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Hydrangeas for Shade or Sun

5/1/2025

 

Enjoy a Bouquet on Every Stem!

Hydrangeas are one of our customers' favorite flowering shrubs. With big, bouquet-sized blooms in shades of blue and pink to lime and white, it's easy to see why! Visit our Garden Center soon to choose from dwarf and full-sized varieties for shade or sun!
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Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
Hydrangeas for shade in the Charleston area include Bigleaf, Mountain, and Smooth types.

Bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) bloom pink or blue (depending on soil pH) late Spring into Summer and are commonly described as mopheads due to their large, ball-shaped blooms. They have wide, textured leaves and sturdy, thick stems. These hydrangeas bloom on old wood, which means they form next season's flower buds on their stems before they bloom. Generally, it is okay to prune away spent flowers. However, to avoid cutting of next year's blooms, it's advisable to avoid pruning this type of hydrangea except for removal of dead branches in Spring once the plant starts to leaf out.
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Mountain hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata)
Mountain hydrangeas (Hydrangea serrata) bloom in Summer and are also referred to as lacecap hydrangeas as their blooms appear dainty and delicate like lace. Their leaves and stems look a lot like the bigleaf hydrangeas - in fact, it's hard to tell the difference when they are not blooming! These hydrangeas bloom first on old wood. Varieties in this category that rebloom form more flower buds on new growth and bloom again later in the season. If you're uncertain as to whether you have a variety that is reblooming, err on the side of caution when pruning - prune modestly during the growing season to remove spent flowerheads and then only to remove dead branches when leaves emerge in Spring.

Smooth hydrangeas (Hydrangea aborescens) bloom in Spring with white or pink ball-shaped blooms. The foliage of these hydrangeas is thinner and more delicate than the bigleaf or mountain hydrangeas. These hydrangeas also have woody stems and bloom on new wood. This means buds form on the current season's growth, so it's okay to wait until the plant has gone dormant in the Fall or until early Spring to prune them.

All of these shade hydrangeas appreciate being shielded from intense, direct sunlight in the afternoon - especially during our hot summers. Gentle morning sun, dappled light throughout the day, or shade for the majority of the day are ideal sunlight situations for these varieties.

Hydrangeas for sun in the Lowcountry include Panicle and Oakleaf types.
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Panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata)
Panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) bloom mid to late Summer into early Fall. Their flowers first arise lime-green to white, filling out to a full cone shape that turns blush to red as the weather cools down in the Fall. These hydrangeas have woody stems and thinner, narrower leaves than the bigleaf hydrangeas. Panicle hydrangeas bloom on new wood with their buds and blooms occurring in the same season, so it is safe to prune in late Fall or early Spring while the plant is dormant without risk of removing flower buds.
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Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)
Oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia) are one of the more unique hydrangea types, offering showy, cone-shaped, white flowers in early summer. Oakleaf hydrangeas have woody stems, and as their name suggests, large, oak-shaped leaves. Like panicle hydrangeas, oakleaf hydrangea blooms take on rosy tones as the weather cools down in Fall. And, BONUS! Oakleaf hydrangea foliage turns a beautiful red as the shrub prepares to go dormant in the Winter. Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood, so take care to prune moderately, if at all, immediately after flowering for size and when new growth emerges in Spring to remove dead branches.

Of the sun hydrangeas, panicle hydrangeas are the toughest when it comes to full sun in our climate. Oakleaf hydrangeas come in second with the ability to handle full sun once acclimated.

When considering hydrangeas for your landscape, take note of the amount of space you have available and how much sunlight the area receives at what time of day. At our Garden Center, we carry dwarf hydrangeas and full-sized hydrangeas. Not sure which type is right for your landscape? Our Nursery Professionals will be happy to assist!

How to Create a Pollinator Garden

3/26/2025

 

