Creative Country Mom's Garden: Early Summer Blooming Hydrangeas

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Early Summer Blooming Hydrangeas

Happy Sunday Garden Friends!

Today I am sharing with you some of my many hydrangeas in bloom. This is just the early ones, more are coming later in the summer. But these look so fantastic this week I took these pictures to remember them. This honestly has been the best they have ever looked…

Most of my early blooming hydrangeas are all along the front of my house, facing North. They get a bit of morning sun, then shade the rest of the day.

The majority of this front border is 3 years old, but a few things are first year since I added things like crazy last year. I found 4 more spots for hydrangeas this week. Yep, I will be looking for more to add to my collections. I think I am up to 17 different kinds now! Did I tell you I love them?

Well lets start with my huge pink Nikko Blue. It is so pretty and always pink for me. What a great old-fashioned style mophead. But it stays very clean for me and the leaves are very green and healthy. This one does need the water. It is the first one to wilt if it gets dry, but pops right back after a drink. All hydrangeas need plenty of moisture to do their best.

Next is probably my most commented ones…. the Light ‘o Day or 'Variegata' variegated hydrangeas, I cannot tell the difference, I think they are the same plant. Even experienced gardeners ask want this plant is when they tour. I would grow it even if it never bloomed. And for two years it didn’t. It gave me beautiful color, but no blooms. But this year it is FILLED with blooms. I have two of them together and they are both beautiful this year. I don’t know if it was the maturity or the weather, but I will take it.

Here is a close up of the blooms. They are white with purple/pink touches. Beautiful.

This is not the best picture, but one of my favorite ones is Serrata Preziosa. This is the one I can never think of the name of when I have visitors. I need to make a tag for it. It is very unusual with dark burgundy leaves in the fall with red stems. The blooms darken as well and it is lovely for the fall garden. There are two here and they stay under 3’ tall.

Here is probably the prettiest one this week. It is Glowing Embers, and it is fantastic. Mine is only a year old and still a bit small, but look at those blooms.

They start out lime green, then age to a melon pink still with green accents. It is fantastic. Very healthy pretty green leaves too. Strongly suggest getting this one.

This one is an Endless Summer variety called Endless Lace. It is a rebloomer and a lacecap with a bit different kind of leaves, they are almost a lime color.

It suffered a bit with the late spring frosts, but it blooming nicely.

I like that it is pink on pink with the centers and the open blooms the same colors.

Here in the back is my 2 year old Invincibelle Spirit. It is filling out under the window box quite nicely. I look for it to get a bit larger and really give a show for years to come.

Here you can see I have quite a few Paniculatas getting ready to bloom. The one in the front is Pinky-Winky and next to the porch is Limelight. I enjoy that I have early and fall bloomers. It gives me something to look forward to.

So one more thing I want to mention is I have had great success rooting hydrangeas from cuttings. If you have a friend or neighbor who has a variety you’d enjoy you might try taking a cutting.