Comments on: Endless Summer Hydrangea in two different climates

By: tedb

tedb — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 22:58:25 +0000

Interestingly Endless Summers seemed to to better in 2007 then in 2008 here in Western Wisconsin. I also wait until late spring to try to keep as much old wood as possible. 07 was hotter and drier – maybe more wood ripened?

Blushing Bride, a cross by Michael Dirr between Endless Summer and Veitchii has been a much better bloomer for me, and I also prefer softer colors it has. It is even smaller then ES, maybe 30″ or so (bigger would be better in my garden, but more flowers is worth the short stature).

By: Kim

Kim — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:42:00 +0000

Kathy, at least you got flowers! I don’t have Endless Summer, but I have 2 different types of macrophylla. The rabbits (or squirrels) ate them to the ground last winter, so all I got this year was foliage. One’s variegated, so foliage is OK. The other 3 need blooms and are safely ensconced under a net for the winter.

By: Mr. McGregor's Daughter

Mr. McGregor's Daughter — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:41:27 +0000

I think all my flowering was old growth also. I protect my ‘Bailmer’ (Endless Summer) & my ‘Penny Mac.’ This was a great year for them both, but Penny starting blooming 2 weeks before Bailmer and stopped blooming before it also, although Penny had more blooms. My Bailmer started blooming on July 6.

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:52:03 +0000

Chris, I didn’t know I was going to write this post at the beginning of the gardening season, so I had to scrounge around to get enough photos. The very first photo was from last year. This year I did NOT cut it back until I was sure all the buds had sprouted. Even last year I didn’t prune until after I saw new growth. And as I said in my post, I did protect it with leaves last winter.

IMHO, all the flowering I got this year was old growth. My frost-free season is a lot shorter than yours. I don’t think there is time for the new wood to bloom.

By: tina

tina — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:01:52 +0000

I found this post very informative. You took a great of deal of time comparing the different stages and it is so neat how blogging can allow us to see the differences. Great job describing it all, though I did see the initial post. I love the Endless Summer in my garden. Also Blushing Bride is a winner.

By: TC

TC — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:35:50 +0000

Mine is comin along. I don’t baby it, it’s in its second year. If it don’t survive my zone 5 winters, it’ll be replaced. I’m at a stage in my gardening life where I don’t grow things that require extra attention.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 03:11:21 +0000

Let me also say this. Most of my other hydrangeas from the macrophylla species (sp?) do not bloom, at all, for me. Only endless summer. I really only have one other variety from this species I like, with variegated foliage, it has never bloomed, but has nice foliage so I keep it.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 03:09:16 +0000

My stone wall faces north, so it actually doesn’t retain heat (no sun shines on it), and it is an unheated garage wall too, so it doesn’t leech household heat – but it does still offer some wind shelter of course.

It looks like you cut yours back all the way? I don’t. Typically my stems die back partway, but not all the way. So I cut back to where I see new growth (swelling buds) This can happen late so I wait to cut until like June or so.

The first flush of blooms I get is on old wood, not new wood, my new wood blooms come around the same time as yours. So again, your cutting back could count for most of it.

So here is my recommendation to you. Cover it this year, put a fence cage around wrap with burlap, and fill with leaves. Then, in the spring, don’t cut it back until you’re absolutely sure the stems are dead. Hydrangea stems look dead in winter and early spring but may still be alive.

My Mother, in upper zone 5 almost zone 4, maybe zone 4, had her Endless Summer bloom for the first this year, because she had protected it last winter (and also because she religiously turns on a motion activated sprinkler at night to keep the deer away).

By: Carol, May Dreams Gardens

Carol, May Dreams Gardens — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:08:05 +0000

I was much happier with my ‘Endless Summer’ hydrangeas this year, too. I think it was due to all the rain we got in May, June, and July. But they still have never gotten as big as I’d hoped.