New to the forum

[wesleyforbes]

Hello all, I love these plants! I wanted to find a place where I could talk with other Hydrangea lovers... hopefully, I have. Here is a couple of pics of my two year old Hydrangea (and child).

This plant was the inspiration to attempt to grow more on the side of the house that actually gets afternoon sun. I have put up 70% shade cloth in hopes that it will take care of it, as well as hooked up irrigation to each plant, and so far so good. One wilts a little then comes back a couple of hours later.

[img]https://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn238/wesleyforbes/Hydrangea2010/Hydrangea2010003.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn238/wesleyforbes/Hydrangea2010/Hydrangea2010012.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn238/wesleyforbes/Hydrangea2010/Hydrangea2010025.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn238/wesleyforbes/Hydrangea2010/Hydrangea2010019.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn238/wesleyforbes/Hydrangea2010/Hydrangea2010023.jpg[/img]

[luis_pr]

Welcome to the forum, wesleyforbes. What varieties did you purchase? Your plants appear to be doing fine. Do not panic if the wilting increases. I see a lot of it here during the summer even though my shrubs are now established and not suffering from transplant shock. The trigger for wilting here is usually temperatures around 95+- range or days when the weather service issues wind advisories. Considering that happens by mid May, I usually have a lot of wilting going around from now until September. But they recover on their own by next morning. I do have to keep an eye on the soil moisture since our temps get into the 110s in July/August.

Two suggestions if I may. On your last photo, the hydrangeas seems likely to encroach on your cemented area if the hydrangeas are of a non-dwarf variety. So look at the labels, specifically the advertised "size at maturity". If they have a 5' width size at maturity, measure about 2.5' from the center of the crown for an idea of how far it may get at 10 years. Then tweak it if needed and remember they will continue to grow past 10 years. (2) Add 3-4" of mulch thru the drip line. In the area by the last photo, I would cover all of the soil with mulch to prevent weeds from taking over. It reduces my water bill and I have to water less often. But that suggestion is to prevent you from getting into a trouble that developed in the back yard.... a very invasive ground cover has taken over many areas; it either came from a neighbor's yard or the birds.

By the way, I just went to Lowe's and they had some Cypress Mulch that smelled very nice. Sniff, sniff. Oh so very nice. Sadly, replacing my existing mulch with an aromatic mulch like that was not in this month's $ budget.

Enjoy the shrubs! And show your daughter how to take care of them so she can help. I was baby sitting my niece (maybe a little younger than your kid) and she showed lots of interest in the yard when I had to water the plants using rain barrels. I showed her how to water the soil around the hydrangeas and was able to get other work done while she and her brother helped.

[wesleyforbes]

Hello, thanks for your reply. Yes, I am aware that they will grow onto the cement, but the PVC for the sprinklers (last house owners) is directly in the middle of that area so had to plant them as close as I could without having to go through the trouble of rerouting the whole line. Plus, that area is very low traffic but can be seen from the patio.

All four of them are Endless Summer Originals (at least three of them for sure). The one in the back only has one bloom and it is all white, I am thinking that the nursery (a very good one) had it miss labeled and it may be an Endless Summer Blushing Bride. I guess that I will have to see if once the bloom matures, it turns a pale shade of pink.

I will be getting mulch as soon as I can afford to do so. There is a place nearby that sells rock, bark, mulch etc. that you drive your truck in, weigh it, have them fill it to however much you need then weigh it again and pay accordingly. I believe that it will be cheaper doing it that way than buying several bags from Lowes.

As far as the weather, yes, it gets pretty darn hot out here in Central California sometimes 100+. That is why I was wanting to get these plants in while it is still relatively cool (85 degrees at the hottest part of the day) so as to get them off to a good start.

My daughter absolutely loves being outside and sees me taking care of the yard every week. I am sure that it will rub off on her in some form as she gets older.

Thanks again.

[luis_pr]

Mislabeled plants? I was told that never happens. Hee hee hee. I bought a Nikko Blue years ago at Lowe's and it turned out to be a lacecap. Nice looking so I kept it anyways...

