A
Love Affair with
H
ydrangea have to be one of the most popular shrubs that we grow and sell. There aren’t many people who don’t like them, and for good reasons. There is a hydrangea for just about every spot in any garden. They bloom for most of the mid-summer until the first frost. They are tough and easy to maintain. They come in a multitude of sizes and colors. And their blooms are one of a kind — there aren’t many shrubs that have blooms the size of footballs! Really, the only “rules” when it comes to hydrangea is remembering which type you have and how to prune it. Otherwise, they are easy! We tend to simplify how we classify hydrangea so that you can easily determine which ones are best for you. Here’s some of our favorites — classified by type — and the best spots to locate them in your garden:
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HYDRANGEA
THE POM-POMS: This type of hydrangea is probably the most popular around here. “Annabelle” is an old-fashioned variety that most have, but the common complaint is that she flops over. In swoops “Incrediball” to save the day. “Incrediball” has sturdier stems, much larger flowers and is showy from June until frost. They can be grown in shade to part sun (or full sun with some extra water). There are some pink varieties available now — “Invincibelle Ruby,” “Invincibelle Spirit” and “Mini Mauvette” are three of our favorite new pink ones. These types do NOT need any soil amendments to change their colors. This type of hydrangea can be cut down each spring to about 12 inches tall. They grow from the bottom and bloom on new wood. THE CONEHEADS: The panicle hydrangeas are some of the largest and sturdiest of the hydrangea
family. These types have large, cone-shaped flowers that range in color from lime green to pure ivory to blush pink. They are sun lovers and thrive in the heat. There are SO many new panicle types that I can’t list them all here, but some of our favorites are “Limelight Prime,” “Bobo,” “Fire Light,” “Little Quick Fire,” “Pinky Winky,” “Vanilla Strawberry” and “Zinfin Doll.” Some of them even come as tree form and make great small specimen trees! This type is NOT pruned to the ground in spring. Merely snap off any spent flowers left over from winter and trim to shape if needed. They don’t usually need to be trimmed hard. Their full-grown sizes range from 3 feet to 10 feet tall, so there is one for every spot. THE OAKLEAVES: This type is a bit more of a collector’s item. They like to be planted in a part sun/shade situation and can take several years
HOME & LIFESTYLE AUGUST 2021
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