Fourteen years ago, I purchased my very first shrub for our first home. It was a ‘Nikko Blue’ hydrangea and my wife fell in love with the blue blooms. I stuck her (the shrub, not my wife) right next to my front steps, up against the foundation thinking “I’ll have these blooms and wonderful foliage all year. This gardening thing is easy.”
Year one with my hydrangea was OK, but like a gardening novice, I pruned the hydrangea back heavily the following spring and cut off all that year’s blooms. I then moved the shrub to another location which was exposed to the elements and for the next two years, all I got was some weak foliage. I was hydr-angered and ready to give up on this high maintenance SOB.
Fast forward a few years and a few kids later and to a new home. I am now a hardcore gardener with new found patience (kids taught me that) and ready to bring hydrangeas back into the mix. Only problem was that I had very little shade, few “protected” areas and a lot of deer. That is where the ‘Endless Summer’ hydrangea comes into play.
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Endless Summer’ is a mophead type hydrangea that blooms on both old and new wood. “Old wood” meaning it forms it’s buds the previous season on the older gray looking branches. “New wood” meaning it also produces blooms on the current year’s growth, the green branches. This just about promises you blooms throughout the season even if the old wood/buds didn’t survive the winter or were victim of a late freeze in spring:
Some other little factoids on this shrub:
- Survives in zones 4-9 – so it is successful in both the north and south.
- Size averages in the 4 x 4 range so it is a nicely rounded shrub.
- Prefers partial shade with no afternoon sun, but I have managed to keep one in decent shape in almost full sun.
- Blooms from early summer to the middle of fall here in zone 6B.
- They will bloom pink in alkaline soil and blue in more acidic soil. Through the art of transplanting and indecisiveness, I have managed to bring out three colors in these. When they were against my foundation they bloomed lavender. When planted in two other locations, I was blessed with true pink blooms and also a whitish/pink bloom.
- I have given these very limited winter protection and they have made it through each year without issue.
Here are some additional photos and hopefully, now that I’ve left them in the same location for a full season and do not plan on moving them again, I will get even better photos this summer (assuming the deer still can’t find them).
As much as I like the blooms, the foliage looks tremendous all spring, summer and fall:
My whitish/pink blooms from last year:
Now I must confess, I feel like I am cheating a bit by using these instead of some of the more classic options (like Nikko Blue) where it takes a little more effort to get it right. I also don’t like the fact that they can be found in every Lowe’s and Home Depot across the country. But, some times something just “works” and you need to accept that and move on. This is one of those times.
ONG
They are great and the foliage on yours looks fantastic. I have one and it took a few years before it really started blooming nicely. I was threatening to shovel prune and I think it heard me. Do you have the lacecap one? It is really great too.
I have this one planted outside my bedroom window. Totally awesome. Very low maintenence. I can change the colour of the blooms easily. Best shrub I have planted.
nice to know you once started out as a non-green-thumber too. 🙂
The Endless Summer Collection includes some of the best hybrid hydrangea they have come up with. Not only is it long blooming but as mentioned in your article, it blooms on new or old wood so the threat of pruning at the “wrong time” is gone. Look out for the new variety: Bella Anna, a pink mophead. It looks gorgeous!
Just because everyone has a couch and a TV in their living room doesn’t mean every living room looks even remotely the same. Same with plants… I’ve seen horrible designs and wonderful designs using the most basic of plants, and frankly even on top of that… if you like it, who cares what everyone else has to say!
When I find that a plant is sold everywhere, the up-side is that it is, most likely, idiot-proof. The downside is that I might see it in almost everyone’s garden. I’d rather have a boring, reliable, ubiquitous plant instead of an unreliable garden with expensive plants that disappoint.
I think “hydr-angered” is a most appropriate word!
I love hydrangeas as well. I have about nine of various varieties. I love them all. I try to add a new variety each year. I have two endless summers. I am quite fond of the “Bridal Wreath” I read there is a new variety out this year. You are right…sometimes you just have to go with what works.
Hi ONG,
I have three Endless Summer Hydrangeas, Limelight, Unique and Let’s Dance. I am in zone 5, so Endless Summer is not as well thought of in this area. Mine did well the first and second year and then last year hit with the heat and they just stopped dead blooming. There are some new miniatures coming out this year. I saw Bella Anna at the Mid Am show and it looks lovely.
Eileen
Have an entire bank of these on the north side of my house. Every year, in April, I sprinkle lots of azalea fertilizer on them and I get the most gorgeous purple/pink/blue blooms!
I love hydrangea! Mine is in the shelter with partial shade – it’s hot here! Equivallent to zone 11.
I always heard Endless Summer is the best.
I plan on some new shrubs this year, hope I can find this.
I’m still laughing over “hydra-angered.” I wonder if Endless Summer would be here in Central FL? I may investigate.
I absolutely LOVE Endless Summer! I absolutely LOVE Hydrangea! Great pics!
Hydrangeas are wonderful plants…My variegated one is leafing out now…I bet your wife would love a Lacecap Hydrangea..Glad to know it wasn’t your wife that you stuck in the ground, whew!
Philip – I do love the foliage big time. I don’t have the lacecap one but will def consider it.
Kyna – It is super low maintenance and that equals = awesomeness.
Texwis – Oh, I am still a big time brown thumber.
Lee – I am on the Bella Anna research
Jess – I am stealing your line about the couch and TV and using it as my own. Dead on!
Allan – great perspective as always, like gardening therapy for me.
Bonnie – I need to check out Bridal wreath pronto!
Gatsby – miniatures will work as well for me, easier to hide from the deer too.
Sissy – I have never used fertilizer on them but you are now tempting me.
Stephanie – can imagine the need for shade in zone 11 but impressed that they survive there.
Patsi – should be easy to find in most garden centers. Good luck.
NanaK – give it a shot and let me know how it works.
Connor – thanks for the kind words!
Darla – I am running out of room in my partial shade beds but would love to add a variegated type. Sucker for that foliage.
I don’t have much shade so I haven’t tried a hydrangea yet. Plus I’m kind of chicken of teh whole having to do things to the soil to get it to bloom right 😉 Thanks for following my blog!