Abelia

Abelia has very fragrant, trumpet-shaped white flowers that draw mobs of butterflies and hummingbirds to it! There are two other features that make it especially useful as a pollinator plant: 1) it blooms late summer through mid-autumn, providing nectar at a time when migrating pollinators, in particular, need to load up on food and 2) it blooms for a very long time, making it a reliable source of sustenance.

Top Pick: Proven Winners Sweet Emotion®

Aronia

People tend to associate pollinators with summertime, when it seems every plant is abuzz with insect activity. However, spring is a crucial time for insects as well, as those that migrate or awaken from dormancy are hungry for a good meal. Aronia is covered in nectar-rich white flowers in mid-late spring so makes the perfect “breakfast” for your pollinator cafe. Each is dotted with a crown of pink pollen, making it all the more enticing to gardeners and pollinators alike. In late summer, dark purple berries develop, attracting birds and other wildlife. This native shrub was selected for its low, dwarf habit, allowing aronia to be planted in areas it could never grace in its conventional large form. It’s a pollinator plant anyone has room for!

Top Pick: Proven Winners Ground Hug®

Butterfly Bush

A list of shrubs for pollinators would be incomplete without a butterfly bush. While these colorful, long-blooming shrubs sometimes get a bad rap because they only feed butterflies and not the caterpillar, or larval, stage of a butterfly’s life, their appeal to humans and hummingbirds can’t be denied. Though we offer several butterfly bush selections, our pick for this list is ‘Miss Violet,’ an award winning, non-invasive variety with color that you just have to see to believe – blooms are a vibrant purple tone that really pops in the summer landscape. Just be sure to round out your planting with some additional shrubs that sustain other stages of insects’ life cycles.

Top Pick: Proven Winners Pugster Pink®

Weigela

Butterflies and hummingbirds love the weigela’s trumpet shaped flowers. Weigela is dense with coarse branching limbs that are very showy when in bloom. Modern day hybridizations have changed the common weigela from 20 years ago, adding extensive flower color selection, interesting foliage variegation, and broad range in size from the very small groundcover to the large bush. Today, Weigela varieties are high impact, versatile summer blooming shrubs that are striking in  borders and hedges as a foliage feature.

As true butterfly and hummingbird shrubs, weigela make tremendous centerpieces in a summer perennial garden built to attract pollinators. It can be planted as a hedge or summer screen, but will lose its leaf in the winter. Barberry and hydrangea make good companion shrubs. Weigela is remarkably disease resistant when planted in full sun; crowding the shrub or planting it in shade can sometimes lead to fungal issues.

Top Pick: Proven Winners Sonic Bloom® Pink

Reblooming Lilac

There’s so much blooming in spring that it would be easy to overlook the bees and butterflies that visit lilac then. But with a reblooming lilac like Bloomerang Dwarf Purple, which blooms in spring along with other varieties then comes back with waves of fresh flowers in summer and fall, you’re sure to notice them sooner or later. These additional blooms are especially popular with butterflies, expanding the offerings at the garden’s buffet.

Top Pick: Proven Winners Bloomerang® Dark Purple

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Oak Leaf Hydrangea has lacecap flowers that attract pollinators. It emits a sweet, honey-like fragrance that carries on the warm summer breeze, and those big, showy blooms take on a glorious deep pink color as they age. This North American native welcomes all sorts of wildlife: the wooly hairs on the emerging leaves can be harvested by insects and birds for nesting material, as can the peeling bark in winter, which also provides cozy spots for pollinating insects to spend their dormant season.

Top Pick: Proven Winners Gatsby® series

Winterberry

Panicle Hydrangea

Hydrangeas are not the first plant most folks think of when it comes to pollinator plants, but the fact is the lacecap varieties like Little Lime Punch, which display their nectar and pollen rich fertile florets prominently, bring in the buzz in a big way. Easy-care panicle hydrangea are practically foolproof and can be easily grown in both hot and cold climates. Though the mophead varieties – the ones that form the big, full, fluffy flower heads – are usually considered showier, looking for lacecap varieties ensures you’re doing something good for pollinators as well as beautifying your landscape.

