A Banner Year for Hydrangeas

Today we ’re in Elie Gilbert ’s garden .

I ’ve been gardening for at least 70 years , but I ’ve never seen a year like this forhydrangeas . Here in my Plymouth , Massachusetts , garden , we late had one of the showery Julys on record , and the hydrangea just have sex it , reward us with both aggressive growth and a magnificent display of flower .

I have a enceinte assortment of hydrangea in both my hill garden andpatio garden — lacecaps , mopheads , bigleaf(Hydrangea macrophylla , Zones 5–9 ) , talloakleaf hydrangeas(Hydrangea quercifolia , Zones 5–9 ) , and even a dwarf one called‘Pia ’ . Although I roll in the hay them all , I have to hold that the lacecaps are my favourite because of the treat of their bloom .

The‘Nikko aristocratical ’ hydrangeacan be stunning , both for its intense blue color and the sizing of its blossoms . Most of that strong blue color result from the high acidity of our soil , so I never have to add anything to it to maintain that colour . However , some hydrangeas , like ‘ Pia ’ , always remain pinkish in color , regardless of how acidic the soil is . But just like other hydrangea , they favor an acidic soil to turn their best .

I ca n’t say enough about my oakleaf hydrangeas , because they offer something of interest all class long . They begin by putting out tremendous oak - shaped leaves , which can often reach 10 inch in size . Then when they come into bloom , their large panicle - shaped flowers open white , then transition through several shadiness of garden pink over the summer . When fall arrives , the foliage wrench a grand crimson coloring , and even after the leaves unload off , the cinnamon - coloured bark on this beauty shreds off in tenacious strips that flutter in the farting .

I ca n’t think of any nurseryman in the Northeast who does n’t have at least one hydrangea in his or her garden . It just seems to be a part of our horticulture cultivation .

The hill and terrace gardens with hydrangea

Mophead , lacecap , and oakleaf hydrangea

Lacecap hydrangea ‘ White Wave ’

‘ White Wave ’ blossom

Patio garden with lacecap hydrangea ‘ Blue Wave ’ and mophead ‘ Cityline Paris ’

‘ downcast Wave ’

Oakleaf hydrangea transfer from white to dust-covered come up

Lacecap hydrangea and Formosan astilbe ( Astilbechinensis , Zones 4–9 )

Lacecap hydrangea nestled in theshadeof a birch rod tree diagram

‘ Nikko downcast ’ hydrangea

Hydrangeas in view from the Benny Hill behind the house

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view of garden from back slope

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