hydrangeas

There's lots and lots of kinds of hydrangeas - I have only six different kinds. They keep coming up with new ones...some that I would love to have! The more recent ones bloom on old and new wood and are touted as being able to handle the sun. But my opinion is that they do better protected from afternoon sun (just sayin! :) Some can be trimmed back all the way to the ground, others not. Some defy all my theories and experience and still bloom or don't bloom! :)

The hydrangea I'm posting today came from a rental property and got transplanted here. It has a loosely, clustered white flower that begins with chartreuse colored buds, opening into white and goes back to chartreuse again. It blooms all summer long and makes gorgeous bouquets. It also dries beautifully...simply place them where you want them and they'll last til the next season. They are brittle and if bumped, make a mess. The only info I found on them is they're named as a Grandiflora. This picture shows several colors of the flower.

They're very easy care plants with very little maintenance. I used to let them up for 'winter interest' but several years ago I cut them back in the fall and like that a lot better....if left uncut, the flower heads break off and fly around the yard all winter. Leaving them uncut til after frost, they'll turn brown and make lovely, lovely window box/flowerpot fillers for Christmas/winter. I've already cut mine back and thus avoided the mooshy leaf mess left behind after frost. 

Several before/after pictures of a fall cleanup.

This summer was so warm and dry even these were gasping for water. As you can see, the leaves turned brown and ugly and I was happy to cut them back! I put the stems on a pile at the 'back forty' and will burn them when they've dried up a bit. These take too long to compost   unless they're run through a chopper of some kind.

(to be continued)

...happy gardening!

ox