Taking time to care for plants is the perfect way to slow down and enjoy the cooler seasons. Spend the day with Laura from Garden Answer as she repots ornamental grasses and a Mangave plant in her greenhouse, refreshing them with Espoma Organic Potting Mix to keep them happy, healthy, and hungry for new growth!
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Laura from Garden Answer shows how to plant spring-blooming bulbs in large containers for a big, colorful show next season. She fills eight pots with Menton tulips and Spanish bluebells, feeding them with Espoma Organic Bulb-tone and then topdressing with Espoma Organic Land & Sea Compost to refresh the tired soil and support strong, natural growth.
The Planting Plan: A “Bouquet” in Every Pot
Laura creates a layered “bouquet” effect in each container:
Both bloom late in the season, so the colors overlap beautifully. Spanish bluebells grow about 14–18″ tall, while Menton tulips reach 23–25″, giving each pot a soft, tiered look. Planting in raised containers keeps everything at waist height, which makes bulb planting much easier than digging in the ground.
Step-by-Step: How Laura Plants Her Bulb Containers
1. Prepare the Container
Laura removes soil down to about 6 inches deep. This makes room for the first layer of bulbs and ensures they’re planted at the proper depth.
2. Amend the Soil with an Organic Fertilizer
Before placing any bulbs, she sprinkles Espoma Organic Bulb-tone into the container.
Why it helps:
3. Plant Tulips “Shoulder to Shoulder”
Menton tulip bulbs go in first at 6 inches deep, planted:
This tight spacing lets her fit about 100 tulip bulbs per pot, creating a dense, show-stopping spring display.
4. Add Spanish Bluebells
She covers the tulips with a couple of inches of soil, then plants the Spanish bluebells in a ring around the outer edge at about 4 inches deep. Bluebell bulbs look a bit different, but the rule still applies: roots down, growth point up.
5. Add compost
Because the potting mix has been used before and is showing roots and wear, Laura doesn’t just add more regular soil. Instead, she topdresses each container with Espoma Organic Land & Sea Compost.
Why it helps:
6. Water Thoroughly
After planting and topdressing, Laura waters each container deeply.
Her key watering tip:
Bulb-Specific Tips for Container Success
Laura’s main bulb care reminders:
With the right chill, good drainage, consistent moisture, and organic nutrition from Bulb-tone and Land & Sea Compost, these containers are now set up for a spectacular spring show—naturally.
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When the mornings turn chilly and frost threatens, it’s time to bring your non-cold-hardy plants indoors. In this video, Summer Rayne Oakes demonstrates how she gathers her Aloes, Pelargoniums, Euphorbias, air plants, and more, refreshing containers with Espoma Organic Cactus Mix, and Espoma Organic Perlite to help them settle in for the winter months.
Here are six quick tips to help you do the same.
1. Bring Plants In Before the First Freeze
Any tender plant—succulents, tropicals, Pelargoniums, air plants—needs to move indoors once nighttime temperatures dip into the 30s and low 40s °F. Cold snaps can damage foliage fast.
2. Check for Pests and Outdoor Debris
Before carrying your plants inside, give them a quick inspection:
This keeps your indoor environment clean and your plants stress-free.
3. Give Overgrown Plants a Gentle Trim
A light haircut helps plants transition into winter dormancy. Summer trims her Pelargoniums to remove dead growth and tidy the shape, making them easier to overwinter.
4. Refresh Soil With a Fresh Organic Potting Mix
After a full season outdoors, potting soil can become compacted, washed out by rain, or depleted of nutrients. Refreshing the top few inches—or fully repotting—gives plants the clean, breathable foundation they need to stay healthy indoors.
For most houseplants, reach for Espoma Organic All-Purpose Potting Mix. It’s rich, airy, and packed with organic ingredients that support strong roots through winter.
Summer uses Espoma Organic Cactus Mix for her succulents because they need faster drainage and extra airflow around their roots. This helps prevent rot during the cooler months when succulents naturally take up less water.
Adding a scoop of Espoma Organic Perlite boosts drainage even more—great for Aloes, Agaves, and Euphorbias heading into low-light, low-growth winter conditions.
5. Repot or Divide Crowded Succulents
Aloes and other succulents often outgrow their pots by fall. Take a cue from Summer and divide offsets or repot into fresh soil so each plant has room to breathe indoors.
6. Feed Indoor Plants Through Winter
Even during slower growth, indoor plants still appreciate gentle nourishment. Use a high-quality organic liquid fertilizer—like Espoma Organic Indoor! —to keep roots strong and foliage healthy all winter long.
A little effort goes a long way!
A little trimming, a pest check, and a refresh with Espoma Organic potting soils and a little liquid fertilizer is all it takes to help your plants thrive indoors this winter.
Let’s get growing—indoors! 🌿
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Fall might feel like the end of the gardening season, but as Kaleb from Wyse Guide shows, it’s actually a perfect time to plant and bring in your favorite tropical plants for the winter months.
In this project, Kaleb refreshes the front of his home with hydrangeas, using Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus to support strong root growth, then replants a massive elephant ear and pots it up in Espoma Organic Potting Mix so he can enjoy it again next year.
