Bushel and Berry® Blueberry Peach Sorbet®

Remember when Blueberry Sunshine Blue® took the gardening world by storm, with its compact habit, fragrant blooms, and abundant berries? Well, now there is a much more beautiful and amazing phenomenon known as the Bushel and Berry™ -- a collection of edible ornamentals with ever-changing foliage colors, small plant sizes (just right for containers!), and plenty of yummy fruit! Meet Peach Sorbet™, one of the blueberries in this exciting new series.

Peach Sorbet™ is beautiful year-round, but its most dramatic season is undoubtedly spring, when it bursts into leaf with 4 distinct colors: peach, pink, orange, and green. All colors are often present on a single leaf, creating a confetti-like effect of bright, cheery hues in the sunny garden or on the deck, balcony, or patio.

White blooms dot the foliage, followed by a generous crop of plump, juicy, richly flavored berries in midsummer.

You might think the show is finally over, but as soon as the cooler weather of fall arrives, the foliage changes again. This time the leaves sport deep purple, plum, and magenta tones among the rich green -- strikingly beautiful! It remains on the plant all winter long, adding unusual tones to the grays and browns of December and January days.

Peach Sorbet™ reaches just 2 to 3 feet high and spreads 2 feet wide -- a good size for a mid to large container, and very showy in any setting. It loves well-drained, rich soil and full sunshine, attracting butterflies with its spring blooms and birds with its tempting berries. You will find it attractive every month of the year, and it's easy to grow.

Caring for Peach Sorbet™ is easy. It loves acidic soil (pH 4.5 - 5.5 is best) in full sunshine everywhere but the hottest climates. If your soil is more alkaline, amend it with peat moss to increase the acidity. Good soil drainage is essential too. If you are growing it in a container, pick a fairly large one -- anything 16 inches in diameter or larger is preferred, since this perennial will keep setting new canes and spreading.

Feed Peach Sorbet™ as you would an azalea or another acid-loving shrub. In fact, you can even use fertilizers intended for rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias on your Peach Sorbet™! Add a high-nitrogen feed such as bloodmeal to the mix as well. And that timeless home gardeners' favorite, coffee grounds, is a great addition to the soil!

Feed the plant at the beginning of spring and again later in the season. Water it daily in containers. When winter arrives, it will go dormant, and should be left alone. The following spring, you'll begin to see green growth. Midway through spring, when the new growth is well-established, cut away any stems that do not show new growth. That's all there is to it!

If you like Peach Sorbet™ -- and you will, we promise! -- be sure to try the other Bushel and Berry™ as well. Developed by the Brazelton family of Oregon -- fruit growers for decades -- they are self-pollinating, so you need plant only one of any of the varieties for fruit. But chances are, once you see the Bushel and Berry™ in your garden, you'll simply have to have several! Enjoy the latest and most exciting phenomenon in edible ornamentals. Bring the Bushel and Berry™ home! Zones 5-10.