Top Picks: Proven Winners Little Lime Punch®

Rose of Sharon

The big, satellite dish-like flowers that make Rose of Sharon so popular with people also make them attractive to pollinators. If you grow them, you’ve no doubt been treated to the sight of a bumblebee so heavy-laden with pollen that it can barely fly away from the flower. They’re a favorite of hummingbirds, too – fortunately, the long bloom time and very heavy bloom set ensure there’s plenty of nectar and pollen for all visitors. If you live in USDA zone 4 and can’t grow rose of Sharon, try a perennial hibiscus like the Summerific^® series.

Top Pick: Proven Winners Lil’ Kim® series

The post Shrubs that Attract Pollinators appeared first on Homestead Gardens, Inc..

Make the most of shaded corners, borders and nooks in your garden when you define the space with shade-loving shrubs. Shady landscapes–whether large gardens, small patios or even your terrace- offer the potential to create wonderful contrasts of foliage and blooms that seemingly add add light to shadows.

Things to Consider

LIGHT

Whether you choose deciduous or evergreen shrubs for your shady spots, you’ll need to know the type of shade you have in your space. Study patterns of sunlight and shadow at different times of day through the seasons to better understand your property’s shade patterns. Smaller spaces might be in shade throughout the day; other backyards might only be in shade for part of the day, so the shrubs might have to be sun-tolerant, too. Decide whether areas are in light, semi, dappled or deep shade.

SOIL

Assess the soil in the area where you’d like to plant. Does the area have dry soil or wet soil? Read the tag on the shade-loving plant you’re considering, and compare this to the soil you’re working with.

WATER

Shrubs that make a statement

Shrubs with stunning blooms

Shrubs with changing leaf color

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Winterberry holly is dioecious (dye-oh-ee-shus, Greek for “two houses”). In other words, each individual plant bears only one type of flower: those that will turn into berries (a female plant) or those that bear pollen (a male plant). This means that to get a beautiful, berry-covered winterberry holly, you must plant both a male and a female. Male hollies will never develop berries, so they aren’t very showy. Fortunately, you only need to plant one to pollinate up to five female plants. The male and females can be planted anywhere within about 50’/15.25m of one another, so you can use your prime real estate for the showy female(s) and tuck the male plant in an out-of-the-way spot in your landscape.

If you’d like to plant winterberry holly in your yard, first select a female plant with the qualities you’d like: size or quantity of berries, color of the berries, and/or plant size. Once you’ve determined which female variety you want, check the tag for which male variety will be compatible. That recommendation will be based on the blooming period of the two plants, which must overlap exactly. There are two distinct bloom times among winterberry hollies: early and late. Though the difference is usually just a matter of a week or two, male and female plants must be from the same group. When possible, they should also be selected from the same genetic line, which is indicated by similar names – for example, the ideal pollinator for Little Goblin Red is Little Goblin Guy, and the ideal pollinator for Berry Poppins is Mr. Poppins. In our nurseries, you’ll find a selection of Proven Winners® Color Choice® Ilex. If the ideal Proven Winners male pollinator is not available, ‘Jim Dandy’, a widely-grown older selection, is suitable. Do not use the other widely-grown male, ‘Southern Gentleman’, as this belongs to the late-blooming group.

Getting a good looking, colorful winterberry holly is as simple as having the right male, in the right proportion to the number of females, and planting them all where they will grow and flower vigorously. However, there are a few reasons why winterberry hollies – and particularly recently planted winterberry hollies – may not have berries:

Plants bloomed prior to purchase

If you just purchased the plants, they were likely stored in a greenhouse by a grower during the previous winter. This causes them to bloom earlier than plants that winter naturally outdoors. Therefore, it is possible they would have bloomed before you purchased them and that pollination did not occur under those conditions. As such, new plants may not have any berries their first winter after planting.

