Pink Hydrangeas

I've already had other entries telling about hydrangeas.  However, this pink one I have is just coming into its own.  My daughter, Rhonda, sent these pictures to me at work.  This plant is absolutely gorgeous and I'm greatly anticipating seeing it when I get home.  Above is a whole bush shot that really shows off the rounded profile of the plant's growth and the large size of the blooms.  The plants with strap-like leaves growing on the left of the hydrangea are hedychiums (or "butterfly gingers.)"  Both plants enjoy the same conditions - part shade and plenty of water - so I think they are natural companions.

Here is a close-up of the blooms.  Such healthy little blooms that make up the flower-head.  I don't know how blue these blooms will get with more soil acidity.  This plant was simply labeled "pink" at the nursery, so I assumed that it would stay pink no matter the acidity.  However, the lavender tinge that some of the blooms have makes me think otherwise.

Hydrangea Season

This time of year it's hydrangea season in the South.  They are in full bloom all over and stealing the show from most other performers.  They come in various shades of blue, pink, and white, all of which have lush, tropical-looking foliage. 

This is the old fashioned type.  It came with my house, so I'm not sure about the variety.  I'm fairly certain that it's the common Nikko Blue.  This one is blue since I added aluminum sulfate to the soil to make it more acid.

This pink one is the same variety as the above, but the soil is not as acid, so it turns out pinik.

This last is just a picture of the whole plant before the blooms really started going.  One thing to watch out for in hydrangeas is wilting if they don't get enough moisture.  This is especially more of a problem if the plant is in too sunny of a spot.  Drought is not a condition they tolerate well.  They really do prefer at least partial shade.  Hydrangeas are a really good plant to put in areas where roses won't grow.  They are bushy, green, and lush shrubs for shady areas.  They bloom longer than most azaleas.  The only "problem" is that they lose all their leaves in the winter. 

Remember, the time to prune hydrangeas is after they finish blooming.  Pruning in winter will cause cutting off of the flower buds for the next season.  I learned this the hard way and lost a whole year of bloom one time.