[wesleyforbes]

Usually, this plant grows pink, but this year I decided to try a Hydrangea blueing formula to turn flowers blue. This is the result:

[img]https://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn238/wesleyforbes/Hydrangea2010/003.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn238/wesleyforbes/Hydrangea2010/005.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn238/wesleyforbes/Hydrangea2010/004.jpg[/img]

Here is my first ever attempt at an arrangement, hope I did it right:

[img]https://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn238/wesleyforbes/Hydrangea2010/009.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn238/wesleyforbes/Hydrangea2010/010.jpg[/img]

[Deb_NY]

..WoW.. That is absolutely Gorgeous..! Love all the pics! Great job Wesleyforbes.

[wesleyforbes]

I appreciate the compliment

[luis_pr]

I always find it interesting how the same bush gets blooms whose hue differs slightly from one bloom to another. Interesting, isn't it?

[Deb_NY]

You are most welcome.. .. I hope my hydrangeas look that wonderful next year. Thank you for posting the pictures.

BTW your daughter is beautiful.. keep her busy with the planting and watering..! She could be the next Jane Loudan.

[wesleyforbes]

I will indeed try to keep her busy learning how to care for flowers and the yard itself. Good luck with your flowers next year!

I have already deadheaded all of the flowers and am also looking forward to next years growth!

[luis_pr]

Wow, all of them? You an early deadheading person I usually let Mother Nature do the deadheading task for me. It takes her until sometime in the first quarter of the year. I think. I am never sure. The problem is I do not remember to notice when they fall down. For some reason, I only pay attention until sometime in December. Then my brain goes super nova and I forget until I see leafout starting in March. Then I wonder what happened?!?!? Ha!

[rainbowgardener]

I always find it interesting how the same bush gets blooms whose hue differs slightly from one bloom to another. Interesting, isn't it?

Yes. Also I have a friend who has two hydrangea bushes at opposite sides of her yard, one on each fence line. One of the bushes blooms pink and one blooms blue. I thought that was related to soil pH, but it is hard for me to believe that the soil pH is that different from one side of the yard to the other. It's not that big a yard! I'm sure this person has not added any soil treatments to create this. The main difference is that one is in close to full sun and one is under a big tree in close to full shade. Would this affect the bloom color?

[luis_pr]

Do you have a picture of that shows the colors of both shrubs' blooms in the same photograph?

I have never heard of the amount of sun affecting the bloom color so I would test the soil with one of those soil pH kits to see (I doubt the neighbor will complain). When near neutral, it could be possible to see such a thing but you would probably see multi-colored blooms in each of the shrubs, not one shrub all pink and the other all blue. What an interesting mystery?!? Are there cement structures (visible or underground) near the one which blooms pink? Any other possible sources of lime near that one?

What I have noticed is that the soil will turn temporarily alkaline when it rains a lot. The hydrangea bush cannot absorb much iron, the leaves become chlorotic but it all self corrects in a few weeks. If this were to happen on one side of the fence (water collects there due to rains for example) then maybe that would explain it.

[shadowsmom]

I can only hope my hydrangeas look like those someday! Stunning. Here I was pleased I actually had booms this year. Yours are gorgeous.

[applestar]

Maybe the tree is affecting the pH of the soil...? What color is the one under the tree?

[rainbowgardener]

Good thought AS-- the one under the tree is blue and the tree is a huge old conifer of some type, so the soil there maybe full of pine needles. Didn't think about that....

[applestar]

Remember, too, that the tree would create biology around its roots that maintains certain pH levels. (I still get such a kick out of that concept. )

[wesleyforbes]

Wow, all of them? You an early deadheading person I usually let Mother Nature do the deadheading task for me.

Yes, already done. This plant bloomed early this year so they were already dead, I don't like the look of them that way so I got rid of them. There is one bloom on it that came out after, it is still on the plant.

[msalcido]

Very nice! Love the blue one in the center of the bed. Great job!