Eeny-meeny-minie-mo: there's more hardy, easy-care hydrangeas for cold climates than you ever dreamed! Here's some of the ones I've grown, and how they look in September. Quit coveting those bodacious snowballs of blue--you have choices!
Hydrangeas
Is Strawberries & Cream The Right Gift For Your Mother?
May 9, 2012 – Posted in: Hydrangeas, Plant infoA while back I was asked if I'd like to receive a sample of Strawberries & Cream hydrangea, a gift plant targeted at Mother's Day. I agreed, but was astonished to receive not one, but six plants:As you can read on the tag below, these hydrangeas are intended to be given as gifts and treated [...]
Sudden Freeze After Days of Warmth
March 24, 2012 – Posted in: Garden chores, Hydrangeas, Weather74F Last Thursday, 16F Predicted Monday Cold climate gardeners, we knew this was going to happen, didn't we? After the incredible, pinch-me-I'm-dreaming spell of beautifully warm weather, the real March weather is coming back with a vengeance. I don't think it got quite as warm here as it did other places in my general area, [...]
Hydrangeas that Thrive in a Cold Climate
August 14, 2010 – Posted in: HydrangeasHydrangea arborescens, Hydrangea anomala, and Hydrangea paniculata are three terrific hydrangeas for cold climates. Remember those names. Write them down on the inside of your arm with a pen if you have to before you visit your local nursery, so that you will not be seduced by the flashy macrophyllas calling to you from every [...]
I Hate These Kind of Plants
May 10, 2010 – Posted in: Hydrangeas, Native/Invasive, WeatherI hate the plants that can survive a cold winter but can't take a hard spring frost. It is so aggravating! The problem is they emerge too early from dormancy for their own good. I'm talking about: 'Endless Summer' hydrangea. It will get through a USDA Zone 4 winter but break into leaf long before [...]
Endless Summer Hydrangea Has One Bloom
August 13, 2009 – Posted in: Hydrangeas, What's up/bloomingEvery day I take a walk around my garden, and check my 'Endless Summer' hydrangea for buds.And every day I sigh, and walk away disappointed. But one day I was on my knees, weeding a bed about six feet away, and happened to glance over at my bloomless shrub. Hidden in the interior of the [...]
Endless Summer Hydrangea: Where’s the Blooms?
July 14, 2009 – Posted in: Hydrangeas, Pests, Plagues, and VarmintsAlmost exactly a year ago, my 'Endless Summer' hydrangea was blooming. This year, as you can see above, it doesn't even have buds. What Went Wrong? Okay, I forgot to feed it. Does it completely fail to make buds without fertilizer? I think not. It may not flower as profusely, and the blooms may not [...]
Uncovered my ‘Endless Summer’ hydrangea
June 8, 2009 – Posted in: Garden chores, HydrangeasI finally uncovered my 'Endless Summer' and 'Forever&Ever' hydrangeas. I had discovered that dumping a bunch of dry leaves over them in the fall was sufficient to protect them from the erratic spring freezes that we have. The old branches help hold the mulch in place, and I cut them down in the spring when [...]
Endless Summer Hydrangea in two different climates
November 4, 2008 – Posted in: Hydrangeas, Plant infoRecently, Chris of Backyard Gardening Blog published a timeline in pictures, demonstrating the growth of his 'Endless Summer' hydrangeas. I found it very interesting to compare his photos with the few I took. You might want to have his post open in a separate tab of your browser so you can quickly flip back and [...]
Endless Summer hydrangea blooming well this year
July 19, 2008 – Posted in: HydrangeasAfter complaining about the lack of bloom on my 'Endless Summer' hydrangea last year, I thought I'd better put in a good word for this shrub now that it is living up to expectations. It is growing vigorously and has a lot of flowers on it. What I did differently As I mentioned earlier this [...]
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