Garden

[mousiegirl]

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@GingerPeach wrote:

Not once did I say they were a separate SPECIES, @mousiegirl

I said they were a VARIETY.

Please read the OP, and disregard any other posts that I did not make.  Those are completely irrelevant.

I do not need an education on hydrangeas or anything else.  Good grief!

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@GingerPeach  They are not a variety, read the link if you want to be informed.

[ScarletDove]

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@GingerPeach wrote:

My one and only hydrangea, the "antique" variety, gave me some nice blooms this year.  Not bad for a postage-stamp sized yard.

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@GingerPeach  Absolutely gorgeous, I love the mixed colors.... there are some really beautiful Hydrangea varieties available. Where I live, the deer love the Hydrangea as much as I love the Hydrangea.... Thank you for the beautiful photo...

[JustJazzmom]

Got a name for the hydrangea? I’m curious how big it would get.

[DeniseColo]

@GingerPeach - Love the coloring on your hydrangea blooms. Very pretty!!!

[OKPrincess]

The blue hydrangea reminds me of my great aunt and uncle’s yard in the country as a little girl. 

@GingerPeach Your antique hydrangeas are lovely.

[BirkiLady]

@GingerPeach  Don't know why you are so upset with me or anyone else. There are only five varieties of hydrangeas. I've listed two already. "Antique" is not a variety as has been mentioned.

I still don't understand your original post and am still curious about what kind of variety or the name of your hydrangea. Being rude isn't getting us any answers. If you don't know, say so. End of thread. Simple.

[BirkiLady]

@GingerPeach  I know nothing about making the soil acidic. Have never had any hydrangeas that required it. Thus, I was asking questions about your hydrangea. I was unable to tell from the blooms or the leaves what variety it was. They do differ among the five varieties. Sorry you took my question so terribly wrong. I still don't understand "antique" hydrangea. It must be the name? 

[JustJazzmom]

@BirkiLady I do know about making soil acidic. First get the soil tested for pH. Acidic soil is generally anything below a pH of 6.2  to 5.0.

Some hydrangeas are naturally white flowered & do not change color based on the pH of the soil. Hydrangeas that have pink flowers usually are that color due to alkaline soils (over 6.2 -7 pH). Hydrangeas that have blue or purple flowers are because of the acidic soils. 

How do you change hydrangea color from pink to blue? Add sprinkled sulfur or aluminum sulfate into the soil around the root zone. It will take a while but the flowers will change color over time. To keep them pink or reddish, add lime to the soil. Check the pH every 6 months until it’s at the number you want it to be. 

For those who notice a color change from blue to purple pink, might mean lime leeching from cement foundations or bricks. Adjust your soil with sulfur or aluminum sulfate.

Mind you there are certain cultivars that are naturally blue flowered or pink flowered. In my garden is a cultivar called ‘Strawberries & Cream’ which has pinkish flowers. It’s companion is ‘Blueberries & Cream’ which has bluish purple flowers. 

[BirkiLady]

@JustJazzmom  Thanks for your kind reply. Now that you mention testing pH levels, I do remember studying these things years ago when originally going through my Master Gardeners classes. Each year I take additional classes and, of course, must volunteer a specific number of hours both in the classroom and "in the field" to maintain the status. Most of my outdoor work is done on one of the UNL campuses or in one of the many City parks. We prep the beds in the early spring, plant, weed, trim, weed, deadhead, weed, remove and replace other things, weed, trim, weed and then the process is reversed about October when the gardens are cleaned up and shrubs are protected for winter.

The Ag. Campus continues to grow many of our annuals and/or perennials during the winter months. We take cuttings, rooting stock, divide plants and save seeds for them. It saves so much money for our community to keep items in the green houses. Students tend to them as part of their course work in Agriculture studies. Thus, MG seldom become involved in adding lime or sulfur to the soil of specific plants. It's left up to the students in the Spring or Fall semester.

Found your paragraph on 'Strawberries & Cream' and 'Blueberries & Cream' to be the most fascinating. What variety are they? Almost sound like they are also Paniculata, which is my preferance in hydrangea (and the hardiest to grow in Zone 5-b's cold winters). Wasn't aware any of them turned pink or blue.

Plan to research those two this winter. They may end up on "wish lists" for 2019. Didn't know I may add to my collection! Thanks for the valuable information.