China has contributed several popular plants to the Western world, and because fall flowering shrubs are so few, perhaps none is more welcome than the hydrangea.
It prolongs summer’s lease and brightens a landscape beginning to look somber because its glory is fading.
Blue Hydrangeas
Blue hydrangeas planted in tubs have a regal grandeur no matter where they’re placed, on the porch, on long walks, or in the garden. But the best one for garden culture is the Peegee hydrangea.
This Hydrangea paniculata Grandiflora grows to 8 feet tall and has greenish-white blooms, which become blush-pink and bronze as the season advances.
The grandest specimen of the Peegee I have ever seen stood nearly 12’ feet tall and was as wide.
Among the right number of deep green leaves to furnish a fine setting were displayed gorgeous balls of frothy feathery flowers in large clusters.
This shrub or tree is planted at the front of a small orchard at Grimsby Beach, Ontario, in the shelter of the Niagara Escarpment, where many other splendid flowers and shrubs bloom.
Where It Grows
Hydrangea also grows satisfactorily in northern Ontario in places where water is abundant, the soil is particularly rich, and drainage is good. It requires very little care and is notably free from insect attacks.
And, although considered medium hardy, it is known to have come through very cold, over 40° degrees below zero winters, with no more protection than a few leaves and plenty of snow.
Red Maple
Lovely with hydrangea is the red maple, which may be dug in the wilds and transplanted into the garden without setbacks.
It enlivens the fall picture with a glorious burst of fiery golden-red foliage.
Mountain Ash or Rowan
An interesting third to the maple and hydrangea is the mountain ash or rowan, which, unwilling to be outdone by these, performs a strip tease to uncover a symmetrical shape unlike anything in the flower kingdom.
On its lovely limbs, it displays artistic bunches of red berries and continues to show off until it is covered with a mantle of snow.
44659 by Charles Dorian