Comments on: Endless Summer and Forever and Ever Hydrangeas: Growing Tips for Cold Climates

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 20:24:41 +0000

MiracleGro won’t do it but MiraAcid will.

By: Donna

Donna — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:58:27 +0000

Can I use Miracle Grow Fertilizer 24 8 16 to keep my hydranges Blue. Would you suggest using something else. Thank you

By: Shirley

Shirley — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 16:43:29 +0000

I too have an Endless Summer Hydrangea and planted it where it faces east getting morning sun and afternoon shade from about 1:30 pm on. I made a burlap screen and filled it with leaves but it still died right back to the ground. I live in zone 3b. Has anyone done anything different in my zone that has proven successful in preventing dieback to the ground?

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:30:31 +0000

This is a tough one. There is more than one factor affecting bloom. They take longer to bloom if the cold gets at them in the winter, but if they don’t get enough summer heat they don’t bloom (or take so long to bloom it is the same thing) either. If you had a cool summer last year like I did, that could be why it didn’t bloom last year. Given how long we have to go until we are clear of frost danger, I would mulch the base of the plant with something light and fluffly, and resign myself to losing the leaves to one cold spell or another. Or you could cover the whole thing with a sheet every time frost threatens. My winter was not as cold as usual. The forsythia that often get bud-killed are blooming spectacularly, so I bet if we hadn’t had this warm spring to lure the hydrangeas out of dormancy early, they would be really great this year. The trick is to keep them from the spring cold until spring is really and truly here. Let us know how things turn out for you.

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 02:46:02 +0000

Okay, new question on this old thread…

Zone 4/Minneapolis — My Endless Summer hasn’t bloomed since its second season but in hindsight I hadn’t mulched them enough. We have had an early spring warm up this year so I’ve got tons of green popping up — should I recover the green until later in May?? Will the new green growth die if it doesn’t get light?

By: What Happens to Plants After an Untimely Freeze Part 2 — Cold Climate Gardening

What Happens to Plants After an Untimely Freeze Part 2 — Cold Climate Gardening — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 19:47:11 +0000

[...] is barely discernible as a slight shine and darker color. The Forever&Ever hydrangeas are a special form of Hydrangea macrophylla. The leaves put out new growth early, but that growth is frost sensitive. In our cold climate, the [...]

By: Carol

Carol — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:19:56 +0000

Sorry I took so long to reply – haven’t been following the posts – all I did was set the box over the plant ( with bottom & top open) & dump in the mulch you can get at any greenhouse – cedar, I believe. Once you put the box on & fill it, there’s no problem with it coming off – for extra insurance you can just be sure the flaps at the bottom face out & throw some extra mulch on top of that. In spring, be very gradual at removing the mulch, as you don’t want the new growth to freeze. I’ve not had any problems, so I’m sure it should work for you.

By: Wanda

Wanda — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 23:55:59 +0000

Hi Carol, just read your article. I have been searching for information on how to keep my Quick Fire alive through the winter. I live in southern Saskatchewan Zone 3A. Just wondering what you used for mulch. Also how did you secure the cardboard box to the ground, did you have an internal frame to support the cardboard box? I just bought the shrubs this year so any additional information would be appreciated. Thanks bye for now—-Wanda

By: Endless Summer hydrangea blooming well this year — Cold Climate Gardening

Endless Summer hydrangea blooming well this year — Cold Climate Gardening — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:18:16 +0000

[...] I mentioned earlier this year, I covered the shrub with fallen leaves in late autumn. I made sure they filled the center of the [...]

By: Beth

Beth — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:44:12 +0000

Limelight and pinky winky do VERY well in zone 6