Wordless Wednesday

Shasta Daisies are in bloom!

Use Hydrangeas for Summer Color

Hydrangea 'Cityline Rio'

In our part of the country, we’re blessed to have so many varieties of flowering

shrubs and trees—from rhododendrons and azaleas to flowering cherry and plum trees, if you’re looking for color it’s easy to find. Yet look at those names I’ve just mentioned; do you see what they have in common? They’re all spring-blooming plants. That’s great—with our dreary, dark winters, we need a good pick-me-up in spring. If you’re looking for summer-blooming shrubs, however, give hydrangeas a try.

Chances are, hydrangeas aren’t something entirely new to you. If you don’t have one in your yard, a neighbor probably does. As common as hydrangeas are, however, I’ve found that for many people, they aren’t very well understood. For starters, there are far more varieties of hydrangea than your basic blue “mophead” variety. In the last few years, hydrangea breeders have introduced several exciting new types of hydrangea, available in different colors, sizes and shade requirements.

First, there are a couple of great hydrangeas that give color all summer long. Whereas most hydrangeas bloom in July and August only, “everblooming” varieties start in June and bloom until the first frost. ‘Endless Summer’ has been around for a few years—it’s a standard mophead (meaning large, rounded flower heads) with rich green leaves and beautiful deep blue flowers. Another exciting new variety I wrote about this spring is ‘Bombshell.’ This bright white everblooming variety only gets two to three feet tall—and it’s good for full sun to full shade, too!

Speaking of sun, hydrangeas are commonly thought of as shade-loving plants. It’s true to the extent that nearly all hydrangeas will do fine in shade. But many varieties like ‘Bombshell’ also thrive in full sun. Recently, growers have introduced an entirely new series of hydrangea by the name of Cityline—each specific variety bears the name of a different world city (e.g. Berlin). These hydrangeas prefer full to partial sun and like ‘Bombshell’ top out at three feet.

Aside from differences in size, color and sun preferences, not all hydrangeas are alike when it comes to pruning, either. If you’ve ever had a hydrangea that refused to bloom, you may have been pruning it improperly. In the most basic terms, there are two types of hydrangeas: those that bloom on old wood and those that bloom on new wood. Knowing the difference can save next year’s flowers when it comes to pruning.

Mophead hydrangeas as well as lacecap varieties—distinguished by a ring of larger blossoms around a center of tiny flowers—typically bloom on old wood only. For this reason, it’s wise to prune these varieties in late summer as the blooms begin to fade. Just like with rhododendrons and azaleas, many hydrangeas set their flower buds nearly a year in advance, so pruning late summer will allow your plants a chance to put out some new growth and still set buds for the following year.

Other hydrangeas—namely ‘Annabelle’ types and varieties like ‘Limelight’ and ‘Bombshell’—will bloom on new wood, meaning you can prune them in any way at any time. Obviously, a hard pruning right before summer will greatly delay blooming, so it’s best to plan ahead and do that work in early spring.

With so many choices available today, hydrangeas are a great option for your garden regardless of your color preferences, sun exposure and space limitations—not to mention the color of your thumb! This month, stop in at Vander Giessen Nursery and check out the many varieties of hydrangeas in bloom and find one to suit your yard.

Wordless Wednesday

Check out our selection of beautiful hydrangeas in many sizes and colors!

Tips for Summer Planting

Let's face it--summer can seem like a scary time of year to plant. Between the fact that plants are fully leafed out and the need for extra watering, you may think it's not worth the risk to plant during the summer. But that's not a great option either; if you wait, you're stuck looking at empty flower beds all summer and by the time fall rolls around, plant selection at nurseries is dwindling. So what to do?

In reality, summer is not a bad time to plant--in fact, done right, your plants will thrive and be well-established for the upcoming fall and winter. Here are a few tips to help you out.

First, plan to water. If you have an in-ground irrigation system, you may not have to make any changes to your "to do" list at all--let your sprinklers do the work! If you don't have a sprinkler system, simply snake a soaker hose through your flower bed around your new plants and turn on the faucet every day or two for awhile until your plants are well watered. Obviously, the amount of water you have to give your plants will vary depending on the size of your plants, your soil type and the type of plants you use. Ask a nursery professional for recommendations on water when you're shopping.

Second, treat your new plantings regularly with Vitamin B-1. This inexpensive, easy-to-use liquid can be a lifesaver for plants. Not only does it help reduce transplant shock, it stimulates root development to assist plants in rooting out quickly. I can't stress enough how important this step is--I've literally seen plants come back from certain death from transplant shock with a couple of treatments of B-1.

Third, don't be afraid to give new plantings a light pruning. Some shrubs--like variegated willow and most varieties of barberry--can wilt easily after transplant. Not to worry--these plants simply have very tender leaves and with proper care will certainly recover. A light pruning to these plants to alleviate stress, coupled with the first two steps mentioned above, and voila, in just a couple weeks, they'll look even better than when you bought them.

Finally, take care not to over-fertilize. You may think you're helping your newly-planted treasures by feeding them right away, but it's best to let them get established before fertilizing. Allow your shrubs, trees and perennials a month or so to begin building a strong foundation of roots before using water-soluble or slow-release fertilizer.

As you're enjoying your garden this summer, don't hesitate to fill holes in your beds with new plants. As we at Vander Giessen's have installed landscapes over the last 50 years or so, we've never let summer slow us down with planting--in fact, that's when we do most of our work!--so don't let the great weather put a damper on your plans. Simply consider the above recommendations and enjoy the beauty that new plants can bring to your yard!

Wordless Wednesday

'Ukigumo' Japanese Maple--a beautiful specimen tree for a shady garden!

Summer Hours--Take Note!

Just a quick heads-up: we're open! In the past, the nursery used to close by mid-June after the greenhouses were empty, but since we've added a full selection of shrubs, trees, perennials, landscape products like bark mulch and many landscaping and garden products, we've stayed open through summer and fall. If you've just assumed that we close up after our annuals are sold out, make a note to yourself that we're now open year-round to better serve you! Our spring extended hours are over, however, so here are our summer and fall hours:

Monday-Saturday 9:00-5:00
Sunday Closed

Summer is a beautiful season in the Pacific Northwest, and a great season for gardening. Stop in sometime soon to check out the many varieties of beautiful summer-blooming perennials, shrubs and trees we have in stock and ready to take root in your garden. As always, we look forward to serving you!