Angel, There are two types of blueberries that grow in the south, Southern Highbush and Rabbiteye. There are different varieties of each and if you are growing one type you would need 2 or 3 varieties in each type for cross pollination. (2 or 3 varieties of Southern Highbush or Rabbiteye Blueberry). They need well drained acidic soil (5.5 to 4.5). Rabbiteye tends to be easier to grow than Southern Highbush. If you have sandy or sandy loam soil that is acidic, you can grow them in the ground. If not you have to grow them in containers and use a complete fertilizer for acidic plants. If you water has a high pH you may also have to adjust the water to be acidic by adding some type of acid. We have blueberry farms here in our sandier soil. Many of the varieties were developed in Florida and it will depend on your soil if you can grow them in ground. If the soil has limestone in it you probably will not be able to grow in ground. I grow them in container due to lack of drainage. They do not like wet saturated soils. I think cranberries are a northern plant. Probably cannot take the hot sun.

I'm having another contractor come out today to measure and estimate for possible tile change. While I think the countertop change would primarily be the cost of the materials and some labor but not too intensive he says he could do either. If I did keep the granite and change the tile do you think just a matte black plain tile would work? That's what I want to put upstairs. Nothing fancy. Alternatively any ideas on laminate countertop designs/colors that would match that floor but not be too busy? I'm attaching a pic of the IKEA Numerar teal/black-brown countertops. This is very cheap laminate but I'm wondering if I put that in, and either carry the laminate through the kitchen OR put black matte tile in there if it would work with the granite. The color is not quite the same but could complement I think since the granite is really more teal than green. I could change the cabinets to white (they are off white now..alabaster color) and perhaps even pain the lower cabs a teal color that matched and the uppers leave white? I think it would have a retro look. I really like color (which is probably why I'm struggling with this as I currently rent a place that has very nice black granite, beautiful (but plain) wood cabinets, and a very neutral light floor that is not busy at all.

Regarding the cardboard for weed control, you can also use several layers (8 to 10) of newspaper instead. Just be sure to use the newsprint only, not the glossy ads. I actually prefer newspaper over cardboard as you can make holes and plant through it. Cardboard takes MUCH longer to decompose. To prepare a grassy area for gardening, just cut the grass very short then lay down the 8 to 10 layers of newspapers (hose it down so it doesn't blow away) then cover with mulch. If you do this in the fall, it will be wormy and ready by spring for planting. It sure saves digging and sore backs :-) You will be amazed at how much newspaper it will use up. Win-win

So in fact it has been imported. British references often show and describe plants we don't have in North America. One problem is that most of the population is in the East, instead of out here in the one part of the continent that has a similar climate to that of UK. So plants may be imported to the East, not make it in the conditions there and then be dropped, without ever getting to the Pacific Coast. On the other hand when I went to Britain nursery people I talked to there thought we in "America" had all the good stuff. One batch of a rare tree or shrub I asked about (don't remember what it was) at one place turned out to have been sent there from Oregon.