Laura from Garden Answer Preps Her Garden for Blooming Success!
Spring is in full bloom, and Laura from Garden Answer is busy giving her garden the nutrients it needs to thrive! In her latest video, Laura shares essential care tips for roses and hydrangeas, starting with careful pruning to encourage healthy new growth. After pruning, she feeds these beautiful flowering shrubs with Espoma Organic Rose-tone, a gentle yet effective slow-release fertilizer specially formulated to deliver vibrant blooms without the risk of burning plants—something common with synthetic fertilizers.
While Rose-tone is primarily designed for roses and other flowering plants, it’s safe for use on hydrangeas as well. However, for optimal results, especially if you’re aiming for blue blooms, Espoma Organic Holly-tone is typically recommended. Holly-tone is formulated for acid-loving plants and contains elemental sulfur, which helps lower soil pH—a key factor in achieving those sought-after blue hydrangea flowers . That said, using Rose-tone won’t harm your hydrangeas and can still provide beneficial nutrients.
Meanwhile, her husband Aaron works to ensure the rest of the garden plants get some love too, applying Espoma Organic Plant-tone to arborvitae and boxwoods. Plant-tone is enriched with beneficial microbes and humates, promoting robust growth and enhancing overall plant vitality.
Watch Laura’s full video for detailed tips on how to care for your garden and learn why Espoma Organic fertilizers are her go-to choice for healthy, flourishing plants!
For more hydrangea care tips, check out our complete guide to growing hydrangeas!
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/How-to-Care-for-Hydrangeas-Roses_Thumbnail_WP.jpg338600Matt Dauphinaishttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.pngMatt Dauphinais2025-05-02 15:42:052025-05-02 16:36:28VIDEO: How to Care for Roses 🌹 & Hydrangeas 🌸 with Garden Answer
🌸 Meet Skye Hamilton: The Hydrangea Queen with a Designer’s Eye and a Gardener’s Heart
It’s no secret that Holly-tone has been one of our most beloved products for generations. Introduced in the 1940s, it was the first fertilizer created specifically for acid-loving plants—and it’s been a go-to for gardeners ever since, helping hydrangeas, azaleas, rhododendrons, and evergreens thrive. With hydrangeas continuing to be one of the most sought-after blooms in gardens everywhere, it feels only natural that the Hydrangea Queen herself, Skye Hamilton, not only uses Holly-tone but proudly recommends it. We find ourselves inspired by Skye’s passion, authenticity, and eye for beauty in the garden and are thrilled that we can share more about her with you.
Before being known as the Hydrangea Queen, Skye spent 18 years as a professional interior designer. Her belief? That your outdoor spaces should be just as beautiful and personal as your indoor ones. “I’ve always loved the idea of a storybook life,” she shares. “So many of my favorite books revolve around beautiful homes and gardens—and I wanted to create that in real life. That love of beauty and intention shows up everywhere in Skye’s world. Whether she’s hosting a backyard BBQ or a birthday party, she’s curating an atmosphere that’s warm, inviting, and totally magical. “Tending to my yard and garden is not only self-care—it’s how I care for others.”
How She Became the “Hydrangea Queen”
Skye’s love for hydrangeas began with a vision. While renovating her old farmhouse in the Pacific Northwest, she knew it needed a hydrangea hedge. “I didn’t know the first thing about them, but I made it my mission to learn,” she says. Then, during the pandemic, she joined several Facebook gardening groups and found that she enjoyed answering questions and sharing her newfound knowledge and experience with others. Then came the Instagram reel that changed everything. Skye posted a reel about hydrangeas to her design account—just for fun—and it took off. “It was so much more fun talking plants than working with clients and contractors. It just felt like a no-brainer to shift to gardening content creation.” And if you’re wondering about her brand name, Hamilton House Design, that’s a holdover from her design business. “I just never changed it,” she laughs.
Her Garden Favorites & Best Advice
While hydrangeas are front and center in her garden, when asked if they’re her favorite plant, she admits they are tied for first place. “I love hydrangeas so much, but roses are right up there too,” she admits. We asked her to share the most common misconception about hydrangeas. “Hydrangeas aren’t one-size-fits-all. There are six main types, each with different growing needs. When people say they can’t grow hydrangeas, I always ask which kind they tried. There’s a variety for almost every climate—you just need to find the right one for your garden.” Skye’s approach to gardening is refreshingly honest. Some of the best advice she’s ever received: If you aren’t killing plants, you probably aren’t doing it right. “Gardening is often best learned through trial and error and moving things around.” And the tip she loves to share with others: “Know thyself.” She encourages new gardeners to be realistic about their time, energy, and interest. “If you love flowers but don’t have a lot of time, go with easier, low-maintenance varieties. You’ll thank me later.”
