Fabulous Blooming Hydrangeas
by Judy Mitchel
There are so many wonderful blooming
hydrangeas and fall is the best time to plant them.
Some need shade and others like full sun. There
are climbing hydrangeas that bloom white in the
spring. Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom in the summer
into fall with white blooms that are pointed. Some
oakleaf hydrangeas fade to pink or red as they age.
Mopheads are the most common type. They have a
big rounded bloom. The ph determines the color
on these. They are pink or red if lime is added to the
soil. If the soil is acid as is normal in our soil, they
are blue or purple, depending on the variety. Blue
turns pink and purple turns red with the addition of
lime. Some of these like Nikko Blue only bloom
on old wood, so don’t
prune these in the
spring or you won’t
have any blooms that
season. They usually
bloom in May or June.
There are some newer
varieties such as
Penny Mac.
All Summer Beauty
and Endless Summer bloom on both old wood and
new growth. They will bloom from late spring to
fall. There are lacecap hydrangeas that have a flat
bloom. The lacecap blooms white, or the blue
which will turn pink if lime is added. There are
some hydrangeas that have leaves that are
variegated or edged in cream. The annabelle
blooms white in the late spring to early summer
growing into a ball shape. This is a new variety of
Incrediballs. It gives huge white blooms. Another
new variety is Invincibelle Spirit, which is the first
pink Annabelle type. It is a true pink and won’t
change color. There are some new red varieties,
Red Sensation and Cityline Paris. These bloom
into summer. Summer blooming hydrangeas are
the paniculata, grandiflora type. They have big
cone shaped white blooms. The blooms of these
are fairly easy to dry. Just cut them off when they
are still fresh, strip off the leaves and hang them in
a cool dry place until dry. They will look good in a
basket or a vase for years. Two newer varieties are
Pinky Winky and Strawberry Vanilla. Both of
these start out white and fade to a dark pink.
Another is Limelight. It starts out lime and fades to
white and it has huge blooms that really make for a
show. They bloom on new growth. Little Lime is a
dwarf form of it. These are just a few of the many
types of hydrangeas. Plant them now and you will
enjoy them for years to come.
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