Plants that Attract Butterflies, Bees, and Hummingbirds

Spring is an ideal time of year to add new pollinator-attracting plants to your landscape! The Garden Center is full of plants with flowers of all shapes, sizes, and colors, allowing for a wide array of combinations to suit various bed shapes and design styles. 
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Gulf fritillaries visiting Pentas blooms
​Tips for getting started on your pollinator garden:
1.  Know Your Planting Location: Before choosing plants, be sure you know key characteristics about the area in which you are planting. Many plants for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds love sunshine. So, siting your butterfly garden in an area that receives a minimum of 6+ hours of sunlight will likely be ideal. Also, most pollinator-friendly plants will appreciate soil that is well-drained (i.e. not soggy). Of course, there are exceptions to these guidelines for sunlight and soil moisture. If you are working in an area of the yard that has more shade or moisture, our Nursery Professionals can also assist you in choosing plants that will work for those conditions as well.
2. Choose the Right Plants: Generally, nectar-rich flowers are key. And, including an assortment of bloom shapes will encourage a variety of pollinators to visit. It is also important to consider bloom season so that flowers are present early spring through fall.
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Hummingbirds prefer tubular-shaped flowers
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Honeybee collecting pollen
​Flowering annual and perennial plant selections include:
Agapanthus
Butterfly Weed
Mexican or Texas Petunia
Lantana
Salvia
​Sage
Coneflower
Coreopsis
Blanket Flower
​Bee Balm
Dianthus
​Daylily
Hardy Hibiscus
​Honeysuckle
Pentas
Marigolds
Zinnias
​Petunias
Million Bells
Mexican Heather
Sunflowers​
Dahlia
Basil
Lavender
Rosemary
​Mint
​Passion Vine
​Verbena
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Honeybee visiting a bottlebrush bloom
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Eastern Tiger Swallowtail with butterfly bush
​Have space to go bigger? Pollinators also love these flowering shrubs and trees:
Butterfly Bush
Bottlebrush
Abelia
Sweetspire
Firebush
Buttonbush
​Viburnum
​Tropical Hibiscus
​Rose of Sharon
​Vitex
Sweetbay Magnolia
Ligustrum
Eastern Redbud
​Flowering Dogwood
3. Get Your Soil Ready: We highly recommend amending the soil in your planting area with Brownswood Premium Planting Mix as well as a starter fertilizer such as Espoma Organic Bio-tone® Starter Plus to give your new plants their best start. You can find our Planting Guide at the link below. It provides planting instructions and helpful information about watering and getting new plants established.​
4. Plant: Planting different varieties of plants in groupings of three or more will result in more blooms of any given flower type being available at once. Do keep in mind mature heights and widths of each plant for best spacing and arrangement. For example, if arranging in tiers, situate taller plants in the back of the bed and work forward. It may be helpful to sketch a layout of your planting area with rough measurements beforehand to ensure proper spacing. Water regularly as new plantings are getting established and provide a balanced fertilizer in spring and fall.
Download Our Planting Guide
5. Enjoy! Butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds are a delight for all ages to observe, adding a sense of wonder and excitement to the landscape. It may take a little while for pollinators to find newly planted flowers, so be patient... they will come!

Espoma Organic Fertilizers

2/28/2025

 

Don't Forget to Fertilize - Keep Your Plants Happy and Hearty this Spring!

As we start to smell warmer air, watch gorgeous blooms emerge, and shed our winter clothes, we can’t help but get excited for spring gardening! This month, we'd like to share a helpful guide for selecting Espoma Organic fertilizers by plant type to keep your flowers, shrubs, and trees in peak condition.
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Ready to Get Growing? We're Here to Help!

Make a list of existing landscape plantings, or take photos and bring them into the Garden Center. Our Nursery Professionals can assist you in plant identification and provide you with fertilizer recommendations specific to your plant type(s). We are also happy to review the proper fertilizer pairing for any new plants when you're here shopping.
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Get STARTED - What you'll need WHEN you plant:

​We highly recommend amending the soil in your planting area with Brownswood Premium Planting Mix  as well as a starter fertilizer such as Espoma Organic Bio-tone® Starter Plus to give your new plants their best start. You can find our Planting Guide at the link below. It provides planting instructions and helpful information about watering and getting new plants established.
Download our Planting Guide

How Does IT work?

Espoma Organic Bio-tone® Starter Plus is an all natural plant food that contains beneficial bacteria and fungus that helps the plant’s roots develop and receive nutrients during the initial planting stage.

Those planted with Bio-tone® quickly develop deeper root systems, sprout bigger blooms, and have marked increased plant growth. 

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Results from a Bio-tone planting experiment at Brownswood Nursery
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GROW & THRIVE - What you'll need AFTER you plant:

​Espoma's other organic 'tone' fertilizers can be used after planting, throughout the growing season. These easy-to-use granulated fertilizers are typically applied around the plant at the soil level. (see application instructions on each product label for frequency and amount to use)
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Azaleas, camellias, and gardenias:
Azalea-tone® organic fertilizer is formulated for all types of azaleas, camellias, and gardenias - plus other evergreen trees and shrubs!

Palms and tropical plants (including hibiscus!):
Organic Palm-tone® is specially formulated for palms and will also produce deep green foliage and larger blooms on tropical plants such as hibiscus.

​Herbs and veggies:
Organic Garden-tone® fertilizer provides a long lasting, slow-release feeding for delicious cool and warm season veggies as well as herbs.
​Annual and perennial flowers:
Get larger, more abundant blooms with organic Flower-tone® fertilizer. Use in garden beds, hanging baskets, or other planted containers.

​
All-purpose organic plant food:
Plant-tone® organic all-purpose fertilizer is for use on all flowers, vegetables, trees, and shrubs for increased blooming and larger growth.

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Lemons, limes, oranges or other citrus:
Organic Citrus-tone® fertilizer is formulated for all citrus varieties. It promotes larger and more flavorful fruit.

And there's more! Not all of Espoma's Organic fertilizers are listed here. Formulations for other plant types are available.
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When is the best time to Fertilize?

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There is no single best time to fertilize, different plant types benefit from different fertilization timelines. Most trees and shrubs benefit from early spring and fall feedings, whereas vegetable and perennial plants can benefit from more frequent fertilization (monthly) throughout the growing season. See application instructions on each product label for frequency and amount to use.

Important tip! Watering right after applying fertilizer can help with the even distribution of nutrients.
Visit the Brownswood Nursery Garden Center and speak with one of our Nursery Professionals about our complete selection of Espoma Organic garden products such as additional single ingredient soil amendments, fertilizers, and planting mixes. We look forward to growing with you this season!
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