Yield: High yield, bumper crop
Features:
Looking for more options? To learn more about blueberries, the best tasting berries, how to plant, care for and grow, visit our Organic Blueberry Growing Guide.
Raise new plants that grow as big and mighty as Jack’s Beanstalk with these five tips for planting success. Your new plants will look so perfect your neighbors will think you plucked them right from a fairy tale!
Before you even think about picking up your garden trowel, check out these tips.
Say Yes to Success: 5 Tricks for Planting New Flowers, Veggies and More
1. Start with the Best. Make sure you have the right light, space and soil for each plant. Then select plants with shiny, blemish-free leaves that you can easily lift out of the container.
2. Royal Soil. Before planting, test the soil and add necessary amendments. If your soil is lacking, your plants will be too. For an extra oomph, add Espoma Organic Vegetable & Flower Garden Soil or compost to the planting hole. And if direct sowing seeds, mix in an organic seed starting potting soil, so seeds can take root easily.
3. Feed Now… and Later. When planting, mix in an organic starter plant food. Adrianna, an Espoma customer, loves Bio-tone Starter Plus. She can even tell “when the roots begin to take up the plant food because they start to grow MUCH faster.” Bio-tone Starter Plus’ secret is mycorrhizae, which promotes bigger blooms and helps plants get established faster.
4. Stay Strong Seedlings. Before moving indoor seedlings outside, toughen them up. Otherwise, they may not make it. To help seeds adjust, begin hardening them off two weeks before transplanting. How-to instructions here.
5. Don’t Forget to Water. While still in their nursery containers, water your plants. Then water deeply after planting. Water reduces plants’ stress levels and helps them adjust to their happy, new abode.
Get ready, your organic flowers, veggies and plants are about to be bigger and healthier than ever! You grow, gardener!
Who can resist color-changing blooms as huge as snowballs?!
No one! That’s why no garden is complete until it has at least one hydrangea. With their picturesque foliage and magical blooms, these flower shrubs are a constant delight. Plus, hydrangeas are easy to care for — as long as you pick the right variety for your space.
Before choosing what hydrangea to grow, answer these questions. Then check out our hydrangea varieties guide to pick the best for your garden.
Couldn’t Ask for More! Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Hydrangea
Growing hydrangeas is easy! Simply answer these questions to find a hydrangea variety that will thrive in your garden.
1. How much sun do hydrangeas need? Most hydrangea varieties like a blast of full sun in the morning followed by a nap in the afternoon shade. Though, be sure to check since there are a few hydrangeas that thrive in full sun.
2. What hydrangea color do you want? While color of hydrangeas may seem important, it’s actually not! You can turn blue hydrangeas pink and vice versa. Hydrangea color and saturation all depend on the soil acidity. The only exception? White hydrangeas don’t change color.
3. What size hydrangea would you like? Hydrangeas come in small, medium or large-size. Larger varieties can grow up to 20’ tall and 18’ wide while dwarf hydrangeas are only 3-5’ tall and wide. No matter the size of your garden, you can find a hydrangea that works — even in container gardens.
4. What type of hydrangea to grow? Depending on what type of hydrangea you grow, it needs to be pruned at different times. Make note of what type of hydrangea you have to make pruning easy later on. Here are a few of the most common hydrangeas: bigleaf, oakleaf, panicle and smooth.
5. Is the hydrangea evergreen or deciduous? Evergreen hydrangeas, as their name implies, stay green all year. Most hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs, so they shed their leaves annually.
Most hydrangeas prefer only morning sun. Yet one type of hydrangea can soak up the sun all day: the panicle hydrangea. While they can stand the sun, these do just fine in partial shade, too. Plus, panicle hydrangeas are the hardiest hydrangeas. To learn more about hydrangeas visit our total guide to growing hydrangeas.
Here are the best hydrangea varieties to grow in full sun.
Pinky Winky Hydrangea – As fun to say as it is to look it. The Pinky Winky is everything ombre was meant to be. Its two-tone flowers come back every year and thrive in urban gardens.
Hydrangea Type: Panicle
Shrub Type: Deciduous
Light: Full-part sun
Size: 6-10’ H x 6-8’ W
Zone: 3-8
Blooms: Mid-summer-first frost. 12-15” blooms that open white then transform into a hot, irresistible pink
Features:
Soil: Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Will grow in nearly any soil
Limelight Hydrangea – As refreshing as a lime in summertime! This cool-colored hydrangea is super unique and performs reliably year after year. The Limelight is not picky about much. And, there’s any even cuter, dwarf Limelight!
Hydrangea Type: Panicle
Shrub Type: Deciduous
Light: Full-part sun
Size: 6-8’ H x 6-8’ W
Zone: 3-8
Blooms: Mid-summer-fall. Refreshing, cool chartreuse blooms that fade to pink then beige
Features:
Soil: Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Will grow in nearly any soil.
Quick Fire Hydrangea – A super-fast grower with sizzling blooms! This hydrangea blooms a full month before other hydrangeas. Then it re-blooms in late fall. Quick Fire, or its dwarf sibling, love to bask in the sun!
Hydrangea Type: Panicle
Shrub Type: Deciduous
Light: Full-part sun
Size: 6-8’ H x 6-8’ W
Zone: 3-8
Blooms: Mid-summer-early fall. Blooms open white then turn a sweet salmon color
Features:
Soil: Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Will grow in nearly any soil.
Now start growing! Want more? Find out which hydrangeas bloom all summer. Learn about the best hydrangeas for beginners. Find out even more about hydrangea care in our Ultimate Hydrangea Guide!
