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 … Read more
This handsome blue hydrangea is a fine plant for permanence if you are fortunate enough to find a supply source. It is a native shrub of Japan and has found favor in some places in the warmer parts of southern New England and Long Island. Characteristics Hydrangeas It is not hard in Boston. Growing 3’ … Read more
Panicle Hydrangeas are generally considered vigorous shrubs, but they actually become small trees under favorable conditions. Plants 8’ to 12’ feet high are the rule in gardens, but there are records of specimens well over 20’ feet. Panicle Hydrangeas’ Characteristics Flaking gray bark characterizes the trunk and larger branches, and the natural outline of a … Read more
Hydrangea (hy-DRAN-jee-ah) is a climbing woody shrub belonging to the genus Hydrangea and from the Hydrangeaceae or the hydrangea family. It has over 75 flowering species and more than 600 cultivars available worldwide. The genus name Hydrangea came from the Greek words “hydro,” meaning water, and “angos or angion,” which means a vessel, jar, or … Read more
Twenty years ago, the climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris) was rare even though it had grown in America since 1865. Fortunately, since then, however, gardeners have gradually begun to appreciate its value as a sturdy, ornamental clinging vine, and commercial horticulturists across the country have started propagating it. True, this vine is slow to start growing … Read more