them in with a little compost. The soil really needs
to be loosened in a wide area around the plant. It is
much better to till the compost into a bed or at least
the entire rooting area of the plant (3 feet wide in all
directions).
Unlike the native Oak Leaf hydrangea that grows
so well in our shade gardens PeeGees bloom well
in part shade to full sun provided they have adequate
water. They also differ from Oak Leaf hydrangeas
by blooming on the new growth in early to
mid-summer versus mid to late spring for the Oak
Leaf hydrangeas. This is an important point because
it tells us when to prune the plant to enjoy their
beautiful blooms. The PeeGee hydrangeas should be
pruned in the winter but before new growth begins.
Some cultivars get very large and should be pruned
back heavily each year to keep them inbounds and
blooming well. The height you prune them back
to is more personal preference than necessity but I
usually prune mine to about 18 inches to no more
than 2 feet high. Regular pruning will reward you
with fast growth and hundreds of gorgeous elongated
blooms in mid to late summer when much of the
spring flowering plants are gone or fading fast in the
heat.
PeeGee hydrangea popularity has dramatically
increased during my career as a horticulturist. The
reason relates to better cultivars and selections
that are more manageable in terms of size. If you
have room the larger cultivars such as “Tardiva,”
“Limelight®” or “Phantom” are spectacular and
good choices where you need a big splash of white
blooms in summer. The Southern Living plant
collection has a couple newer ones to consider. The
first is White Wedding® and makes a great cut flower
arrangement. The other semi-dwarf one they have is
called Moon Dance™.
Another company that has gone big into the hydrangea
development is called Proven Winners and
they have some beautiful and unique cultivars. The
newest one in my garden is called “Firelight®” and
its claim to fame is changing bloom color. They start
out creamy white and age to a vivid red. I just planted
this one last spring but it had enough blooms the
first season that I could see this amazing transition.
I also planted a dwarf form that also changes color
called, “Little Quick Fire®.” This dwarf one only gets
about 4’ tall and could be grown in a large container
as well as in the ground where a smaller version is
needed. Another dwarf form of the popular “Limelight®”
cultivar is called “Little Lime®” and is about
the same size as “Little Quick Fire®’ and it has the
characteristic lime colored bloom of its big brother,
“Limelight®.”
My advice to gardeners in the South is to consider
adding these wonderful plants to your garden but
beware it can become an obsession without an ending.
To learn more visit the Alabama Cooperative
Extension website at www.aces.edu or call our office
at 256-737-9386 and I will try to answer any questions
you may have.
CULLMAN COUNTY SENIOR MAGAZINE FALL 2020 | 17