It’s the beginning of June and the hydrangea buds are beginning to form on my mophead varieties. The paniculatas are full of leaves, but no buds yet. Last year this plant had very pretty, light blue flowers which I used to create some nice wedding stationery in the design set I named “Blue Heaven“. You can see the RSVP postcard below. I hope the flowers will be just as pretty this year, but the truth is, you never know for sure what color blooms the macrophyllas will have.
Last year the Blushing Bride began with white flowers that ended up turning green. I am wondering what color they will be this summer.
Brides tend to prefer either the blue flowers or the light green of the panicled (or elongated) flowers like the ones that grow on the Limelight bush.
I’ve been waiting, with little hope, that my pee gee hydrangea (grandiflora) would begin to show some green. Of all the new hydrangea additions to my yard last Spring, it’s the only one that seems to have died.
I managed to get a few photos of it’s pretty white flowers last summer, and I had hoped it would grow nicely in the new season, but it’s not to be. By now I would be seeing some signs of growth. My son stepped on it and I think that is what did it in, but maybe not. It may have already died over winter.
Little Pee Gee
The others – the Pinky Winky, Limelights and Endless summer are full of leaves so I know they have survived over winter. I found a Pee Gee tree when I was out at the nursery the other day and those become so pretty. I am jealous of people who have big yards with room to grow flowering trees. Recently the whole area where I live is alive with color. From fluffy white and pink specimens to the gorgeous Japanese magnolias (my favorites), I envy yards with those typed of ornamentals. I hope to get a photo of the flowering dogwood tree I saw last year just down the street. It was a beauty.
Anyway, my attention is turned to the remaining hydrangeas in my yard. I look forward to the blue flowers especially.
Certain plants need a low pH, or acidic soil to grow and thrive. The hydrangea will do well in any pH – acidic or alkaline – but the soil type will effect the flower color. If you don’t care what color your flowers are, then you will accept the fact that your alkaline soil will give you pink blooms, but many people want hydrangeas for their bright blue color. The pH scale goes from 0-14, with 7 being neither acidic nor alkaline – it is neutral. If your soil is naturally alkaline, or has a pH above 7, you can try adding an organic amendment to bring down the pH which may change your hydrangea flowers to blue.
I live in an area that has acidic soil naturally. We can easily grow acid soil loving blueberries, rhododendrons, azaleas and other plants – including blue hydrangeas – without adding any amendments. I have never used any products to create an acidic soil, but I’ve read about it and this is what I’ve learned. If you buy a blue hydrangea and want it to grow blue flowers in your yard, check your soil’s pH – in the place you plan to plant them. Any soil that is high in lime can cause pink blooms, and that means plants near the cement walls of a house could be growing in a more alkaline soil.
There are various ways to bring the pH down to the right levels. Making an acidic soil mix for a pot is relatively easy, but changing the pH out in an area of your yard is much more difficult, and it will need constant monitoring. It is not a permanent fix and could take weeks to achieve. In general, organic type matter will help lower a pH. When starting a garden add organic compost, composted manure, and / or pine needles which all help lower the pH. Also, you may want to buy a bag of garden sulfur and follow the directions for application on the bag.
If your soil is naturally alkaline, you will be fighting the elements to get those blue flowers. It may work better to grow them in a pot, or learn to love hydrangeas that are pink.
As I uncovered the leaves from the base of the Blushing Bride hydrangea, I found that a couple of the branches had formed roots which will be new plants! This form of ‘root layering’ or ‘ground layering’ is a great way to start a new shrub from an established one.
Rooted Hydrangea Branch
It’s bare and spindly looking stems are curving out from the center and then upward and at least two of them were touching the ground enough to form roots. Now, new growth is showing beyond the roots which means I will have a couple of new little baby hydrangea plants!
I have propagated hydrangeas this way before, back when I lived in my rental house. I had found a rooted stem with big leaves and a flower that was growing separate from the main bush, so I dug it up and planted it near the front steps. You can read about how I did it on my Propagating Hydrangeas page about root layering.
So for now I will let the babies grow – attached to the main plant – until they get larger. I’ll probably dig them up in the Fall and find them a place to grow on their own. I love to find free ways to landscape. Isn’t that exciting?
Now that the hydrangeas have sprung back from the weight of the snow, I realize I have some trimming and pruning to do. I leave the dead flowers on the stalks over winter, but now they need to be removed. Some branches are broken, but I know that they will fill in quickly with new growth.
Some hydrangeas bloom on new growth so you don’t want to trim those in Spring, or you may be cutting off the blooms. Some bloom on old wood – the stems that were there last year. And some will bloom on both.
This is my “Endless Summer”, a small shrub that I planted last Spring and it bloomed profusely even though it never grew very large. This year I expect it will grow larger and lots of blue flowers. The dead flowers are still showing at the end of the stalks and I will be cutting them off.
I’ve been looking for a new hydrangea to add to my yard and that means it will have to thrive in zone five. I live in the Monadnock Region of southern New Hampshire and that is Zone 5, or 5a, to be more specific. These are cold hardy hydrangeas, and luckily most varieties of hydrangea can take the extreme cold.
I can tell you (and show you) what I have presently growing in my yard, and these types are found frequently in my area of the country.
The Endless Summer Blue macrophylla (rounded flowers) variety is popular for it’s beautiful blue flowers. As you can see in the photo below, this type can grow flowers in shades of pink, purple and blue all on one shrub! Gorgeous.
More types of hydrangeas I’ve grown in my New Hampshire yard with much success include the “Blushing Bride” which is also an Endless Summer variety.
The Blushing Bride begins white and changes to pink and green
Also, Pinky Winky and Pee Gee (Paniculata grandiflora), and many others will grown in the north. In fact hydrangeas seem to enjoy cold more than heat. The Endless Summer types tend to wilt in the hot sun, even if they have plenty of water.
My best advice is to shop in local stores and nurseries in spring and see what they are selling. Most likely the types for sale will do well in your climate zone. Also, you can view a comprehensive list of Hydrangea types and their grow zones on Dave’s Garden site.
Pinky Winky, paniculata variety (3 year old plant)
One warning about planting the Pinky Winky (which is one of my favorites, and is featured at the top of this page, in pink) is that deer will eat it. One side of my shrub was always chewed down where the deer passed through my yard! It also attracts bees, so maybe keep it away from patios and outside sitting areas. But it is very easy to care for, and it produces gorgeous flowers. So please don’t let that stop you from including one in your landscape.
Hydrangeas Blue 