George T Delacorte
Big Daddy!™ Hydrangea is incredible! Giant 12-14" flower heads against a backdrop of handsome foliage.
He's a big hit in your flower beds and borders, blooming Early Summer through Fall with blue flowers in acidic soil and
If He Got Any Bigger, You Wouldn't Believe It!
Big Daddy!™ Hydrangea is incredible! Giant 12-14" flower heads against a backdrop of handsome foliage.
He's a big hit in your flower beds and borders, blooming Early Summer through Fall with blue flowers in acidic soil and pink flowers in alkaline soil. Outdoors, Big Daddy's perfect for garden groupings and accents. Inside, he's king of the house for fresh cuttings and dried arrangements. Tough in the heat and humidity and a real performer in the sun and shade, Big Daddy's the one hydrangea you need to include in your landscape design.
HYDRANGEA
HYDRANGEA
Another (great selection trom
Every yard needs a Big Daddy!™ To find yours, visit
Hydrangea macrophylla Big Daddy1" PP14527
uww.ruwalis.com rowin
Heavenly Hydrangeas
Voluptuous or dainty, hydrangeas offer color and solid-citizen stability to borders and containers
More than summer decoration for seashore cottages or space-fillers along foundations, hydrangeas are versatile shrubs suitable for almost any garden in areas that experience some winter cold. Most of the familiar kinds hail from China, the Himalayas, Japan and North America, but others in this genus of around 100 species come from the Philippines, Indonesia and South America. Almost all bloom in white, pink, blue or lavender on mounded or treelike coarse-leaved plants. Lacecap types bear demure seed-producing flowers surrounded by sterile ones, while mopheads offer zaftig clusters of all-sterile flowers.The latest trends are dwarf, gold-foliaged and reblooming hydrangeas and ones with oversize flower clusters on sturdy stems.The rebloomers have revolutionized hydrangeas and made them available even for gardeners in colder climates. —ray rogers s-*?. % ■ r- ^
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H. MACROPHYLLA 'GENERALE VICOMTESSE
- A Ma iphs by lee annewhite
DE VIBRAYE'AND 'BRUNETTE'
Container culture maintains alkaline soil conditions, allowing 'Brunette' to bear red flowers, while the more acidic soil in the open ground promotes blue in Generale.
Appeal Mostly easy to grow, hydrangeas can be abused and still reward the gardener with lush foliage and showy flowers.Think of them as workhorses with a strong desire to please. For longer enjoyment, their flower heads can be dried; gather in peak bloom and hang in an airy, warm place. Zones Selections of arborescens and paniculata are hardy to Zone 4, and those of quercifolia to Zone 5. The flashier macrophylla and compact serrata types do best from Zone 6 and southward, but rebloomers like Endless Summer™ flower on both new and old wood and can be grown in Zone 4, used almost like a perennial—dying back to the ground over winter and resprouting in spring. The species involucrata needs the milder temperatures of Zone 7 and warmer areas. Virtually all of them withstand the heat of Zone 9 summers. Exposure While most hydrangeas thrive in full sun (given ample water),
MAY 2006
To analyze the charms ofjlowers is like dissecting music-
:-H ENRY THEODORE TUCKERMAN
Blue color is everlastingly appointed by the Deity to be a source of delight—j ohn ruskin
GARDEN DESIGN
they grow equally well in partial shade, especially in areas with long, hot summers.Try them in east-facing locations in your garden and in the bright shade under high-pruned trees in a woodland setting. Soil Reasonably fertile, well-drained, moist soils with lots of organic matter make hydrangeas happy.While they all tolerate a range of soil pH, acidity or alkalinity is an issue for macrophylla types. In acidic soils, aluminum is readily available, promoting blue and purple flowers; alkaline soils restrict access to aluminum, leading to red, pink and lavender. Regular applications of aluminum sulfate promotes bluer flowers. Care Remove dead wood from established plants of macrophylla, serrata and involucrata as spring growth begins, but don't knock off flower buds at the ends of the shoots. Cutting back paniculata types hard in spring promotes larger flower clusters. Cut arborescens selections to the ground every other year or so to keep them neat. Pruning is rarely needed to keep most quercifolias looking good.
[1] H. MACROPHYLLA ENDLESS SUMMER™
Without question the hottest hydrangea in the trade. Unlike most macro-phyllas,'Endless Summer' starts blooming early and keeps producing flowers (on new and old wood) throughout the season. New enough that its ultimate height isn't well-documented; may reach 3 to 4 feet tall and wide.
[2] H. PANICULATA 'LIMELIGHT'
Similar to the 'Grandiflora' (PeeGee) types,'Limelight' goes one step beyond the others with its big clusters of lime-green flowers that age to white. Expect a mature plant to reach 10 feet high by 6 feet wide. Hardier than many hydrangeas, to Zone 4.
- 3] H. MACROPHYLLA 'MME. FAUSTIN TRAVOUILLON' Somewhat smaller than loftier macrophylla types at about 4 feet tall, it flowers freely and over a long season. Blooms are dark pink in low-aluminum soils. Also known as 'Peacock'.
- 4] H. MACROPHYLLA 'BRUNETTE' Always richly colored, whether aluminum is available in the soil (flowers in shades of blue and purple) or not (flowers red). Not as tall or vigorous as many of its kin, making it a good choice for containers.
MAY 2006
I will be the gladdest thing under the sun! I will touch a hundred flowers and not pick one!—E DNA ST. VINCENT MI L LAY
Mouthwatering tomatoes. Luscious berries. Vibrant blossoms. Thafs just what you'll get the first time and every time you use Osmocote® Smart-Release® Vegetable & Bedding Plant Food. The secret is in our formula. It balances vigorous top growth with strong root development for four full months. Best of all, you don't have to worry, because Osmocote is guaranteed not to burn when used as directed. Maybe thafs why passionate gardeners have trusted Osmocote for 40 years - no matter what they're growing.
- 2006, Scotts-Sierra Horticulture Products Company. World rights reserved.
- a href="http://www.osmocote.com">www.osmocote.com
fyi Thanks to Wilkerson Mill Gardens in Palmetto, Georgia, where most of these photos were taken. For more information see www.hydrangea.com.
MAY 2006
The very pink of perfection
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