Skye, Beyond the Garden
Skye describes herself as “kind of a weirdo”—in the most charming way. “Ask any of my family or friends,” she says with a laugh. “I don’t take myself too seriously. I love kitchen dance parties with my husband and kids. I love throwing elaborate dinner parties, but most days I’m in sweats or a bathrobe, drinking coffee in bed while binging Bravo.” Raised by a mom from Virginia and a dad from Idaho, Skye blends the classic charm of the East Coast with the laid-back vibes of the Pacific Northwest. Her life, like her garden, is full of beautiful contrasts.
Why Community Matters
Skye’s found something special in the gardening community. “In my day-to-day life, none of my friends or family garden,” she says. “So, finding this community online has been amazing. I’ve learned so much from other gardeners all over the world—and you’re never done learning. I’ve formed real friendships and found support in this community.” But while she loves the community, she’s also honest about what can be frustrating. “Sometimes there isn’t enough transparency. People only want to showcase the highlight reels with the perfect blooms, and not the dead plants or weeds. That can be really discouraging for beginners,” she explains. “A green thumb isn’t something you’re born with. It’s just hard work, education, and lots of trial and error.”
We love Skye’s goal of not only educating others but also shining a light on the real side of gardening—the trial and error, the messy moments, and the magic in between. Her honest, joyful approach is exactly what we believe gardening is all about, and we’re so excited to share more from Skye and her garden in the seasons ahead.
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/896F1363-4487-4C1B-9828-4C21E6709A4C.jpg23041537Matt Dauphinaishttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.pngMatt Dauphinais2025-04-17 13:08:332025-04-17 13:13:14Meet The Hydrangea Queen: Skye Hamilton
Follow along as Laura from Garden Answer pots up heirloom mums, prunes tree roses, and plants boxwoods—all with a little help from Espoma Organic Potting Mix and Bio-tone Starter Plus. ?? For deeper roots and bigger blooms, Espoma Organic makes all the difference.
Everyone knows the classic red rose, but how about mocha-colored roses, or even purple? Follow along with Summer from Flock Finger Lakes as she uses a variety of Espoma Organic products, like Rose-tone, and Espoma Organic Land & sea Gourmet Compost to transform a once-weedy bed into a beautiful rose patch!
Follow along with Laura @Garden Answer as she helps her mom beautify her garden by planting a variety of bare root roses. Laura demonstrates a clear approach to handling bare root roses, from hydrating the roots prior to planting, proper spacing and planting depth as well as the importance of using a good starter fertilizer to help mitigate transplant shock as well as provide the proper nutrients for the plant to mature successfully. Laura uses Espoma Organic Bio-tone Starter Plus to enrich the soil and create an ideal growing environment for all her new plantings.
Laura from @Garden Answer plants some new roses in her backyard with the help of some Espoma products! Follow along and learn some tips to ensure your roses are in tip-top shape!
English cottage gardens date back centuries. They were used to grow vegetables, herbs for healing, fruit trees, perhaps a beehive, and common flowers. The informal style went through a renaissance in the late 1800’s when they became somewhat more nostalgic than practical.
The informal aesthetic of dense planting and natural materials is still en vogue today. In this video, Laura outlines 10 design principles to help you design a cottage garden. Before you start, make sure you have plenty of Espoma’s organic Bio-tone Starter Plus plant food to make sure your plants get the best possible start.
No Straight Lines
Cottage gardens are always informal and a touch whimsical. Avoid straight lines. Gently curving edging looks more natural and playful. If your site restricts you to a straight edge, let the plants spill over it to create an unrestrained look.
Large Groups of the Same Plant
White cottage gardens are more relaxed in their design, it is still best to use large sweeps of the same plant. Think of planting in groups of three, five or seven. That is far more restful to the eye than a jumble of onsies and twosies.
Spacing Doesn’t Matter
This is one time you do not have to follow the advice on the plant tag. Cottage gardens are always densely planted and generally grow more densely packed with time. Annuals and biennials are often used in cottage gardens and will self-sow in the border. Biennials are plants that take two years to grow and flower from seed like the foxgloves shown. Another advantage to planting things close together is that there is less room for weeds to grow.
