Re: Hydrangeas (was Wisteria question)

> I have endless summer and am not impressed. Last
> summer it kept wilting by the time I got home. Going
> to move it away from the brick wall this spring in the
> hopes it will do better. I can't imagine how it would
> take the heat in California...as it was suffering in
> Illinois.

Maybe you should try 'Sadie Ray' -- it was found at a farmhouse
in Indiana where it grew for 50 years.  With that kind of track
record in the Midwest it might perform better for you. 

Here's the description from my catalog:

   Summer doesn't have to end just because you don't have a hydrangea
   by that name.

   In fact, it's my belief that these so-called 'neverending summer'
   hydrangeas are just an effort by a certain nursery to sucker
   customers. The formula is simple: patent and trademark your plant
   so that nobody else can propagate it or use that name, market the heck
   out of it, and then charge whatever you want. (See my essay earlier in
   the catalog about this issue).  But there are alternatives out there,
   and Sadie Ray is one of the better ones.

   Discovered by Tim Eizinger of Rochester, Indiana on a plant that
   has bloomed every year for 50 years on new wood, this adorable
   mophead-style Hydrangea will still bloom in northern gardens even
   after being killed back to the ground by excessive cold.

   The flowers will appear pink or blue in alkaline or acidic soil
   (respectively), so be sure to check the pH where you plant it if you
   want a specific color.

Thanks to Kitty for turning me on to this plant. :)

Chris

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