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Find everything you need to know about growing hydrangeas below!
Choose the right Hydrangea for you – Growing hydrangeas is easy! Simply answer these questions to find a hydrangea variety that will thrive in your garden.
Best Hydrangeas for Beginners to Grow – Oakleaf hydrangeas can tolerate colder weather, handle more sun, withstand drought, are more disease/pest resistant and grow in sandy soil better than other hydrangeas.
Best Hydrangeas to Grow in Full Sun – Most hydrangeas prefer only morning sun. Yet one type of hydrangea can soak up the sun all day: the panicle hydrangea.
Hydrangeas that Bloom All Summer – Reblooming hydrangeas flower on both new and old growth, meaning you can enjoy flowers from June until the first frost. They’ll continue to bloom long after other flowering shrubs and perennials have stopped.
How to Get the Best Hydrangea Blooms – Getting off to the right start in the right location is the difference between a hydrangea bush that blooms for years and one that never does.
Growing Hydrangeas in Containers – No matter how much space you have, find the perfect-sized hydrangea for you. You can even grow hydrangeas in a container.
The Best Way to Plant Hydrangeas – Hydrangeas are like the little black dress of the garden. They’re chic and always in style. Though, hydrangeas will deliver way more wow with their color-changing flowers.
How to Prune Hydrangeas – Before you prune hydrangeas, you need to know which type you have. Take this quiz to find out what type of hydrangea you have and when to prune.
Pink or blue – Create a blue hydrangea simply by amending the soil. Most hydrangeas, except white ones, change color based on the pH or acidity levels of their soil.
When to fertilize your hydrangea – Knowing whether your soil is acidic or not is the first step to healthier plants season after season.
Nix Hydrangea Problems – From spots to foliage holes, find out what’s up with your hydrangea.
Keep Pests and Diseases Away from Hydrangeas – Hydrangeas are generally pest and disease free, but when your flowers are looking less than stunning, it’s hard not to panic.
Tips for Transplanting Hydrangeas – Change the look of your yard by giving your hydrangeas more space to grow with these steps.
Hydrangea Hype: Garden Inspiration – With big colorful blooms and beautiful green foliage, summer’s favorite flower makes a bold statement in any garden.
Guide to Fall Hydrangea Care – Hydrangeas are strong and can come back from almost anything when given enough time and proper care.
Companion Plants for Hydrangeas – If you’re looking for ways to make your hydrangeas pop even more, try these companion planting tips.
Once upon a time, hydrangeas would only bloom once a season. Not anymore! Now, you can choose a variety of hydrangeas that bloom all summer long. You can even prune these at any time.
Reblooming hydrangeas flower on both new and old growth, meaning you can enjoy flowers from June until the first frost. They’ll continue to bloom long after other flowering shrubs and perennials have stopped. Long lasting blooms of blue, violet, pink, white, or chartreuse add brilliant pops of color to any garden.
Plus, these hydrangeas perform a magic trick. Depending on your soil’s acidity, the hydrangea color changes. Creating breathtaking blue hydrangeas is extremely easy. All you need to do is amend your soil with Espoma’s Organic Soil Acidifier.
Photo courtesy of Bailey Nurseries
The Original Endless Summer Hydrangea – A beautiful game changer! The Original Endless Summer hydrangea was the first non-stop blooming hydrangea. Plus, it’s easy to care for. You’ll be wowed by its color-changing blooms all season.
Hydrangea Type: Mophead
Shrub Type: Deciduous
Light: Part sun-mostly shade
Size: 3-5’ H x 3-5’ W
Zone: 4-9
Blooms: Late-spring-early fall. Blooms can be blue, purple or pink based on soil pH.
Features:
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil. 5.5 or lower soil pH for blue blooms. 5.5-6.5 soil pH for purple blooms. 6.5 soil pH or higher for pink blooms.
Photo courtesy of Doreen Wynja for Monrovia
Penny Mac Hydrangea – Large flowers that just keep blooming! The Penny Mac hydrangea is super easy to care for and seems to thrive on neglect. While the blooms can change color, they’re naturally a vivid blue.
Hydrangea Type: Mophead
Shrub Type: Deciduous
Light: Part sun
Size: 4-6’ H x 3-4’ W
Zone: 5-8
Blooms: Mid-summer-early fall. Blooms are typically blue, but can be changed to pink or purple based on soil pH.
Features:
Soil: Moist, well-drained soil. 5.5 or lower soil pH for blue blooms. 5.5-6.5 soil pH for purple blooms. 6.5 soil pH or higher for pink blooms.
Let’s Dance Starlight Hydrangea – You’ll feel like dancing when you see this breath-taking bloom. It’s elegant, bright and beautiful textured. Plus, it’s the first-ever, re-blooming lacecap hydrangea.
Hydrangea Type: Bigleaf
Shrub Type: Deciduous
Light: Full-part sun
Size: 2-3’ H x 2-3’ W
Zone: 5-9
Blooms: Mid-summer-early fall. Vivid, lacecap blooms can be blue, purple or pink based on soil pH.
Features:
Soil: Prefers moist, well-drained soil. 5.5 or lower soil pH for blue blooms. 5.5-6.5 soil pH for purple blooms. 6.5 soil pH or higher for pink blooms.
Keep the blooms coming all season long with the hydrangea that speaks to you! Want one that grows in full sun? Learn about the best hydrangeas for beginners. Find out even more about hydrangea care in our Ultimate Hydrangea Guide!
