2022! A new year and another chance to start afresh. There are many ways to do that, but for a gardener the months of January, February and March provide an opportunity to consider past gardens and plan ahead for what we want to do or change in the next season. Consider a clean palette, with a chance to add the colors, textures and even aromas that we want in our landscape. Perhaps you are content with the way things are or maybe you have just a small space where you would like add a new plant or two. Or maybe you are like me and have a large garden or space that needs renovation.
With the removal of our large elm tree last summer the south facing garden in front of our house has been transformed from a mostly shady site to full sun! So I will be musing over the winter about how to transform the garden. I removed several overgrown plants this fall and have begun thinking about replacements. One plant I have been considering is a hydrangea.
Hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs, which means they have woody stems and lose their leaves each fall. The hydrangea I remember from my childhood and seemed to be in every neighbor’s yard were the Smooth Hydrangea which produced large white flowers that we referred to as “snowballs.” This is the Annabelle hydrangea and is one of the oldest flowering shrubs that can be found in our North American gardens. Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) alsoincludes the popular cultivar “Grandiflora” – Snowhill. Both prefer full sun and moist soil; however Annabelle will tolerate partial shade while Snowhill does not do well in shade. Snowhill is hardy to zone 4 but Annabelle is hardy to zone 3. Both plants should produce large round white flowers in the early summer, which persist into fall. However, if the hydrangea, especially the Snowhill, is not receiving adequate sunlight, its flowering may be impeded.
In the last few years Panicle Hydrangeas have become increasingly popular with their wide variety of colors and shapes. Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) includes the cultivars, “PeeGee,” “Tardiva” and “Unique.” All are hardy to zone 4, but the most popular in our area is the PeeGee, which was also chosen one of the top 25 performers for 2003 by Master Gardeners. While “Tardiva” and “Unique” will tolerate shade, the PeeGee requires full sun for optimum performance. All three cultivars produce conical white flowers that turn to pink as they persist into fall; the PeeGee begins to flower in July, the other two begin flowering in late summer. Also Tardiva and Unique grow considerably taller than PeeGee and are usually grown as small trees. All three prefer moist soil, so a dry fall may mean that the moisture level this summer will have to be monitored closely. Other recently developed cultivars include Pinky Winky and Quick Fire and Limelight and Little lime which actually produce green or chartreuse flowers in the summer and then pink flowers in the fall.
A third group of Hydrangeas are the Big Leaf Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla), also referred to as the Blue Hydrangeas. The most familiar of these is the “Nikko Blue.” These are generally not hardy in zone 4, but the profusion of bright blue flowers that the Nikko Blue produces in the right conditions has led to “Zone Envy” and many have tried to grow Nikko Blues here with varying degrees of success. The Blue Hydrangeas prefer acidic soil so soil amendment will likely be required. Without the proper pH level the flowers will more likely be pink. The problem with the hardiness of the Nikko Blue is that it flowers on old wood. This means that the flower buds are set in the fall for the following summer. The stems of the plant are hardy but the buds are not, so most often the plant will survive the winter but it will never flower. A more recently developed Big Leaf cultivar is the Endless Summer “Twist and Shout.” The blooms vary from periwinkle blue to deep pink depending on the pH level of your soil. The more acidic the soil the more blue the flowers. An added feature of this flower is its sturdy bright red stems.
Hydrangeas are woody shrubs and so they should be pruned as such. Pruning is done to remove dead wood but also to maintain the health and vigor of the plant, regulate its size and shape and to control the flowering and fruiting. As mentioned Nikko Blue flowers on “old wood” so the buds are set in the fall. The Annabelle and PeeGee hydrangeas, unlike the Nikko Blue flower on new wood. These plants should be pruned in the spring just above the first pair of new buds from the ground.
Over the next few winter months, I will be looking for more plants that I might want to use in my newly renovated full sun garden. I will share information on some new plants in the months ahead. Happy 2022!