Re: Hydrangeas

 <<<<does anyone have experience with Hydrangea 'All Summer
  Beauty'? One of the most annoying things I've learned in recent years is
  that the flower buds on my hydrangea macrophyllas get blasted off in the
  early spring unless I wrap them in burlap. H. arborescens is no problem
  because it blooms on new wood, and for that I'm grateful, but I'm always
  looking for color. Supposedly 'All Summer Beauty' blooms on new wood (I
  think, in addition to old wood), and I was wondering if this is really
true.>>>>

<<<<< Up here in zone 4a in MN, I have had one for 2 summers now so it's not
very
 big),and last summer I was amazed at the color of the big flower heads every
 time I walked by it.  They had both pink and blue on each one.

Also, these were all on new wood, because I had pruned it back to about 5
 inches from the ground in the spring, since it had died back that far over
 the winter.  But we have not had a very hard winter since I got it.  I hope
 they are as beautiful this summer as last. >>>>>

To all hydrangea fans,

I am going to look around for 'All Summer Beauty', I don't recall seeing this
in the catalogs. I also agree with Marge Talt on h. quercifolia which does
not bloom in my garden.  It usually dies after two or three years from
repeated freezing of the growth tips.  I have tried many times.

After arborescens, that leave us in the cold zones, h. paniculata.  For years
it was either a bush form or a tree form of the same plant.  I have found
seven named forms of paniculata in the past two years and bought all of them.
 'Pink Diamond' has some promise for color.  It can not match the species
that do well in the south but it is supposed to be pink.  I don't have a lot
of bloom on any of these plants yet but it is a change from either large or
small.

Hydrangea serrata is often rated for zone 5.  If anyone is having success
with serrata in cold places it would be nice to hear about it.

Claire Peplowski
East Nassau, NY z4
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