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Vaccinium corymbosum    SOUTHERN HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRY    rather easy to grow Southern versions of the older, more traditional Northern Highbush blueberries, or hybrids between them, these selections are reliable enough and tough enough that most berries available in California markets today are varieties like the following that are now farmed in the hot middle section of the Central Valley. Flavor is essentially as good as northern types as well. They will bear from late spring through late summer, depending on the variety. Coastal plantings can bear quite late with cool summers, even into fall. All they need is mostly sun, rich, acid soil (plant with lots of peat moss - 50% of the planting hole soil, with as big a hole as you can stand to dig - and a couple of cups of soil sulfur per planting hole, that ought to do it), and lots of water, though they don't need the almost boggy conditions necessary for northern types. The most important factor is soil pH, which has to be between 4 and 5 for them to grow right. It is very hard to drive soil pH below this point, and it can take 4-6 months for the soil sulfur to do its job. Heavy textured soils will likely take more acidification than you first realize, due to greater surface area. Another important factor is that they need thick surface mulch since the roots will only grow a couple of inches down. Over time the pH will tend to drift up (more alkaline) as the buffering capacity of the soil begins to kick in and minerals begin to decompose in the higher acidity and neutralize it. Also, all city water supplies are limed to prevent corrosion of pipes and this alkalinity accumulates in the soil from evaporation. So if your plants start looking sad, most likely more acidity is in order. If you are growing organically, you will need to use water treated with citric or acetic (vinegar) acid on a regular basis. Experimental plantings into pure organic matter (wood waste, peat moss) have done very well.

     They DON'T like strong nitrogen fertilizer ever, but they respond well to feeding and you can feed them after they are established with regular light applications beginning about April. End your feeding in July or August to minimize Lilac Blight, a bacterial branch disease (Pseudomonas bacteria) that causes early spring stem dieback problems. Also, excess nitrogen will lower bearing on mature, established plants. Plant from 2 1/2 - 6' apart, with rows from 4-6' apart, or use as single specimens, but plant as multiples because most are not self fertile and will need another variety nearby for adequate fruit set. They will greatly appreciate thick, coarse mulch over the top except right against the base, and mounding the rows slightly is usually recommended. Watering is best as sprinkling or surface application that thoroughly wets the mulch. Plants bear on young branches produced the previous year, so thin out the dense twiggy growth to about 5 major branches every year in order to flush new growth. If you are having problems with plant vigor, they probably will trace back to too-high soil pH or inadequate watering. A wonderful feature of many varieties is their outstanding fall color, hot, luminous reds, pinks, and oranges that really light up with fall rains. Then most offer striking coral red stems in winter. Even those without striking fall color at least get smoky wine red leaves with a glaucous cast in cool weather. Plant them where you can see them through your window. In mild winters expect them to hold quite a bit of foliage until they releaf in spring. Temperatures in the mid twenties will cause plants to abort flowers and fruit. All these varieties have excellent flavor. rev 11/2004

'Jubilee'    fruit    upright, fast, hard berries, a regular producer. From the USDA breeding program, actually a North/South hybrid. 500-700 hours chill, a midseason variety. Has a reputation as a good producer in less than perfect conditions. Has a tight habit, tends to produce two crops. The fruit is supposed to keep well. Wonderful fall color. rev 1/2007
'Misty'    fruit    an early variety of narrow, upright habit and great vigor. Does well coastal or inland and has an extended production season. Chill requirement may be as low as 150 hours. Prune heavily to remove old annual wood and lessen overproduction. Commercial growers use trellises on this variety. No real fall color, but this variety has wonderful, very blue foliage. This variety did very well at a trial at the Santa Clara County Ag Extension office. We have seen fruit ripen in early February here on the Central Coast. The berries have a rich blueberry flavor. Reluctant fall color, often evergreen in mild winters. rev 1/2007
'O'Neal'    fruit    fall color    flowers   probably the earliest variety, a robust, fast grower. Considered by some to have the best flavor of any of the Southern Highbush types and described as "terrific." Fruit is medium dark blue, medium large, on bushes to about 4' tall. A very early ripener with chill requirement estimated at 4-500 hours. Has nice pink flowers and great fall color too, purple bronze then bright scarlet red and hot orange over yellow. Local home grower Jerry Stanhoff reports this to be a continuous summer bearer for him, at 800' in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with "great" fruit that are greedily scavenged by his wife and kids before he gets to enjoy almost any. We find fruit ripening on this one even in January, and even after the hard freezes. Gotta like tthat! rev 1/2008
'Sharpblue'    early, really vigorous (up to 6' if very happy), adaptable. Has a reputation for taking soils ranging from clay to light sand. The fruit is very large but must be picked frequently in hot weather or it will overripen. This one has almost no chilling requirement. is almost everbearing on the coast or in Southern California. It did very well at a trial at the Santa Clara County Ag Extension office trial.  rev 9/2006
'Southmoon' (PP 9834)    a good variety for California, with the main crop ripening around the end of May. Very productive, with large, beautiful berries. It only seems to need about 500 hours winter chill. Especially good on sandy or well amended soils. Modest fall color, and then only with extended cold weather. rev  1/2007
'Sunshine'    extremely compact, bushy. A late evergreen, dwarf to semidwarf variety, to only about 4' tall and wide. Based on our growing experience that is going to take a while. Flowers are pink, showy. Good performance at the Santa Clara County Ag Extension trial. Tolerant of higher pH soils, only needs about 150 hours of chilling. rev 6/2008