Maturity

Like most shrubs, winterberry hollies bloom and subsequently fruit best when they are established – usually after 2-3 years in the ground. Newly planted winterberries will need some time to develop a good root system and put on new growth before they will fruit to their full potential.

Stress

If your winterberry hollies experience drought stress, they may not form fruit or may drop any fruit that was beginning to form. In dry soils, provide plenty of water and a good 2-3”/5-7cm layer of mulch to prevent plants from drying out too much.

Too much shade

Winterberries are quite shade tolerant, but in very dark conditions, flowering and fruiting can be significantly diminished, or may not occur at all. We recommend a minimum of four hours of sun each day, or filtered light throughout the day, for the best display. This encourages abundant flower production, pollination (which relies on insects, who prefer sunnier conditions), and subsequently, fruit production. If you need to transplant a winterberry holly that’s in too much shade, early spring is an ideal time to do so.

No male

If a male plant is not in the vicinity, or the bloom times of the male and female plants do not overlap, berries will not develop on the female plants. If you aren’t sure whether your plants are male or female, and which ones are which, the only way to tell for certain is to look at the flowers when the plants bloom, usually in late May/early June in the Midwest (a bit earlier in warm climates, a bit later in colder areas). The flowers on female plants will have a raised green nub in the center, which turns into the berry; the flowers on male plants have recessed centers and a crown of fluffy yellow pollen-bearing anthers. If you can’t tell which is which from the flowers, you are welcome to contact us with photos and we can identify them for you.

Fun fact: female flowers often have a few false anthers around the berry in the center, but they don’t actually bear any pollen. They’re only to fool pollinating insects into visiting by making them think they’re going to get a snack. However, even when the fake anthers are present, you are unlikely to mistake a female plant for a male due to the prominence of the green berry in the center.

If fruiting is very sparse, this may indicate an unsuitable male, too few males for the number of female plants, or that the male is planted too far from the females.

Pruning

Winterberry hollies bloom on old wood – in other words, they create their flower buds for the following year during late summer/autumn of the current year. That means if you prune a winterberry holly in spring, you’ll be cutting off flower buds. Other plants that bloom on old wood are typically pruned immediately after they bloom. However, in the case of a winterberry holly, pruning after bloom would remove the developing fruit as well. So, what’s a gardener to do? We recommend not pruning winterberry hollies, period. While it’s fine to selectively cut branches to enjoy in indoor and outdoor arrangements, any kind of regular trimming or cutting back should be avoided. Instead, plant winterberry holly where it can grow to its full potential without requiring cutting back.

Something ate the berries

One of the advantages winterberry hollies have over other shrubs grown for their berries is that birds will eat them, but only after they’ve been softened by repeated freezing and thawing. However, there’s always the possibility that hungry critters will make an unexpected meal of the fruit and it may disappear mid-winter. Don’t worry about deer, though – they won’t touch winterberry holly.

You may not be seeing the berries

After being pollinated in late spring/early summer, the tiny green berry grows and becomes rounder, but stays green until early autumn. It’s easy to miss them until they actually color up.

Still Have Questions? 

We’re here to help! Visit any of our nurseries, or contact us at AskHomestead@homesteadgardens.com.

The post Why Choose Winterberry appeared first on Homestead Gardens, Inc..

From containers and hanging baskets to en-masse plantings in the landscape, Proven Winners award-winning Supertunia petunias unique versatility is unmatched. Learn more about the different types of Supertunias, and how they can prove beautiful and valuable on your porch, patio, balcony and landscape.

THE CLASSIC SUPERTUNIA®

You’ll find the greatest range of colors and patterns in Proven Winners’ standard Supertunia line. They are incredibly versatile, mixing easily with their companions in all sorts of container recipes and growing well in mixed borders. Though the plants are similar in size to Supertunia® Mini Vista, their flowers are larger.

