Garden

[willdob3]

I missed this thread last summer & have loved looking at all the photos! They are so beautiful it makes my heart ache! Thanks for sharing them. I'm looking forward to more from this summer.

[mousiegirl]

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@willdob3 wrote:

I missed this thread last summer & have loved looking at all the photos! They are so beautiful it makes my heart ache! Thanks for sharing them. I'm looking forward to more from this summer.

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@willdob3  I am so glad you enjoyed them, thank you for viewing them.

[JustJazzmom]

@getch The big leaf and oak leaf hydrangeas bloom on the previous year's wood, thus the reason for not pruning it now. The paniculatas and smooth or arborescens types bloom on the current season's wood. Those later two can be pruned now to shape them.

You first have to ID what kind you do have.

On my big leaf ones, I wait until I start to see leaves emerge before I start removing any dead stems.

This year on my Blue Bird and Purple Tiers I had to go deep inside each shrub and remove non performing or leafing out stems right as they emerged from the ground. These stems had been dead for a while because they snapped off as I went to remove them. Both hydrangeas are big leaf types.

Now if you really want confusion-- the Endless Summer series (and there are a few) can be pruned at any time of the year withiout flower bloom loss.

There is a variety I have called Strawberries and Cream, these I also believe bloom on new and old wood -- you would see in these descriptions the word 'remontant'.

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Anither reason for just leaves and no flowers is a killing of the buds frost (wait till next year) or too high a nitrogen fertilizer being applied.

In the New England area, the hydrangeas are just starting to leaf out. Warmer areas further south, might already be seeing leaves and the initial buds forming.

[mousiegirl]

More pictures of hydrangea Candy Kisses at different stages.  In person, the flowers are gorgeous, difficult to capture with the camera in certain lighting.

[mousiegirl]

More pictures of the oakleaf hydrangea Gatsby Moon

[Lilysmom]

@mousiegirl, wow the Oakleaf is lovely.  I may try another.  We'll see.  LM

[mousiegirl]

[mousiegirl]

After waiting many years, my Nikko Blue finally turned blue.

[mousiegirl]

[mousiegirl]