Oh, hydrangeas. They just scream southern charm and beauty to me. When I was just a boy I remember going on fishing trips to my grandfather's home and there they were. Beautiful, large, blue blooms gently brushing the edge of the sidewalk and the side of the home. Nothing compares. This is a story of my love affair with hydrangeas.
Those hydrangeas were macrophyllas and in Southwest Ohio they are a disappointment. See the first thing you should know about hydrangea macrophyllas (or those hydrangeas with those large mophead blue, pink, or purple flowers) is that traditionally they set their buds on last year's growth and bloom on that old wood. Those buds sit there on the branches all winter. That means with our really frigid cold and late frost up north those hydrangeas were never going to bloom for me reliably, if at all. They were just one big succulent display of disappointing foilage. I can't remember if I got any blooms in the Spring or Summer of 2018. Probably not.
I learned from my mistakes.
The wonderful thing is that companies that breed hydrangea macrophylla have in recent years worked diligently to find varieties that bloom on old and new wood. That is excellent news for the northern gardener. If we have really late frosts or very frigid winters, those buds that formed on last year's growth are hardier. Because these new macrophyllas bloom on new wood too, even if we have a terrible winter and it kills every bud on the plant, those plants will produce new buds in the Spring and bloom later in the summer. For the Southern who moved north to Ohio, this brings so much excitement and I have begun adding these new breeds of hydrangea macrophylla to my garden over the past couple of years.
Back to the Spring of 2018. I had begun getting seriously interested in gardening and decided to add additional hydrangeas to my garden. I had found them.
Hydrangea arborescens or smooth hydrangea. Fantastic large white blooms that have a pleasant smell in the June air when planted in mass. I selected five to appoint the north side of my home and planted them in an alternating pattern with Emerald Green Arborvitae. Little did I know that this would set me on such a gardening adventure. Those hydrangeas will be four years old this year and time has flown. To this day it is still one my favorite parts of the garden. Maybe because it was the first garden bed I designed and it is sentimental. Or maybe it's just because something about hydrangeas in mass just bring back those childhood memories.
Fast forward to 2022 and I have over 100 hydrangeas in my garden.
The garden is literally a "bloomathon" in June and July as all of them come into their prime. Paniculatas, quercifolias, serratas, arborescens, macrophyllas, cascades. I have them all.
Below you will find all of the varieties I have come to know and love in my own garden. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Be a light,
Matthew
Hydrangea Garden Tour
The garden after the hydrangeas have all bloomed out is wonderful.
Developing A Hydrangea Hedge
Learn how I developed my hydrangea hedge and flower bed.
Hydrangea Macrophylla - "Big Leaf" Hydrangea
This is the hydrangea that we all know and love. It's the hydrangea of my childhood. Hydrangea macrophylla blooms on old wood, and new varieties bloom on both old wood and new wood. Most of them have blooms that range from pink to blue depending on the the pH of your soil. High alkaline soils tend to turn macrophyllas pink, and acidic soils turn them blue. Be on the look out for really interesting varities that are new to the market that are white and also red.
The only hydrangea macrophylla in my garden right now is Bloomstruck by Endless Summer. A large reason for this is hydrangea macrophylla enjoy the shade and I have very little of it to give. I found all the ones I have on the "death rack" at Home Depot for $5 and have nursed them back to health. I believe I have around twenty of them in the garden as of now, and that number will likely grow over the coming years. I love Bloomstruck because it has red stems and the blooms are beautiful. It stays smaller, which is a great space saver, and reliably reblooms for me. It even tried to bloom for me the year I saved it from an untimely death at the big box store. That tells you it will be successful even under the most adverse circumstances.
Hydrangea Arborescens - The "Smooth Leaf" Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens is one of my favorite hydrangeas simply for the drama and charm it brings to the garden. It was one of the first varieties I planted successfully in my garden and has provided the most impact because it is more established than anything else. Hydrangea arborescens blooms only on new wood, so you will always get blooms no matter how terribly you may prune it. Breeding has created very interesting coloring from the traditional white, to pink, green, and ruby.
Hydrangea Paniculata- The "Panicle" Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata is sure to be a success in your garden. Historically an extremely large hydrangea, new varieties are being bred to easily allow any home gardener to sneak them into their landscape. Hydrangea paniculata also blooms only on new wood, so you will always get blooms. Paniculatas typically begin blooming later in the season than other hydrangeas, but breeding has helped move up the bloom time on some varieties. Nearly all areas of the United States can have a paniculata in the garden as the hardiness has an extremely wide range of Zones 3-8 in most cases.
Hydrangea Quercifolia- The "Oak Leaf" Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia. A majestic oak leaf hydrangea native to the southeastern United States where I call home. I don't have enough in my garden. They typically enjoy a little protection from sun, and my garden currently lacks a lot of shade which is why I haven't been able to incorporate more. Expect to see more in my garden as it grows and develops. Hydrangea quercifolia has beautiful exfoliating bark for winter interest, something not seen on any other hydrangea type and very little other plant species. The Oak Leaf hydrangea is traditionally a large hydrangea as well, but exception breeding has brought new varieties to the market in most recent years with stunning foliage and incredible fall interest where the leaves darken from red through burgundy.
Hydrangea x (to be named species) - The "Cascade" Hydrangea
Hydrangea Cascade is brand new to the market. Currently hardy in zones 6-9, hydrangea cascade has beautiful arching stems and lower horizontal growing habit than other hydrangeas. It blooms along the entire length of its stems creating tons of blooms in your garden. I recently added one to my garden and am excited about the show it will bring in future years.