Re: All Summer Beauty

Interesting, Claire.  I've never seen any sign of flowers from new
wood in the current growing season on my oakleafs.  Current growth,
to be sure and bud formation by the end of the growing season, but
nary a flower from this.  There is one flush of bloom and that is it
tho' the blooms remain on the plants until winter blows them away.

I do think hydrangeas are used a lot in the south, but probably, for
most people only the ones locally available, which for many areas
might be limited.  Since they grow so well, they aren't considered
very special:-)  I'll warrant that most people don't even realize
what is out there on the market.

I don't think you're just limited to conifers in the north, tho' of
course, many plants that gasp their last in our hot, humid nights and
do well for you will also grow in the PNW (that gardener's paradise,
if you don't want tomatoes and sweet corn).

There are quite a few plants that I lust for and try to grow who just
loathe and despise my climate and let me know this in no uncertain
terms...sigh...

I think each climate area in this country - well, in the world, for
that matter - has something that grows better there than in other
places.  Most likely, our problem, as gardeners, is that we want
everything - ALL plants and want them to grow to perfection - the
ones that do not thrive in our climate being of particular
interest:-)

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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----------
> From: ECPep@aol.com
> 
> The trick to northern bloom on this and similar of the big leaf
group, at 
> least the marketing trick, is that the plant is capable of throwing
new wood 
> which can mature in the current season and bloom.  This process is
thought to 
> take some months giving you guys, I would guess, south of
Washington a longer 
> season or really a second season.  While we can see the new wood
come on, the 
> season is not long enough to mature the flower buds.  The hunt is
on for big 
> leaf hydrangeas that can do this trick in a shorter time.  In time,
I 
> suppose, there will be one.
> 
> For those that can grow the beautiful lacecaps and pastel colors,
enjoy them. 
>  When you look into what is available it is considerable and I
wonder why 
> more southern gardeners don't use hydrangeas.  One day at a rocks
meeting 
> someone asked what it is we have that cannot be grown in the south
or PNW or 
> desert, something we can say is the best here.  The best we could
come up 
> with was conifers.  Some conifers reach stately beauty only in
northern 
> states.
> 
> Claire Peplowski
> NYS z4

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