Now my little hydrangea is in the ground and here is what I’ve learned. Deadheading Florida hydrangeas is a good idea. I found new growth and new flowers hidden beneath those huge, dying blooms.
Blooms turning green and dying
Until a few weeks ago I had not tried to grow a hydrangea in my Florida yard. I kept thinking there was no way it would do well in all this heat. So the fact that my little hydrangea plant is doing so well is a nice surprise. If it has been growing in a greenhouse it would adapt well to warmth, and it does seem to be thriving this summer.
Last summer I planted this Endless Summer hydrangea variety in my front yard. This year it is larger and has bigger flowers. All flowers are blue except one which began as lavender and is now pink. You can see it in my photo here, on the right, lower side of the plant.
I guess my issue with this macrophylla type of plant is that the flowers are often hidden by the big leaves. It’s also called a “big leaf” hydrangea.
The one with big white flowers is also hiding the beautiful blooms. I hope that in time, as the plants age and get stronger stems, that the flowers will show up better.
The plants are nice and healthy looking so I expect improvement each summer. This type will only be around 4 feet across. They don’t get really huge, to my knowledge.
As you can see in my photos below, the hydrangea flower on the plant named “Blushing Bride” is going through a change to green as it ages.
It started off white, then began showing cream or ivory colored petals mixed with the white. Now it’s taking on a definite greenish appearance.
However, if your soil alkalinity is different from mine, your Blushing Bride flower may be pink or blue. This is one type of hydrangea which has flowers that will be various colors according to the type of soil.
Recently planted Blushing Bride shrub with new flower just beginning to grow (top).
I didn’t know what to expect from my newly planted hydrangeas this year, and I am pleasantly surprised!
All types – Limelight, Endless Summer, Pinky Winky, Pee Gee and this gorgeous Blushing Bride, are flowering.
The Blushing Bride shrub must really love the dirt it’s growing in, because it is taking off. The leaves are large; the plant is sturdy and healthy looking, and the flowers are huge – this one is nearly 10 inches across. I am not doing anything differently with this plant than all the others.
I had to get the tape measure out to show the actual size of this bloom. The white petals are mixed with some pink and green now. It will be fun to watch how the colors change as the flowers age.
The Endless Summer’s blue flowers are really pretty, but only half as large. That poor plant got flattened early on by a freak rain storm we had. Apparently it’s not as sturdy as it’s sister with the white flowers.
I will be working on some new wedding stationery using photos of this flower and getting them up soon in my online store.
Hydrangeas Blue 