THE COASTAL GARDENER:You ought to see blueberries at home

You ought to have seen what I saw on my way

To the village, through Mortenson’s pasture to-day:

Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb,

Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum

In the cavernous pail of the first one to come!

And all ripe together, not some of them green

And some of them ripe! You ought to have seen!

Robert Frost wrote this poem, “Blueberries,” about wild blueberries while in the northern woods of Massachusetts in 1915. In Frost’s time, blueberries’ growing in a Southern California garden was as likely as bananas at the North Pole.

Consider that recently I picked almost a pound of fruit from one of the blueberry plants in my garden. The picture with today’s column, a small portion of the harvest, is my evidence.

It was only about three years ago that low-chill blueberry varieties found their way into our gardens in a big way. They are now one of the most popular fruits sold by garden centers.

If you still think that blueberries are a northern specialty, consider that last year California blueberry farmers, mostly in the southern San Joaquin Valley, shipped more than 8 million pounds of fresh blueberries. Production has doubled in the past five years, and blueberry plants are now grown alongside strawberries and oranges in thousands of Orange County home gardens.

By selecting the right varieties, a local gardener can pick fresh blueberries for up to four months of the year. And blueberries aren’t shy about fruiting; a mature plant will reward the gardener with six to 10 pounds of fruit each year. That’s a lot of fruit and compares to about 24 of the baskets you see at the supermarket.

Sunshine blue is the favorite for most home gardeners. It needs no special cross-pollination, tolerates higher pH soils, is evergreen, has attractive pink flowers and is naturally dwarf, growing to a mature size of about 3 feet.

Just as I do, most people grow blueberries in a pot. For the first couple of years an 18- to 20-inch pot will do just fine. Plant them in the same soil as you would an azalea and feed with an organic fertilizer, just like you would for the azalea. Put the pot in a sunny spot, and keep it well watered. Plan on one plant per blueberry-loving member of your household.

Blueberries are almost the perfect fruit: beautiful, ornamental and easy to grow. Blueberries are also literally bursting with nutrients and health benefits, yet very low in calories. Researchers recently analyzed 60 fruits and vegetables for their antioxidant capability, and blueberries came out on top.

Packed with specific antioxidants called anthocyanidins, blueberries reduce the likelihood of cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, heart disease and cancer.

In laboratory studies, researchers found that blueberries helped protect the brain from stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions like Alzheimer’s or dementia. In addition, researchers found that diets rich in blueberries significantly improved the learning capacity and motor skills of aging animals, making them mentally equivalent to much younger ones — I’ll take a double helping please.

If you haven’t joined the blueberry bandwagon, now is the time.

ASK RON

Do you have ground cover or color suggestions for an 8-by-12-foot, raised entrance planter with three large sago palms, a giant bird of paradise and mature queen palms? It gets direct summer sun for three hours, mostly shade in winter. Thanks for your suggestions.

JIM

Based upon these plants, a tropical theme has already been established. A traditional approach might include dipladenia “parasol crimson” or “Red Riding Hood,” any of the small lantanas or bougainvilleas or even Begonia richmondensis.

If you are a bit more of a trend-setter you should consider Euphorbia millii with Acalypha hispida “pendula” under it or any of the smaller Alternantheras. Seasonal interest can be created with coleus, ipomoea, angelonia, impatiens, etc.