Gardening: Hydrangeas in bloom — a treat in July
Hydrangeas are in bloom all over the Island these days and what a treat they are! As I drive from one place to another, I enjoy seeing the many different settings in which they seem able to thrive. I see them in deep shade and in almost full sun — this is what you call one tolerant shrub!
Note that there are three kinds of hydrangeas — the lace caps, the balls (or mopheads) and the panicles. Each one of these is a lovely choice and which type to choose really depends almost entirely on your taste. The ball types are everywhere, most notably around the Chequit where they cheer everyone summer after summer, around the Heights tennis courts and in front of the Tuck Shop as well. Like all hydrangeas they range in color along the blue, pink and white spectrums.
To consider color separately for a moment, it’s worth noting that although there are now hydrangea hybrids that are actually pink and white as well, years ago that was not the case. Hydrangeas were simply blue. But you could make them pink by adding lime to the soil — and this is still true. The acid content of the soil will determine the tint of any of the blues. You can try experimenting with your own easily. Some of the new white hybrids, note the ones at the Tuck Shop, change color with age. Although all flowers do, just as we do, usually the color simply becomes a faded version of the original. But some of the whites, like those at the Tuck Shop, turn a lovely pale green.
The lace caps have a different shaped flower and actually you wouldn’t know, unless you knew, that they were hydrangeas. They are treated exactly the same as the balls. The lace cap is looser, more graceful and many people find it more subtle in its effect. They fit very well into a woodland setting and we have two on the edge of woods, in dappled shade, where they do, indeed, look wonderful.
The panicles bear a greater resemblance to the balls than to the lace caps; the flowers are large and impressive although the shape, as their name suggests, is quite different — long and cone-shaped. It’s the only hydrangea that’s actually a tree, rather than a shrub.
If you decide on a panicle, you will have to leave it a goodly space in which to grow. Panicles are the most cold-hardy member of the genus and the only type that grows well in full sun.
All hydrangeas grow to a good size but can be pruned regularly. In fact, regular pruning leads to healthier shrubs. If you remove approximately one third of the existing stems each year, the plant will respond well.
The best time to prune, gardeners should note, depends on which type you have. Prune the balls and the lace caps only in the summer, before August. Pruning during or after August can result in diminished bloom the following summer since the hydrangeas have already set their buds for the following season. The panicles can be pruned in the fall, winter or spring.
It should be noted that none of the hydrangeas are deer proof or deer resistant and consequently need winter fencing. I keep ours fenced until the woods have leafed out completely.
Tip of the week:
Hydrangeas dry beautifully and make great holiday arrangements. When dried, spray them gently with hair spray and while the hair spray is still wet, sprinkle them with glitter — you’ll like the result.
