Featured Plants : hydrangea

Plant Hydrangea Late Panicle for Fall Color

barb-nhn — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:08:00 GMT

The Hydrangea Late Panicle is a shrub that has white airy flowers that can reach 10-12" in length in late August. The flowers are a mixture of sterile and fertile flowers which gives them less density and less likelihood to tip or droop. This Hydrangea's flowers will turn bronze in fall; grows 6-8 feet in zones 3-8.

Trained to a single stem with a head, it blooms in late August with showy white flowers which age to a lovely mauve pink. The flower head is more open than PeeGee Hydrangea, resulting in an elegant airy, showy floral display.

Hydrangeas grow best in moist, well-drained soil. Most hydrangeas benefit from some shade, especially in hot climates. It has average water needs; water regularly; do not overwater. These shrubs are fast growing and are great for informal screens, specimen plants, or for cut arrangements.

It is best to prune every year in the fall after blooming, no more than 1/3 of the plant. These plants look best if they are kept pruned and this regular pruning keeps them thick at the base. They are hardy and will not need to be covered to flower.

Color Me Pink & Blue

jeff-nhn — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:53:00 GMT

This blog is normally for featured plants but I thought I would depart from writing about specfic plants and write about a class of plants...Hydrangea macrophylla! I always wanted to get those vibrant blues and deep pinks we see in pictures in magazines or on the plant tags that are in each container. Actually, it is very easy to obtain those desired colors as our friends at Bailey Nursery have developed a product for all Hydrangea macrophyllas.

The product is called Color Me Blue for gardeners seeking the blues and the sister product is named Color Me Pink for the pink bloom seekers. You can purchase them separately or purchase 1 of each in a kit. This new product is easy to use and I can attest to that as I applied the Color Me Blue on our Endless Summer hydrangeas this past weekend.

Snow Queen Oakleaf Hydrangea Elegant And Showy

patti-nhn — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:00:00 GMT

The Snow Queen Oakleaf Hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen' is an elegant and showy full sized Hydrangea. There are many types of Hydrangeas and the Snow Queen is one of the best! It has lots of showy sterile florets. The florets are single and so not as likely to cause the stems to be weighed down. Instead the stems will stand upright and strong.

The Snow Queen will be more compact instead of sprawling out like some varieties. This allows the blooms to really show off. The fall color is spectacular in deep reddish purple hues. Because of its upright habit these would be exceptional cut flowers in vases on their own or with green foliage placed among them or with a rainbow of colors of other hydrangeas or any colorful flower. We think this Snow Queen Hydrangea is a plus in any garden.

Climbing Hydrangea Is Beautiful And Refined

patti-nhn — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:00:00 GMT

The Climbing Hydrangea hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris is a deciduous vine that is often used to cover fences, walls, or even arbors. I have even seen it on a mail box post and curling around the mailbox itself. It can be used as a ground cover as well. The leaves of the vine are a wonderful lustrous green and it will flower in summertime with lots of white lace caps that are very fragrant.

In the fall the foliage becomes a nice yellow color. The reddish-brown bark of the plant will exfoliate which is always interesting in the winter. Partial to full shade is recommended and the Climbing Hydrangea is hardy from zones 4 to 7. You will find that this vine will cling to what you want it to grow on and generally needs little to no training or to be tied. There are so many possibilities that I'm sure you can find a place for this Climbing Hydrangea in your landscape.

New! Pinky Winky Hydrangea

patti-nhn — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:24:00 GMT

How about something new for your garden this year? If you like Hydrangeas, this one's for you! The blooms are huge at 14 inches long and will fill up the bush. The colors of the blooms are one of it's biggest strong points as they bloom in pink and white and their fall color is often reddish-purple.

If you live in an area affected by drought, this is the hydrangea for you! It is drought tolerant, urban tolerant and widely adaptable to soil types. It is also less affected by the PH balance of the soil than other hydrangeas. In the colder climates, it is cold hardy through zone 4.

This is a good beginner plant due to it's sturdiness and adaptability. It also needs little care beyond watering and some pruning. Beyond the garden, this would make a great flowering hedge. Container plantings are easy too. It grows 6-8 feet but could be kept pruned back to a smaller size. It's worth a try whether you are a beginner or an expert, both will enjoy it's beauty.

An Old Faithful Pee Gee Hydrangea

patti-nhn — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:38:00 GMT

The Pee Gee Hydrangea 'Hydrangea paniculata' is a gardening favorite. One of the most interesting uses for hydrangeas, and this is one of the most popular of hydrangea, is for drying. Once dried they can be used in a number of arrangements and crafts. They are beautiful in vases and I see them a lot on tables for entertaining.

In your garden, they will grow in a variety of climates. They are hardy to zone 3. They do need several hours of sun to bloom their beautiful pink and blue blossoms that are cone shaped or "panical shaped". These plants can grow very tall and wide so could fill an empty space in your yard or maybe even hide an unsightly utility box or some other sight you'd prefer not to see.

Their blooms are white and I'm told they turn pink with age. They also turn pink in the fall and have gray-green leaves. The flowers bloom until the first hard frost. With it's wonderful history and variety of uses, this might be a good plant for beginner hydrangea gardeners.

Hydrangea - Endless Summer The Original

patti-nhn — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:47:00 GMT

Hydrangea - Endless Summer The Original Bigleaf Hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmer' is spectacular. It sounds like a movie title doesn't it? It is commonly known as a bigleaf, French, garden or florist's hydrangea. These pink, white and blue mop-head flowers can be up to 15-20 cm in diameter. The mid to bright green leaves are a good contrast as they are finely serrated and good sized. Blooming can begin in June, if the weather is right and go right into autumn.

A big advantage to Endless Summer is that it flowers on both old wood and new growth which has never been done before! These are low maintenance plants and pruning isn't needed. Deadheading (removing the dead flowers) will allow new flower buds to grow. It does require that the soil stay moist and not allowed to dry out.

Try it out! How can you go wrong with a name like Endless Summer?