limelight – Page 2 – Hydrangeas Blue

My Hydrangeas in May 2014

bare branches hydrangea — The Pinky Winky in May

It’s May and I have been getting outdoors to check on my hydrangeas and do some yard clean up. This photo of my Pinky Winky hydrangea plant was taken about a week ago, but it still looks about the same. Some leaf buds are forming along the stems, but that’s about it. The Limelight plants look about the same.

I decided to prune them in late Fall last year instead of waiting until Spring. The reason was mainly that when I left the dried flowers on the long stems of the limelight variety, the snow would weigh them down. So I pruned them for the winter and hopefully they will still bloom nicely.

My endless summer plants have larger leaves protruding up from the base of the plant and the Blushing Bride has little baby plants that are rooted. I plant to dig them up and transplant them once I have a spot for them and the weather has warmed.

All but the Pee Gee are still growing and looking good. I can’t say as much for some of my other perennials. The rhododendrons that I was hoping would get big and beautify the yard are practically dead. Apparently deer consider them a delicious meal and they chew off every leaf during winter. Even with netting over them, they have been devoured. If the plants survive the summer I will try covering them with burlap next winter. Don’t want to think about winter yet though!

Limelight: A Beautifully Named Hydrangea

budding limelight hydrangea flower — New Flower on the Limelight

I’ve never grown the Limelight hydrangea nor been around any of the shrubs. I purchased two of this type bush in Spring this year and planted them in front of my house.

Figuring that they would need this summer to grow good roots and become hardy, I didn’t expect flowers, so what a nice surprise to see them begin budding!
Sure enough, more and more little round petals began to form and now both bushes are filled with the elongated, lacey looking flowers. I expect that as the flowers age they will become more green. I am very happy with these healthy looking plants. I highly recommend the Limelight hydrangea as a perennial planting for your yard.

white limelight hydrangea flowers — Lacey white Limelight flowers

How To Propagate Hydrangeas (hydrangeasblue.wordpress.com)
Bloom Hydrangeas, Bloom !!! (hydrangeasblue.wordpress.com)
Learning From Experience – Which Hydrangeas Are Best? (hydrangeasblue.wordpress.com)

The Green Flowers of the Limelight Hydrangea

The Limelight hydrangea (paniculata) is popular for it’s size and stunning, large white flowers that become light green. The shrub will grow to be very large (8-9 feet tall and can be pruned into a tree) and the blooms last from mid-summer through Fall when the flowers may change color becoming pinkish.

The best thing about hydrangeas, besides their huge flowers, color variety (as if that wasn’t enough!) is their long lasting blooms. Does any other flower last as long? I can’t think of one. And then in fall, the flowers can be dried to last all winter. Show me something better!

I don’t know much about the limelight hydrangea, so I am finding out.

It is hardy in zones 3-8
Very hardy and can withstand drought conditions once established
Flower color can’t be changed by soil amendments
Flowers are held upright on the end of stems (no dragging on the ground)
Flowers bloom on new wood
Likes sun or part shade

See some photos and read more at this site.

Pink and Cream Dried Hydrangea Bouquet (hydrangeasblue.wordpress.com)
Got My New Little Mail Order Hydrangea Plants (hydrangeasblue.wordpress.com)
She Liked My Hydrangea Pictures! (hydrangeasblue.wordpress.com)

Got My New Little Mail Order Hydrangea Plants

I actually received these plants October 11th, but I’ve been busy with renovations to my house and didn’t have time to post.

I ordered two hydrangeas, a forsythia and some other perennials and bulbs from American Meadows (link on my sidebar) and the hydrangeas and forsythia came in pots wrapped in little cardboard boxes, which you can see in my photo here. I just took the boxes and “unwrapped” them from around the plant. It was a pretty cool way to ship them with little damage showing.

On the left, is the Limelight hydrangea which has greenish flowers. In the center is the “All Summer Beauty Hydrangea” which (as the tag says) is a hardier cousin to the Nikko Blue.

They were in pretty good shape and it rained for days after they arrived so I set them out on the deck to get watered and adjust to the outdoors during that time. Then I dug big holes and mixed in some Bonemeal with the dirt and watered them well. I planted the All Summer Beauty next to the porch steps and the Limelight at the side yard next to my new red, rhododendron.

All the plants are doing very well and I’ve finally finished planting all my tulip, daffodil and hyacinth bulbs.

Are you a mail order person or do you prefer to buy local – or maybe a bit of both. I have written a page on Buying Perennials about my thoughts on this subject with pros and cons as I see them.