SUPERTUNIA VISTA®

To fill large expanses in the landscape quickly, you can’t beat Supertunia Vista petunias. A single plant will easily fill three square feet, making them an affordable choice as a flowering ground cover. If you plant them in a container, make sure to use an extra-large one.

SUPERTUNIA® MINI VISTA

For the edge of the border or as an accent plant in smaller spaces, choose Supertunia Mini Vista. Though their strong vigor is similar to Supertunia Vista petunias, their mature size is significantly smaller. With their dense growth habit, they are magnificent planted on their own in containers.

SUPERTUNIA® TRAILING

You can’t beat Supertunia Trailing as an all-season flowering spiller for hanging baskets and tall, upright containers. Their natural tendency is to grow straight down, cascading at least three feet long by summer. If your goal is to have the longest trailing flowers possible in your window boxes, choose Supertunia Trailing petunias.

Have a question about Proven Winners Supertunias? Homestead Gardens associates are certified Proven Winners experts and can help you choose the perfect plant, learn how to care for it, and get as excited as you when it blooms and grows. Come visit any of our stores!

The post Proven Winners Supertunias! appeared first on Homestead Gardens, Inc..

Need a little inspiration? Here are ten motivating reasons to grow your own food.

1. Your food will be more fresh and flavorful.

There’s nothing better than picking tomatoes off your own vines at the peak of ripeness, when they are packed with mouth-watering flavor and nutritious vitamins. This is no different whether you’re growing delicate, juicy strawberries, peppery basil, or spicy jalapeño peppers. Growing your own produce allows you to harvest when the food is at its very best.

2. You control what goes in and on your food.

Organic produce costs more in stores because it costs more to grow commercially. It’s far easier for a home gardener to grow their own food organically using natural ingredients like compost and manure to enrich the soil. Organic fertilizers are far more safe for the land and water than chemical varieties, whether that’s the yard where your children and pets play, or the forests, lakes, streams and rivers that our fertilizers might inadvertently run into. 

3. It can be more cost effective to grow your own food.

Food crops that continue to produce a harvest for many weeks or even months are generally considered more cost effective to grow yourself. A single tomato plant can produce more than a bushel of fruit over the season—far more cost effective than buying tomatoes for $3.99 per pound at the grocery store. Other foods that fall into this category include lettuce, herbs, beans, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant and zucchini.

4. You’ll have a much broader selection.

When you buy fruits and vegetables from the grocery store, you’re limited to what they choose to offer. When you grow your own, there are literally thousands of options! You could try a few heirloom varieties, grow fun purple carrots your kids will love or try a few smaller varieties in containers. The sky’s the limit when you grow your own. Try something new every season

5. It’s better for the environment.

You lessen your environmental impact when you grow your own food because you’re eliminating the need for it to be trucked or even flown from the farm, to the processing plant, to the store.  You’re eliminating the need for energy-intense refrigeration and packing, and you’re ensuring that your foods are grown with organic compounds that won’t harm the world around you, including bees, beneficial insects, butterflies, and other pollinators. 

6. Gardening is good for you!

We’re all interested in lower maintenance gardens, but getting some exercise is never a bad thing! Did you know that gardening for just 45 minutes can burn the same number of calories as running 1 ½ miles in 15 minutes?

The physical act of gardening helps to release tension, relieve anxiety and stress, boost our energy levels and increase our Vitamin D, too. It’s been scientifically proven that soil contains healthy microbes which can affect our brain in similar ways as anti-anxiety medication. So, dig your hands into the dirt and breathe in the fresh air—it’s good for you! 

7. It will give you something to be genuinely proud of.

When you grow your own food, you’ll find there’s a certain pride and satisfaction that comes with it all. Being able to walk out into your garden and harvest the produce you grew yourself is rewarding at an almost primal level. We can sustain ourselves. We can feed our family and friends healthy food that’s been grown with the utmost care and love poured into it. It feeds the soul to grow our own food.