Kaleb’s late fall gardening tips:
1. Plant for Roots, Not Blooms
Kaleb takes advantage of fall’s warm soil and cool air to give hydrangeas time to establish. Adding Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus helps new shrubs settle in quickly and build the strong root systems that lead to better growth next spring.
2. Build Healthy Soil & Keep Watering
Hydrangeas thrive in rich, well-draining soil, so Kaleb amends where needed and uses drip irrigation to keep moisture consistent on his sunny, south-facing porch. Even with drip, he checks soil weekly and waters during fall—and even winter warm-ups—so new roots never dry out.
3. Store Tropicals to Enjoy Them Again
Instead of letting frost take his elephant ear, Kaleb trims it back and pots it into Espoma Organic All-Purpose Potting Mix. Over winter, it rests indoors with minimal watering, ready to return outdoors next season.
Even as the season slows, there’s still so much you can do to care for your garden. A little fall planting, some root-focused feeding, and thoughtful winter storage of warm-season plants can set you up for an even more beautiful spring.
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Laura from Garden Answer brings a burst of fresh autumn color to the garden! 🌻 She shares an update on her sunflowers, plants new boxwoods with Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus to help the roots establish naturally, and refreshes her fall containers with vibrant ornamental kale, rudbeckia, and pansies. Using Espoma Organic Potting Mix, Laura ensures every plant has the rich, healthy soil it needs to thrive this season.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
For more time-saving tips, listen to Episode 266 of the Growing Joy with Plants Podcast!
Summer Rayne Oakes of Flock Finger Lakes is back in her gazebo garden, where she refreshed her raised beds with Espoma Organic All-Purpose Garden Soil, giving her fruits, veggies, and herbs a nutrient-rich foundation.
From basil to beans, this garden is brimming with variety—and Summer shares her best lessons she learned along the way.
Refresh your soil each season – Even healthy beds benefit from a fresh top-off of organic soil like Espoma Organic All Purpose Garden Soil to replenish nutrients and structure.
Try companion planting – Marigolds tucked near tomatoes deter pests like hornworms and invite pollinators to the party.
Prune and plant tomatoes deeply – Snip off lower leaves and bury stems a little deeper so they develop stronger root systems.
Mix in perennial herbs and crops – Plants like sea kale, rhodiola, and schisandra return year after year, offering beauty and resilience.
Stagger your sowing – Succession planting of quick crops like radishes, lettuce, and calendula ensures continuous harvests and blooms.
Grow what you’ll actually use – Whether it’s sweet potatoes for soups or basil for summer salads, plant to fit your kitchen habits.
From tender greens to black goji berries, Summer Rayne shows how diverse plantings and thoughtful soil care can make a small space abundant. With Espoma Organic All-Purpose Garden Soil supporting strong roots and steady nutrition, her gazebo garden is set to thrive all season long.
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Gardening in August isn’t for the faint of heart — it’s hot, it’s scraggly, and it takes motivation. Skye Hamilton reminds us that the effort is well worth it. With just a few key steps, you can transform your late-summer beds and set the stage for a gorgeous fall garden.
One of Skye’s favorite tips? Feed tired annuals and perennials with a high-quality organic fertilizer like Espoma Organic Plant-tone. This slow-release, all-purpose organic fertilizer gives plants a natural boost without burning, helping them put on their final flush of blooms.
Skye’s August Garden Checklist
🌱 Weed control: Stay on top of weeds to instantly refresh the look and health of your beds.
✂️ Cut back overgrowth: Trim plants for a tidier appearance and encourage reblooming where possible.
🌸 Deadhead rebloomers: Keep flowers coming with consistent deadheading.
🌿 Fertilize: Apply a high-quality organic fertilizer like Espoma Organic Plant-tone to revive perennials and annuals for their late-season show.
🐛 Treat issues: Address pests and diseases before they spread.
So while August gardening may feel intense, remember: a little care now means a thriving, colorful fall garden later. Discover more natural gardening tips and find Espoma Organic Plant-tone at your local garden center today. 🌱
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Laura from Garden Answer shows us how to plant five sun-loving perennials—even in the peak of summer heat. From elegant Siberian iris to bold salvia, she layers color and texture into her garden while reminding us that planting in hot weather can still be successful with the right care. To set her new perennials up for success, Laura uses Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus, the ultimate “planting insurance” that boosts root growth and helps prevent transplant loss.
Expect a little wilting – It’s normal for new plants to droop in full sun, but they’ll perk back up once the day cools.
Water consistently – Keep soil evenly moist during establishment to reduce stress.
Plant early or late – Beat the midday sun by working in the morning or evening.
Amend your soil – Blend in organic compost like Espoma Organic Land & Sea Gourmet Compost or Espoma Organic All-Purpose Garden Soil for better drainage and nutrient retention.
Feed at planting – Mix Bio-tone Starter Plus right into the hole to encourage strong root growth and long-term success.
Mulch generously – A layer of organic mulch helps conserve water and keep roots cool.
Even on the hottest days, your garden can keep growing with the right prep and care. 🌱 Whether you’re adding in new perennials or refreshing containers, remember that feeding the soil naturally makes all the difference.
👉 Watch Laura’s full video for inspiration, then grab your favorite Espoma Organic products and let’s get growing!
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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.
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.
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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