Color Harmony
It’s very important to pick a collection of plants that have harmonious colors. Without that the border would look chaotic. Garden Answer uses a collection of soft pinks and peaches with touches of blue and lavender. It needn’t always be soft colors, but they do need to be unified in some way.
Use Varied Heights and Textures
In any planting, it’s a good idea to think about texture, height and foliage color as major design elements. Nothing blooms all the time. Varied foliage forms and colors will create interest even when the flowers aren’t in bloom. Laura uses Heuchera specifically for the silvery foliage color.
Anchor Plants/Structural Elements
This is sometimes referred to as the “bones” of a garden. It’s a structural element that all of the other plants get woven around. In this case, it’s a beautiful shrub rose named Rose ‘The Lady Gardener’, a fragrant beauty with full, apricot blossoms. The rose is repeated three times. Repetition is soothing to the eye. It’s possible to use evergreens for a slightly more formal feel, or whatever peaks your interest.
Fragrance
The first thing everyone does when they pick a flower is to hold it up to their nose. Cottage gardens are known for their fragrance. Try to select varieties that smell good at the garden center. Roses, lavender, sweet peas, and sweet alyssum are all good choices.
Not Perfectly Maintained
Along with relaxed design principles, comes relaxed maintenance. Planting tightly will discourage weeds. Annuals like poppies will self-seed and move around the border, just like the biennial foxgloves. Weeding everything that comes up might mean that you weed out these plants and inhibit their spontaneous movements.
The Look Will Change Over Time
This style of gardening is the exact opposite of a formal border filled with geometric shaped boxwood. By its very nature this is meant to be more random. People often sow cosmos, violas and other plants that have a tendency to move around. Let them surprise you. If you really don’t like where one popped up, it’s easy enough to remove.
Be Patient
Being patient is really what gardening is all about. A garden is never really finished. Enjoy the journey!
Garden Answers Plant List
Nepeta ‘Cat’s Pajamas’ – catmint
Achillea – pink yarrow
Allium ‘Serendipity’ – ornamental onion
Rose ‘The Lady Gardener’
Heuchera Dolce ‘Spearmint’ – Coral Bells
Clematis ‘Brother Stephan’
Digitalis Foxy Hybrids – foxglove
Lobularia ‘Blushing Princess’ – sweet alyssum
Here are more videos from Garden Answer we hope you will enjoy.
Roses are the most classic flower to include in a garden. They’re prolific bloomers, fragrant and colorful.
With a little care and maintenance, you’re only a few steps away from success. Yet the ideal conditions for growing roses aren’t always there. We have you covered. Here are the best roses for each situation.
Learn how to plant roses with Laura from Garden Answer.
Roses for Full Sun
Roses thrive in full sun. When they get anywhere from 6 to 8 hours of sun a day, they bloom vibrantly and to their fullest. Any variety will be spectacular when grown in these conditions. They are hardy in zones 4-9 and with the right care, can come back to thrive year after year. Feed your roses monthly with Espoma’s Organic Rose-tone to ensure proper growth.
While all roses thrive in the sun, our favorites are…
Sunblaze® Miniature Roses
You can’t go wrong with any variety of the Sunblaze miniature roses. The name says it all and these sun-loving beauties won’t let you down.
Photo courtesy of Star® Roses and Plants
Autumn Sunblaze® is the perfect variety to showcase this summer. It is a miniature rose, so it is ideal for a beautiful container. Put that container in the full sun for these roses to thrive!
PLANT TYPE: Miniature Rose
FLOWER COLOR: Orange
FLOWERS: Small, 40 petals
FOLIAGE: Glossy
FRAGRANCE: Slight
GROWTH HABIT: Bushy
HARDINESS ZONE: 5 – 11
HEIGHT: 12-15″
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Full Sun
SPREAD: 15″
Sunny Knock Out® rose is beautiful in full sun. As the name implies, the blooms are a bright yellow that fade into a cream color from center to petal. It’ll stay bright and colorful even as cooler months approach.
PLANT TYPE: Miniature Rose
FLOWER COLOR: Yellow to cream FLOWERS: Abundant and continuous
FOLIAGE: Dark green, semi-glossy
Want to have a beautiful rose garden, but don’t have the space in your garden to include them? Turn to containers! As long as the containers are placed in full sun, they will thrive.
Some roses are too big to plant in containers, but miniature varieties work well for smaller spaces. Don’t be fooled, just because they are miniature doesn’t mean they aren’t spectacular.