8.  It’s fun for the whole family.

Gardening as a whole can be a rewarding family activity; being able to teach your children or grandchildren how to grow their own food is especially gratifying. The saying goes: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. It’s safe to say, the same goes for zucchinis.

Planning, planting, caring for and harvesting a garden with your family is something that creates lifelong memories, all for the cost of a few seed packets or potted plants. 

9. Gardening challenges provide learning experiences.

Though modern conveniences have made it easier than ever to grow our own food, there are plenty of opportunities to learn as we go. Gardening expands our consciousness and helps us appreciate all that goes into growing the food that sustains us. It presents new challenges such as trying new recipes and learning how to preserve your harvest.

10. There is great joy in sharing the bounty.

Anyone who’s ever grown tomatoes, zucchini or basil knows there is always plenty to share. Most people will be thrilled to accept the extras from your harvest. You never know what affect you might have on someone—yours might be the only fresh produce they eat all week! Growing your own food is almost always coupled with the joy of sharing the bounty with family, friends and neighbors. Growing healthy together is a beautiful thing!

The post Why Grow Your Own? Learn how! appeared first on Homestead Gardens, Inc..

Tip #1: Maximize your patio space

Turn your porch, patio, balcony, or even a small space in your landscape into a multi-purpose space that combines native plants, ornamentals and edibles. In this photo, Proven Winners used Gardener’s Supply Company’s eight-foot-long, reclaimed wood outdoor planter bar and filled it with aromatic herbs and strawberries that can be conveniently plucked for craft cocktails when entertaining. Ornamental begonias, lantana and moss roses add a punch of color to the space in the surrounding containers.

In this photo, Proven Winners used grow bags on a balcony to maximize space for harvest that is also aesthetically gorgeous and interesting. 

Tip #2: Choose smaller varieties to grow in containers

Dwarf varieties of fruits and vegetables that are just the right size for growing in containers are now widely available. Be selective when you buy and choose those that only grow a foot or two tall but still produce a decent yield like cocktail or cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, strawberries and snack peppers. 

One major advantage to growing edible plants in containers is they are easy to rearrange if necessary to catch the best light. If your peppers don’t seem to be ripening, pick up and move the pot to a sunnier location. That wouldn’t be so easy to do if they were planted in the ground.

Tip #3: Grow and feed ornamentals and food crops in separate containers

Who needs to worry about supply chain issues when you can grow your own organic strawberries? When you grow your own food, you know it is safe and healthy. Do your best to grow what you eat organically, feeding them with organic nutrients like compost, compost tea, fish emulsion and certified organic fertilizers. What you feed your edible harvest is very different than what you feed your petunias and other ornamental flowers. By keeping your ornamental and edible plants in separate containers, it’s easy to feed each the type of plant food they prefer.

Tip #4: Grow herbs and edible flowers together

Make the best use of the space you have by combining edible flowers and herbs together in containers. Basil pairs well with calendula flowers, for example, as in this photo from Proven Winners. Since both plants will be harvested for consumption, feed the whole container with organic fertilizer. The flowers will keep the arrangement looking full while you’re waiting for the herbs you’ve harvested to grow back in.

Tip #5: Look around your landscape to find more edible flowers

In addition to the fruits, vegetables and herbs you are growing in containers, you may discover that some of the plants in your landscape are edible, too. If you garden organically, you’ll know it is safe to harvest from them.

For example, lavender flowers make a delightful addition to sweet breads, shortbread cookies and lemonade. Hibiscus and bee balm flowers can be dried and used to make tea. The freshly picked petals of roses and daylilies can be sliced thin and added to green salads and fruit cups. Calendula petals will add a slight peppery flavor to your corn muffins and soups.

Learn much more about edible flowers in these two useful books: Backyard Foraging by Ellen Zachos (Storey Publishing, 2013) and Eat Your Rosesby Denise Schreiber (St. Lynn’s Press, 2011).

