I have never grown a helleborus in my yard until this year. I bought two of this type of perennial last fall and put them out front. I was looking for plants that like shade and these were in the shade lovers section at the nursery.
It’s late April as I write this and both the Lenton Rose and Spring Promise (pictured) have numerous flowers. The blooms tend to droop and face downward but the leaves stayed on all winter long! I did have to trim a few of the dead leaves to clean it up, but they do seem to be very hardy.
This one called “Emma” has such pretty flowers and the other one I planted has more greenish blooms. I’m glad I have added these to my landscape. It’s nice to go outside so early in the season up here in New England and see flowers! Not even my tulips have bloomed yet.
Last summer was the first time I planted my own hydrangea shrubs in the yard. I planted six shrubs which were a combination of the macrophylla and paniculata variety and had flowers that were blue, white, pink and somewhat green by summer’s end.
Because hydrangeas last so long on the bush, I just let them continue to change and fade and eventually dry out on their stems. I left them alone over the winter and some of the dried heads fell off, but some stayed attached until this spring.
So when is the best time to remove the flower heads? Unlike some other perennial and annul plants, the hydrangea does not need dead-heading to flourish. The dried flowers look just fine and even add some interest against the winter snow.
But, I have decided to remove the dead flowers next Fall. My shrubs are all quite small and the snow on the flowers tended to pull the stems down and bury the stalks under all that snow. With just the stems left on the shrub, the snow should not be able to do as much damage.
So that is my plan for the end of the growing season this year.
I have ADD when it comes to Spring clean up. Yesterday I started raking the yard, then I as I was cleaning the garage, I found the and there was wood to move. and before I knew it I had seven projects going at once. There is just so much to do when you first get those sunny, warm days after months of nothing but white out the window.
I only moved into this house less than two years ago, so I’ve only had one full summer here to work on the planting. As I stroll from each garden area to the next I am reminded of how much I have already accomplished in this short amount of time, but I’m also aware of how much there is still to do. I don’t believe Continue reading “Viewing Winter’s Damage and Marks of The Deer”
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.
Garden with some tulips and narcissus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I am not a big fan of Spring. When I lived in Florida our “spring” was one of the best times of year. In Florida, “Spring” is really not much different than any other time of year, it’s just not as hot as summer. We knew that the heat was coming back again shortly, so we relished the last of the nicer weather while we could.
Now that I live in the northeast, I find Springtime to be one of the most dismal times of the year. Continue reading “I’m Not a Big Fan of Springtime”
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 