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[SG] Hydrangeas

>Date:    Thu, 6 Aug 1998 19:00:09 EDT
>From:    Helen Gunnarsson <HWGunnar@AOL.COM>
>Subject: Hydrangeas
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>As long as we're talking hydrangeas....I bought a Nikko Blue hydrangea from
>Gurney's 3 years ago since the catalog said it was hardy to Zone 5, where I
> am (Chicago).  It bloomed the first summer and I was very happy, since I
>LOVE blue hydrangeas.  Every winter since then it has died down to the
>ground and then sprouted anew each spring, meaning nice foliage but no
more >flowers, since I now know that it flowers on the 2nd year's wood.
Well, I >feel a bit deceived by the advertising; I guess "technically" it
is hardy >in this zone, but it does me no good, since I'll never get any
more flowers >from it.

Hi Helen,
 We go through the same problem with our var. lacecap hydrangea, even in
the northeastern edge of zone 8. You can either bring it into the garage
for the winter (assuming 35-40 temp) or try wrapping it in a large wire
cage with burlap and filling it with leaves or styrafoam popcorn. I used
leave last year, they tended to pack down and get wet and quite sloppy. The
bush looked pretty sad when I opened it this spring. But it BLOOMED!!! It
now looks fine and had wonderful blooms, for the first time in 3 years.
  Blooms on var. lacecaps have been a running joke for several years with a
few of my email friends. One is in zone 7, one is in zone 6. The one in
zone 6 has their's over winter in an unheated porch, next to the wall of
the house. They seem to have blooms every year.

Matt Trahan  <matttrahan@ecsu.campus.mci.net>
USDA zone 8, AHS heat zone 7, Sunset zone 31, northeastern N.C.
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