Common Sense Guidelines:

• Always be 100% sure that what you are eating is edible. Not all flowers are edible.
• New foods can trigger an allergic reaction in some people. Use edible flowers in small amounts.
• Do not eat plants that have been sprayed with pesticides, insecticides or any other chemical.
• Use organic nutrients like compost and fish emulsion to feed your edible plants.

Still not sure? Visit our stores, talk to our diagnostic experts, or email AskHomestead@homesteadgardens.com.

The post Edible Harvest for Small Spaces appeared first on Homestead Gardens, Inc..

If you’ve never grown tomatoes in pots, it’s not as hard as you might think. All you need is a spot that gets lots of sun. By choosing the right sized container, providing a rich growing medium, and giving your plants plenty of water and nutrients, you can be well on your way to enjoying your own homegrown tomatoes.

There are a few things to keep in mind, so be sure to read the information below before you start!

Types of Tomato

Tomatoes are classified into three basic groups.

Indeterminate tomatoes have a larger vining habit, producing fruit throughout the growing season.

Determinate tomatoes have a compact bushy habit and produce fruit over a shorter amount of time.

A small percentage of tomato varieties are semi-determinate, which are more compact varieties that produce fruit through the growing season.

For containers, choose determinate or semi-determinate tomato varieties that will stay smaller, which includes patio and dwarf forms. Consider what types of tomatoes you like to eat, which can include beefsteak, salad, pear, grape, plum or cherry tomatoes.

Light

Tomatoes are sun lovers that thrive with lots of light and warmth. Choose a site that receives at least 6-8 hours of full sun throughout the growing season.

Soil

Use a high-quality soilless potting mix, which can contain perlite, vermiculite,  bark or coco coir, all of which help to lighten the soil. Garden soil is too heavy and compacted for container use, preventing air, water and nutrients from reaching the root zone. It may also contain disease organisms that can harm plants. 

Fertilizer

Tomatoes grow quickly and need lots of nourishment to thrive. Though many potting mixes have fertilizer mixed in, supplemental feeding of tomato plants is essential, as nutrients leach out quickly from containers due to more frequent watering.

At planting time, add a slow-release organic fertilizer to the planting hole according to instructions. Use a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer or one that’s specially formulated for tomatoes. To increase calcium in the soil, you can also add a handful of bone meal to the planting hole, which will help to prevent blossom end rot. Once plants begin to set fruit, supplement with an organic water-soluble fertilizer such as fish emulsion, seaweed or compost tea every 1-2 weeks.

When to plant tomatoes

Tomatoes are warm-weather plants that need lots of heat and light to grow their best. Placing plants outdoors when it’s too cold can result in foliage damage and stunted growth. Wait until nighttime temperatures are consistently 55 degrees F or above to plant tomatoes outdoors in containers. Ideal daytime temperatures range between 70-90 degrees F.

Tomato varieties have different “days to maturity,” which refers to the number of days from planting to harvest. This can range from as short as 50-65 days to as long as 100 days. To make sure fruits have enough time to ripen, determine the average first frost date in your area. If the amount of days until your average first frost date is more than the number of days to maturity, there’s still time to plant. In colder regions, choose early-season varieties that take less time to mature to ensure a successful harvest.

Mulch

After planting, mulch the soil surface with 1-2 inches of organic matter such as straw, shredded bark or compost, which will help retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Support

Tomato plants need extra support to stay upright and bear the weight of the fruits. Set a tomato cage directly into the pot at the time of planting to avoid disturbing roots later on. Other forms of support include wooden stakes, trellises or fencing.

Harvesting

To develop the best flavor, allow fruits to fully ripen on the plant. Pick fruits that are slightly soft to the touch, but not mushy. Some varieties can be susceptible to fruit cracking if left on the plant for too long, while overripe fruits may drop to the ground. Don’t refrigerate freshly picked tomatoes, as this can result in a loss of flavor.