Photo courtesy of Star® Roses and Plants
Rainbow Sunblaze® is a great variety for any summer garden. The petals are multicolored, which will help them stand out anywhere you plant them. Pair them with a beautiful container and it will be the talk of the neighborhood.
PLANT TYPE: Miniature Rose
FLOWER COLOR: Multicolored
FLOWERS: Small, 25-30 petals
FOLIAGE: Semi-glossy
FRAGRANCE: No Fragrance
GROWTH HABIT: Upright
HARDINESS ZONE: 5 – 11
HEIGHT: 12-18″
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Full Sun
SPREAD: 18″
Photo courtesy of Star® Roses and Plants
Sweet Sunblaze® is a beautiful variety to add to any container in your space. This rose, introduced in 1987, has gentle pink blooms that add softness to your garden. Pair with an edgy container for a striking contrast or with a neutral container for a more classic look.
PLANT TYPE: Miniature Rose
FLOWER COLOR: Pink
FLOWERS: Small, 26-40 petals
FOLIAGE: Glossy
FRAGRANCE: Slight
GROWTH HABIT: Bushy
HARDINESS ZONE: 5 – 11
HEIGHT: 15-18″
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Full Sun
SPREAD: 18″
Disease Resistant Roses
Some gardens and plants are more susceptible to diseases. Black spot is the most common disease in roses. It is caused by a fungus that spreads from plant to plant and can wipe out an entire garden. Planting disease-resistant roses helps prevent the spread of disease.
We rounded up our favorite roses that are disease resistant.
Photo courtesy of Star® Roses and Plants
Knock Out® Family of Roses
Known for their punch of color, these roses are perfect to add to any sunny garden. Knock Out are disease resistant and love 6-8 hours of sun a day.
PLANT TYPE: Shrub Rose
FLOWER COLOR: Cherry red, hot pink
FLOWERS: Abundant and continuous
FOLIAGE: Deep, purplish green
FRAGRANCE: No Fragrance
GROWTH HABIT: Bushy
HARDINESS ZONE: 5–11
HEIGHT: 3–4’
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Full Sun
SPREAD: 3–4’
Photo courtesy of Star® Roses and Plants
Double Knock Out® Rose
The Double Knock Out gives a double the punch. It has twice as many petals and is offered in a multitude of colors, depending on the variety. You cannot go wrong with these roses.
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Red-Sunblaze-courtesy-of-Star®-Roses-and-Plants.jpeg50573371espomahttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.pngespoma2018-05-24 17:30:452019-05-07 09:58:08The Best Roses to Grow in Any Situation
Rose gardens are one of the most classic pieces you can add to your landscape. With some love and regular upkeep, they can last for years.
Roses bring beauty by either becoming the statement plant or a fine complement to focal point. You can use roses to cover up an unsightly area or introduce a new fragrance, they are incredibly diverse. Roses are offered in a large variety of colors and patterns to match anyone’s need.
When choosing the best rose for you garden, be sure to know how much sun the area gets. Check the tags on the rose plants to ensure you are picking up ones that will thrive in yard. If you aren’t sure what to choose, your local garden center can help choose for your space and your region!
Planting Tips for Rose Gardens:
Plant Time. Wait until after the last frost to get your roses in the ground. Most roses want to establish roots in the spring before the weather gets too hot.
Space is Key. When planting, dig a hole deep and wide enough to accommodate the roots. If you are planting more than one bush, keep at least 3 feet in between each plant. Add Bio-tone Starter Plus to promote bigger blooms.
Feed Often. Give roses Espoma’s Organic Rose Tone to help keep roses vibrant and looking their best. Feed regularly as described.
Watering Deep. Roses don’t do well in drought conditions as they need a good deep drink often. At least once per week water about an inch deep and evenly around the plant. It does better as the soil is even throughout. Try to get the water around the roots and not the leaves.
As your roses start to bloom, be sure to keep up with the maintenance. If the blooms are looking dead, remove the spent flowers. This will give the bush extra energy to produce bigger and fuller blooms. Roses will continue to flower throughout summer, so don’t be afraid to deadhead into August.
Watch as Laura from Garden Answer plants her own roses!
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Rose-garden-sunrise.jpg8471280espomahttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.pngespoma2018-05-01 17:15:532019-05-07 09:58:43Nosey Rosy – Guide to a Rose Garden
Skye, Beyond the Garden
Why Community Matters
