Old Lady Flowers

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Tricolor'
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They are out of fashion now, despite many wonderful new repeat-blooming cultivars. We've turned our attention to water-thrifty succulents and native plants that do not have a reputation as a moisture-sucking "old lady flower": Hydrangeas.

'Shooting Stars':
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I have not found them particularly greedy for water once established, if they are properly sited in enough morning sun to get them to bloom, and enough afternoon shade to keep them from toasting.

'Ayesha':
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And there's that blue...this year I tried soil sulphur in place of Aluminum sulphate for bluing them up, and it has worked.
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Another treatment in the fall, and another next spring, and perhaps they will be well and truly blue for several seasons to come.

'Endless Summer' with Salvia 'Blue Hill':
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I'll just take shorter showers, and claim credit for all the rain water we stored this past winter. I like their Grande Dame presence--'Ayesha' is 6'x8' now--and then there is that blue.

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Blogger was certainly hosed for a couple of days, wasn't it? Some poor techs were slaving like mad to get it going again, and I thank them for what must have been extreme effort and sleep loss. I've been there. Thanks guys, who ever you are, for your efforts.

Comments

  1. I can see these old lady plants with some dark cotinus and big, beefy grasses -- not old-fashioned at all. You have some beauties. Planted my first hydrangea in years last spring -- the oakleaf quercifolia. You make a good point, that experienced gardeners have the know-how to use water strategically.

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  2. I'm attached to my Hydrangeas...PeeGee seems to get by on a bit less water,and I could not do without Annabelle.

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  3. I didn't realize these were old fashioned! I bought some for myself last mother's day, tucked them in a corner of the more-often-watered zone where nothing seemed to grow, and they are just starting to bloom now this year. (i will have to try for blue next year.)

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  4. Those are great looking blooms. I've never heard about soil sulphur and aluminum sulphate for turning things blue. It seems I have some things to read up on. -- Bom

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