FAQ’s

What size pots do tomatoes need to grow? How deep?

Tomatoes are vigorous growers that need lots of room for roots to spread out. Containers should be at least 5 gallons or 12 inches wide and deep, though bigger is better. For maximum production, containers that are 10 gallons or larger are ideal, especially for bigger tomato varieties. Ceramic or plastic pots will retain moisture better than terra cotta. Make sure there are adequate drainage holes in the bottom.

For a decorative touch that also makes growing tomatoes easier, try Proven Winners^® AquaPots^®. These high-quality self-watering pots deliver a constant source of water while providing plenty of room for tomato plants to grow and thrive.

How many tomato plants can be grown in each pot?

Since tomatoes develop an extensive root system and are heavy feeders, each plant needs its own separate pot.

How often should I water my tomato plants in pots?

Proper watering is one of the most crucial aspects to growing tomatoes in pots. Plants need plenty of water, especially as they grow larger and develop fruit. Soil in containers warms up and dries out more quickly than in the ground. During hot weather, plants may need watering once or twice a day.

The goal is to keep containers consistently moist but not soggy. Too little water will stress plants, leading to stunted growth and a reduced harvest. Sporadic watering can cause blossom end rot or cracked fruit. To minimize evaporation and prevent foliar diseases, water early in the day. Use a watering wand to deliver water around the base of the plants, taking care not to splash the foliage. Water slowly and thoroughly to encourage a deep root system. 

To simplify watering chores, try Proven Winners^® self-watering AquaPots^®

^{Still Have Questions? We’re here to help!}

^{Visit any of our stores and ask in our Annuals Department, at Customer Service, or at our Diagnostics Desk. You can also email AskHomestead@homesteadgardens.com.} 

The post How to Plant Tomatoes in Pots appeared first on Homestead Gardens, Inc..

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Permanent? Or Just for This Season? 

Think about if you want your hydrangea to be permanent or temporary.  Temporary plantings are meant to perform for one season only. At the end of the season, you might plant your hydrangea out in the garden or give it to a friend who has space in their landscape. Permanent plantings stay in the same container for several seasons before either getting transplanted into a bigger pot or to a spot in the garden. 

Container Choice

Temporary – Just This Season
Pretty much any container will work with a temporary planting! As long as it holds soil and has a big enough hole (or a few holes) in the bottom to release excess water, you are good to go. This means you can use troughs, vintage vessels from antique stores, or a favorite DIY container. If you’re more of a laid-back gardener, consider using AquaPots^®. These high-quality, self-watering pots make hydrangea container gardening a breeze. Not only are the pots themselves gorgeous, but the constant supply of water also keeps hydrangeas looking fresh and fabulous too. It’s no secret that container gardening takes a little extra effort with the setup of drip irrigation or frequent hand watering, so this system could really save you some time! Note that AquaPots are only recommended for temporary plantings in cold climates because they could crack if you don’t empty them before the winter freeze arrives.

Permanent – you plan to leave your hydrangea in the pot
The container material is important if you live in an area that experiences frost. Choose a weatherproof pot; many will have a sticker that lets you know it’s frostproof. If you’re unsure whether or not your container will work, just avoid pots that are clay, terra cotta, or ceramic. Containers that aren’t frostproof often break or shatter when freezing temperatures strike, leaving the plants’ roots exposed to the harshness of winter.

The size of your container matters, since the plant’s roots will need room to grow. Pots measuring at least 16-24” wide and deep will often accommodate a good-sized hydrangea nicely for a few years.

If you have a heavy container, move it the location you’re eyeing before you plant the hydrangea. Also, if you plan to overwinter it in a more sheltered spot, plan to have a dolly on hand to move the container more easily.