Verbena canadensis ‘Homestead Purple’    closeup    civic planting with California Poppies    another wall of flowers    a really satisfying variety, fast, reliable, incredibly showy. Grows as an herbaceous perennial groundcover, evergreen in milder areas, bears large spikes of rich purple flowers from spring through late fall. Sun to part shade, average watering. Verbenaceae.

‘Tapiens’ TM    Pink    Blue-Violet    Lavender    an outstanding series of hybrids resembling and probably involving V. tenuisecta, with dark green finely cut foliage and strongly prostrate habits. Flowers range from dark purple through red, rose pink, salmon pink, soft pink, light lavender and pale blue. Sun to half shade, average watering, not reliably frost hardy below 25-28°F. Great in hanging baskets. They take trimming well, and respond with thickened habit and renewed flowering. Mildew-free for us in our cool, foggy climate. Patented, unauthorized propagation prohibited.

Viburnum plicatum 'Summer Snowflake’      LACECAP VIBURNUM     closeup    typical habit      distinguished by a compact rounded habit and its ability to flower throughout the growing season. Somewhat slow in containers or when first planted, but soon quite vigorous. Can easily reach 6-9’ tall and wide, with dense, compact foliage. Sun to part shade, average watering, frost hardy. all varieties Sunset zones 3-9, 14-24. China, Japan. Caprifoliaceae. rev 11/2006

Vinca major ‘Expoflora’    VARIEGATED VINCA    foliage    a sprawling groundcover that spreads slowly by underground stolons. This is an improved variegated form, with darker green leaves and brighter creamy white variegation. Scattered dark blue flowers to 1" across are produced intermittently in summer and look wonderful against colored leaves, but the real value here is for the foliage, even when not in bloom. This is a great perennial to mix with other “foliage and texture” perennials for containers, baskets, or just in the border. Grows well even in mostly shade and is relatively drought tolerant when established. Frost hardy to around 10°F and root hardy to even lower temperatures. The green form, or reversions of this form, will overgrow the variegated foliage if not rogued out. In addition, it is dangerously invasive in coastal forests and any plantings of this plant should be monitored closely if you are at all close to such an area.

minor    DWARF PERIWINKLE    evergreen perennial groundcover to 6-12" tall, spreading by underground stolons and rooting in stems. Dark green, glossy foliage is formal, neat looking. Bears medium blue flowers, with a touch of violet. Part shade to shade, little or no watering. Europe. Apocynaceae.

‘Burgundy’    closeup    with light violet purple flowers.
minor ‘Illumination’ PP#12132    flowers against beautiful leaves    usually offered as a hanging basket, it grows long, chain-like runners with leaves edged with bright gold to chartreuse. The periwinkle blue flowers opening against the bright foliage is striking and pretty. Faster than you would expect for such strong variegation. Mature leaves turn green the second year. A wonderful container subject, I haven't seen it used in the garden yet but it should be interesting, especially as an underplanting for dark or contrasting foliage plants. rev 12/2002
‘Miner’s Gold’    closeup    leaves dark, glossy green irregularly splashed with gold. Deep blue flowers. MBN INTRODUCTION-2000
‘Sterling Silver’    closeup    deep blue flowers are held against creamy white and green variegated foliage.