Hydrangea, Hydrangea, Hydrangea. oh in case I forgot to mention them by name, Hydrangea.
The first thing I'd like to say about this amazing plant is what often goes unsaid in countless write ups. This plant needs requires and demands plenty of H2O, thus the root name 'hydro' as in water. Anyone who grows this plant in Full/sun, or part /sun learns very quickly how much it loves water. So for the plants sake, plant it where it's the happiest, part shade to full shade. Although some varieties of Hydrangea will tolerate more sun than others it's still a good idea to put them in the shade. You don't have to search very hard to find plants that love the sun. On the other hand the variety of plants that grow best in the shade are few in number compared to sun loving plants.
Of the 5 types of Hydrangea that I'm familiar with, I can honestly say I have no favorite. I love them all. I've never met a Hydrangea I didn't love and want to take home and develope an intimate relationship with. The things these plants do for people far out way the care we give them. Which makes them top on my list as easy to care for plants. Oh sure, if you want you can fuss with the soil of Big Leaf Hydrangea 'h. macrophylla' [ includes lace-tops and mop-tops] by adding Aluminum Sulfate to aquire the coveted Blue or Purple colored flowers, but I perfer to let the plant help me by telling me if my soil PH has changed. Again Hydrangea helping people.
For the WOW
effect in your flower beds you can't beat the east coast native 'h. arborescens' this baby wants to make us swoon with excitement when it blooms in the late spring [zone 7] with giant white flowers. The cultivar "Annabelle" was a PHS gold medal winner in 2000.
So keep an eye out for this one when you're at the nursery or garden center.
As a spicies, Hydrangea has a plant for all occations. If you've ever seen a mature 'h. panaculata' [ aka.. Pee Gee. short for panaculata grandiflora] in July, in full bloom. You understand the term "eye candy". This sweetheart of a plant puts on quite a show growing as a sort of small 10 x 10 foot pendant tree with snow white blooms that get so weighted down by their sheer number that the branches touch the ground. Be careful where you place this plant, it'll turn heads and stop traffic.
If you need a durable vine that needs no trellis or support, is not messy like grape vines, not as invasive as Wisteria, can climb up the side of a building with out harming the surface like Ivy, is deciduous, revealing a cinnamon colored exfoliating bark all winter long, can grow to 40 or 50 feet and has scented off white blooms then a 'h. anomala' "petiolaris", common name- climbing hydrangea can help you out. I might also add the 'h. anomala' is a very long lived plant. A plant that you can rely on for years to come.
If you aren't convinced yet that Hydrangeas are the next best thing to heaven o
n earth then maybe if you're lucky, while on a hike in the woods, you see the great and beautiful native 'h. quercifolia or Oakleaf Hydrangea in it's natural setting. If it's autumn this 8 to 10 foot rambling plant will have beautiful burgundy colored leaves shaped like oak leaves. Make sure you return in late June early July because the air will be scented with white upright blooms, offten as long as 12 inches.
I think it's important to mention a new cultivar of 'h. macrophylla' called "Endless Summer" I must admit this plant is not in my garden yet but soon will be. It blooms on both old and new wood which should make this baby almost maintainance free. My other 'h. macrophylla' bloom on new wood so I never prune until after flowering and never ever after September. Every few years I'll thin out my macros in the early spring. I might lose a few blooms but the plants will have bigger and showier flowers.
So remember when you're searching for a plant for a partial to shady area of your garden remember the Hydrangea. You will come to rely on this plant to be dependable and never let you down, just like a best friend.
The first thing I'd like to say about this amazing plant is what often goes unsaid in countless write ups. This plant needs requires and demands plenty of H2O, thus the root name 'hydro' as in water. Anyone who grows this plant in Full/sun, or part /sun learns very quickly how much it loves water. So for the plants sake, plant it where it's the happiest, part shade to full shade. Although some varieties of Hydrangea will tolerate more sun than others it's still a good idea to put them in the shade. You don't have to search very hard to find plants that love the sun. On the other hand the variety of plants that grow best in the shade are few in number compared to sun loving plants.
Of the 5 types of Hydrangea that I'm familiar with, I can honestly say I have no favorite. I love them all. I've never met a Hydrangea I didn't love and want to take home and develope an intimate relationship with. The things these plants do for people far out way the care we give them. Which makes them top on my list as easy to care for plants. Oh sure, if you want you can fuss with the soil of Big Leaf Hydrangea 'h. macrophylla' [ includes lace-tops and mop-tops] by adding Aluminum Sulfate to aquire the coveted Blue or Purple colored flowers, but I perfer to let the plant help me by telling me if my soil PH has changed. Again Hydrangea helping people.
For the WOW
effect in your flower beds you can't beat the east coast native 'h. arborescens' this baby wants to make us swoon with excitement when it blooms in the late spring [zone 7] with giant white flowers. The cultivar "Annabelle" was a PHS gold medal winner in 2000. So keep an eye out for this one when you're at the nursery or garden center.
As a spicies, Hydrangea has a plant for all occations. If you've ever seen a mature 'h. panaculata' [ aka.. Pee Gee. short for panaculata grandiflora] in July, in full bloom. You understand the term "eye candy". This sweetheart of a plant puts on quite a show growing as a sort of small 10 x 10 foot pendant tree with snow white blooms that get so weighted down by their sheer number that the branches touch the ground. Be careful where you place this plant, it'll turn heads and stop traffic.
If you need a durable vine that needs no trellis or support, is not messy like grape vines, not as invasive as Wisteria, can climb up the side of a building with out harming the surface like Ivy, is deciduous, revealing a cinnamon colored exfoliating bark all winter long, can grow to 40 or 50 feet and has scented off white blooms then a 'h. anomala' "petiolaris", common name- climbing hydrangea can help you out. I might also add the 'h. anomala' is a very long lived plant. A plant that you can rely on for years to come.
If you aren't convinced yet that Hydrangeas are the next best thing to heaven o
n earth then maybe if you're lucky, while on a hike in the woods, you see the great and beautiful native 'h. quercifolia or Oakleaf Hydrangea in it's natural setting. If it's autumn this 8 to 10 foot rambling plant will have beautiful burgundy colored leaves shaped like oak leaves. Make sure you return in late June early July because the air will be scented with white upright blooms, offten as long as 12 inches.I think it's important to mention a new cultivar of 'h. macrophylla' called "Endless Summer" I must admit this plant is not in my garden yet but soon will be. It blooms on both old and new wood which should make this baby almost maintainance free. My other 'h. macrophylla' bloom on new wood so I never prune until after flowering and never ever after September. Every few years I'll thin out my macros in the early spring. I might lose a few blooms but the plants will have bigger and showier flowers.
So remember when you're searching for a plant for a partial to shady area of your garden remember the Hydrangea. You will come to rely on this plant to be dependable and never let you down, just like a best friend.
1 comment:
for your next posting, I want to see a picture of an american eagle with a fish in its mouth.
Post a Comment