Watering

Whenever you plant in containers, attention to watering is the key to success! Containers dry out quickly, especially in the height of summer when it’s especially hot and sunny. Be sure to check your container every day when you water,  pour all around the entire base of your hydrangea (not just one spot), and do so until the water flows through the bottom of the pot. You’ll find that as your plant matures, it will need more frequent watering since the roots are starting to take up more of the soil space. 

Fertilizer

The fertilizer that comes in standard container potting mixes is often enough to support temporary plantings. However, for permanent plantings you’ll need to apply some fertilizer each year after the first season. Plan to use an all-purpose flowering shrub formula or a rose fertilizer, as these will have the correct ratio of nutrients for any hydrangea. In early spring, put the fertilizer around the base of the plant, but not touching any branches, and water thoroughly. Be sure that you don’t apply fertilizer after late July, as this can promote growth and prevent the plant from going into dormancy.

Ready to Plant?

Things to Consider: 

Zone
For a  temporary planting, if you plan to transplant the hydrangea into your landscape, you’ll want to make sure it is hardy in your zone. If the hydrangea will be used like an annual, there’s no need to worry about its zone range.
For a permanent planting, choose a hydrangea that is hardy in your zone. If you plan to keep it in an area that experiences freezing winter conditions, you will need to use a variety that is two zones hardier than yours. For example, if you live in zone 6, a hydrangea that’s hardy down to zone 4 would work well.

Light Requirement

The place you choose for your hydrangea should receive at least some sun or all-day dappled light. In warm regions, your hydrangea would benefit from afternoon shade, as this will reduce water loss.

Plant recommendations for both light situations:
Full sun (6+ hours of direct sun) – Panicle hydrangeas are the most sun tolerant hydrangea. Try Proven Winners Limelight Prime^®

Part sun (4-6 hours of direct sun) or dappled shade – Anything but oakleaf hydrangeas*. This includes mountain, smooth, panicle, and bigleaf hydrangeas. Try Proven Winners Invincibelle Garnetta^®

*We don’t recommend oakleaf hydrangeas because they don’t often look their best when grown in a container. They flourish when planted in the ground. But if you enjoy the look, go for it!

Size

For a temporary planting, pick a hydrangea that’s already the physical size that suits your needs. It will grow a bit throughout the season, but not very much. Quart-sized hydrangeas look nice planted as a thriller, accompanied by annuals or perennials. Gallon sizes are often large enough to fill in a pot by themselves.

For a permanent planting, consider the eventual size of the hydrangea since it will be living and growing in your space for a few years. Choose one that is well-suited for the space you’d like to display it.

Planting

Potting up your shrub is as easy as planting it in the landscape, but with a few important considerations.

1. Prevent soil from escaping out of the bottom. Cover the hole with a coffee filter, paper towel, or fine mesh. This will hold the soil in for a while, but still lets the water flow through.
2. Fill the container with soil, up to the level where the bottom of your hydrangea will sit.
3. Place the hydrangea (pot and all) into your container and fill soil around it, firming it into place as you go. Once the soil level of the potted hydrangea and the soil level around the outside match, remove the potted hydrangea. Gently take the plastic nursery pot off of your hydrangea and place the unpotted hydrangea back into the hole. Firm the soil in around the rootball.
4. Water your new planting thoroughly. Come back an hour or so later and check that the soil is still level around the entire surface, since potting soil will occasionally settle and slightly expose the rootball. Fill in any low spots and lightly water again.
5. Place a 2” layer of mulch on the soil surface and your hydrangea is ready to show off!
   Transplanting

   You’ll know your hydrangea needs to be transplanted once it starts to slow down noticeably. It will either flower less or put on less height and width than normal. This can happen anywhere from three to five seasons after you’ve planted it. You can either transplant it into a bigger pot with new soil or find a spot for it in your landscape. Either way, you’ll plant it in the same way you would when planting a newly purchased shrub, but this time be sure to scratch those close growing roots vigorously with your fingers to loosen them up when repotting. With a nice spot that it will love, proper planting, and thorough watering, your hydrangea should thrive in its permanent home for many years. 

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