Hydrangea Time!

Today is my mother's birthday. I hope it is a happy one. You see, my mother just lost one of her beloved pets, and has been having an awful hard time with the loss. You all wish her the best birthday ever and I have no doubt it will cheer her up immeasurably. And while the cockatiel in the picture is not Alice, we know Alice would wish you a Happy Birthday too Mom!
The above picture shows some of the harvest my mother and sister (Terri) are raking in up in my mother's vegetable garden in Maine. They are all excited about harvesting some watermelons soon. Sure looks good!

It's hydrangea time at Tiger Gardens. I LOVE hydrangeas. They are my favorite type of shrub and I think of my mother and Maine when I see pretty mophead hydrangeas. That being said, just like with people, there are many types of hydrangeas. To the best of my knowledge they fall into five categories: Hydrangea quercifolia, Hydrangea macrophylla, Hydrangea arborescens, Hydrangea paniculata, and Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris. I grow all except the climbing hydrangea (H. anomala). My favorite is by far the oakleaf hydrangeas (H. quercifolia) for its four seasons of interest and easy care. I also love the mophead hydrangeas (H. macrophylla) for their romantic side and sentimental considerations, and the big showy Annabelles (H. arborescens), but honestly my heart goes to the paniculatas.

These hydrangeas bloom like crazy for a long period of time and are pretty easy to grow. They all bloom later in the summer and put on a show for quite for some time. The above picture shows my four types of paniculatas. I did not plan it this way but it is a happy accident they are all growing close to one another. The first hydrangea on the left and brightly lit up is 'Limelight', the very next one (going to the left and set back a bit) is 'Tardiva', in front of the chainlink and next to some silver artemisia is 'Pink Diamond', and the last hydrangea is the 'PeeGee'. Let me now take you for a walk through hydrangea time here. Not all are featured, only the ones in prime now. To see the oakleafs you can check here.
Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva'.
A long view of Tardiva. This is a pretty large shrub and has a different growth habit from the PG hydrangea. I cut mine in half each year but you should do this consistently for optimum display of blooms. I failed to cut it back the first two years and the blooms decreased while the shrub got leggy. Leggy and less flowers is not a good thing for hydrangeas. When I did cut it back it suffered for about one year, but has now fully recovered.
Pee Gee, Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora'.

Pee Gee...

Limelight, Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'.

Maresii, Hydrangea macrophylla 'Maresii'. (Thanks Frances for identifying!)

Another bloom of the Maresii. Blooms on this hydrangea are very rare. This has been an excellent year for them here at Tiger Gardens.

A long view of Hydrangea paniculata 'Pink Diamond'.

A close up of Pink Diamond's bloom.

Pink Diamond's bloom living up to its name with the petals turning pink.

'Blushing Bride' Hydrangea macrophylla. I love this series of hydrangeas. The Blushing Bride, along with Endless Summer are superior additions to my garden. They both bloom reliably with stunning blossoms. They are also easy to care for. I think the Blushing Bride differs from Endless Summer in that it turns a pale pink after its initial blue bloom. It is a lovely addition to the garden. If I wanted to preserve this blossom, I would pick it now. I chose to leave mine on the plants and they are now turning brownish.
This hydrangea is the standard unnamed variety of Hydrangea macrophylla. It was taken at the same time I took the Blushing Bride picture. Can you see the difference? Both are lovely but it is evident the Blushing Bride is bred for an improved bloom in addition to its ability to bloom on new and old wood. Standard hydrangeas bloom only on old wood and that is their problem. Sometimes late frosts kill all the blooms and then the plant will not bloom. The Endless Summer series has eliminated this problem; which is a boon for gardeners.

in the garden....thinking of hydrangeas and wishing my mother and my niece a Happy Birthday and anyone else celebrating a birthday today!