Category: Hydrangeas

Growing hydrangeas in the home landscape. Most stories were written when I lived in New Hampshire.

Bloom Hydrangeas, Bloom !!!

My hydrangea shrubs are blooming!  The Blushing Bride is mostly white with a slight green tint.  Maybe the pink color will show up later.  That is part of the fun in growing hydrangeas – they tend to change color as they age.  They don’t bloom and die and look hideous, they bloom and gradually dry out on the stem, changing slowing day to day.

My blue hydrangea is full of light blue flowers.  It’s really pretty – even though our torrential rainstorm from a couple weeks ago flattened the stems.  The shrub itself is quite small, but it’s giving me some gorgeous photos and pretty color for the front yard.  Can’t wait to see it next year, when it should be larger and more amazing.

Still to come is the Pinky Winky, which has tiny buds just beginning.  I don’t think the Pee Gee or the Limelight (I have 2) will have flowers this year, but I am happy with what I am seeing.  The white flower on the Blushing Bride is huge.

  • my hydrangeas
    Pinky Winky
  • hydrangeas
    PeeGee
  • white hydrangea flower
    The “Blushing Bride”
  • hydrangea flowers in vases
    Hydrangea cuttings
  • light blue hydrangea flowers
    Coming out light blue
  • hydrangea bouquet image
    Ceramic Tile

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The Pinky Winky is Planted!

pinky winky shrub
Finally – the Pinky Winky is in the ground!

Finally — I got my newly acquired Pinky Winky hydrangea shrub into the ground! The other four hydrangeas were planted a couple of weeks ago and then we had a week of rain. I couldn’t decide where to put the last one – the Pinky Winky – and then I decided it should go out front so it can be seen by passersby. So I began to dig near the edge of the house and I was stopped by a white pipe in the ground. It must be part of the septic system I suppose.

So I filled in the hole and had to find another spot. I decided on the area next to the garage. The Pinky Winky tag tells me that it will be quite large and eventually reach 8 to 10 feet wide and high. It also needs some sun. I also noticed that little buds are forming – which is exciting! I thought I might have to wait until next year to see some blooms, which will be pink and white and elongated.

All hydrangeas – the Limelight, Blushing Bride, Blue, and Pee Gee are doing well.

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Buying Is Fun, Planting – Not So Much!

hydrangeas in pots
Newly purchased hydrangeas in pots

Going to the nursery and buying new plants for the yard is such fun. I love to imagine them each growing large and gloriously enhancing my landscape. But once I’m home and the work of digging and getting them into the ground begins, I’m not having as much fun.

Finding the right spot for them is the first obstacle to overcome. Some of them, in fact most of them, like sun with some shade. The blue “Endless Summer”, white “Blushing Bride“, the “Limelight” (I bought two), and the “Pinky Winky” all need to get some sun, but the “Pee Gee” wants shade.

Also, the full grown size of these plants needs to be considered. Hydrangeas don’t really need to be trimmed, so I want to give them all the space they need to look natural in their settings.

While I am considering all these things and watching my yard for the sunny spots, the plants sit in their pots. Each day they must be watered. Plants in pots dry out very fast. Then a freeze was predicted and I brought them all inside the garage for the night. I wouldn’t have worried had they been planted in the ground, but being in pots makes them more fragile.

I know they want out! And they will do some nice growing once they are in the ground. This weekend the weather in my part of New England will be fabulous, so I plan to get the planting underway.  After all, adding perennials to the yard is a wonderful and lasting gift you can give yourself.

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“Blushing Bride” The White Hydrangea

hydrangea plant in garden
Newly planted “Blushing Bride” hydrangea shrub.

In the mix of hydrangea shrubs I recently purchased, the white flowering “Blushing Bride” was new to me. I’ve had the blue endless summer variety, limelight, pee gee and a few other types, but not the one with round, white flowers. I planted it in the front of the house, next to the entryway. It won’t be really large – only 3 to 5 feet across – so won’t block the doorway.

(My yard is a work in progress – soon this front garden will be spectacular! Wait and see.)

The tag says that the flowers will be blue in acidic soil, so this new type of hydrangea is apparently closely related to the Endless Summer. I don’t know if my soil is acidic or not so I guess I’ll just wait and see what the flowers look like on this one.
I’ve read a bit about it and it should be a hardy plant. If you have one, here are some things to remember:
* Don’t cut it back. This one blooms on new and old wood. (Trimming of dead stalks can be done mid-summer.)
* It likes sun with some shade
* White to light pink flowers (in alkaline soil)
* Cutting the flowers in summer will produce more blooms
* Pile mulch around the base for winter
When mine gets flowers, I will be sure to share them here. It already has buds so I’ll expect flowers by July.

See the updated page with flowers here!

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The Pinky Winky Hydrangea Bush

Pinky winky hydrangea
The Pink and White “Pinky Winky”

The nursery I visited recently in Wilton, NH had a nice variety of hydrangeas ready to buy. With the exception of the tree variety hydrangea, all were together under a greenhouse dome and there were many to choose from the first of this week.

I couldn’t resist getting this Pinky Winky hydrangea (Paniculata) and I sure hope it likes living in my yard. The flowers will be elongated, white- changing to pink, according to the photo on the big tag.

I haven’t had time to get it into the ground yet because we have been getting some nice rain.  Also I am not sure exactly where to put it.

This is my first Spring in my new place so I have been watching the sun – on the days it cooperates – to see which areas get the most.

I think that this one will like some sun but to be shaded from the heat of the day so the front (east-facing) area should work.  Also it will grow to be quite large so it will fill in the front bare spots nicely.

I need to order some garden dirt for the entire front garden area, since most of the topsoil has eroded away it seems.

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New Hydrangeas For The Yard

hydrangeas in pots
hydrangeas in pots

I am very excited to now have my own hydrangeas to plant and grow!  It is not only necessary for beautifying my dull and boring landscape, but I need to get photos of the flowers for my business.  I’ve had to work with older photos that were taken when I rented a house with hydrangeas in the yard, but now it will be so nice to walk outdoors and snap as many photos as I need.

One of the best features of hydrangeas is that the flowers last and last.  They also bloom profusely so older flowers and new buds can be on the bush for a long time.  If I can get them planted correctly and make them happy I should see some blue, white, pink and green flowers either later this year or next.

My Endless Summer plant looks like it may bloom this year and so does the white one (have to get the name), but the Limelight and Pinky Winky may not.  Although the Endless Summer tag shows a blue flower, I know that it may not bloom blue unless the soil is right for that.  This year I will wait and see what it does.

Elegant Hydrangea Wedding Invitations