On Gardening: Hydrangea lovers head to the dance
The Garden Guy would like to invite hydrangea lovers everywhere to the dance. It’s not a big dance, but after last winter, I know you will love it.
Let me explain.
In the South, but really much of the country judging by Facebook, Mother Nature gave hydrangeas the one-two punch.
First was the December arctic blast, followed by the warm-up, and another shot of the deep freeze in March after leaf development. Every one of us gardeners and trained horticulturists went back to school. The most common and best technique was do nothing; read the leaves. Let them tell us when and where to prune, and in some cases when to surrender, cut back and hope for some blooms.
This was generally speaking across species too: macrophylla, serrata, paniculata and arborescens. In many cases we were surprised of which ones were hurt. This wasn’t a reflection on cold hardiness as much as it was the stage of growth when the last freeze hit. But it has also been a surprise that our treasured shrubs still had a lot of blooms left in them.
The Garden Guy got hammered too, but there were six good surprises. They were Let’s Dance Arriba and Let’s Dance Sky View. I have three plants of each, and they were clear winners, showing no winter issues. They are both compact and appear to be effervescing, no bubbles, but with new blooms.
Let’s Dance Arriba reaches 2 to 3 feet in height and width and is known as a prolific re-bloomer. At my house, I have it incorporated with Rainbow Rhythm Sound of My Heart daylilies and partnered with three Fluffy golden Western arborvitaes, which makes a dreamy combination.
Let’s Dance Sky View is making its debut this year. It is similar in height to the Arriba but has a slightly wider potential of 4 feet. It is a hybrid between macrophylla and serrata species with the ability to take the tough conditions of a winter in Michigan, yet thrive in the south too.
I’m using these in a different location. It is shadier there, and they are grown in combination with hostas, impatiens and other hydrangea varieties. They too are prolific bloomers, giving me confidence that this is going to be a long colorful summer.
Let’s Dance hydrangeas need organic rich, welldrained soil, absolutely no bogs. If they bloom on new wood, it stands to reason we need to encourage growth with fertilization. This means giving a rose type blend in early spring and again in late spring. In the South, where our season is longer, a midsummer application is also beneficial. In all areas we do want dormancy to occur as normal.
The series will increase next year with the debut of Let’s Dance Lovable. This one will be larger with the potential reaching 4-by-4 feet. As the name suggests you’ll love its intense coloration, re-blooming habit and disease resistance.
(Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.)