November Blooms

[lakngulf]

I don't always have hydrangea blooms in November......But when I do.....

[rainbowgardener]

Gorgeous!!

[luis_pr]

Very nice. Thanks for sharing. No blooms down here though.... ;o(

Almost all of the blooms over here have browned out... well, all except for a potted Pistachio Hydrangea whose blooms were all green. I got tired of them and decided to deadhead them as temps were going to drop to 35. Then surprise. I brought the shrub into the garage only to find temps warming up again days later. So I brought the pot outside again. Then I noticed that it had a variegated leaf that I had not noticed before.

Not sure if this leaf was on a stem where I deadheaded a bloom or not but, it looks quite unusual/interesting now. Probably the result of a virus or something. I "marked" the stem and will look forward to see what does it do when the stem eventually leafs out again in the Spring!

All my hydrangea leaves are still green, including the oakleaf hydrangeas which turn very colorful in the Fall (December-ish typically). But plain ole regular trees are putting a good show though. How are yall's Fall foliage doing in AL and GA? Hydrangeas or otherwise?

Luis

[rainbowgardener]

Beautiful fall foliage here, pretty much at the peak

This is Fall Creek Falls, a beautiful state park about an hour and a half from here, where we were a week ago.

[luis_pr]

Oh, very nice!!!

[applestar]

These blooms were on those huge shrubs you have along the shore? They must be adding/have added beautiful accent. I didn’t know they bloom in the fall like that — does it depend on the weather? Is it like when fruit trees sometimes get confused and bloom?

[luis_pr]

The weather influences how long blooms last looking good before they turn brown. On normal years, my mopheads' blooms do not turn brown until November or December. But it depends on which type of hydrangea one is talking about too. Generally, for me, mophead blooms last the longest with non-brown colors. But not this year.

This growing season was a disaster for mophead blooms in many areas, including mine. Temps stayed mild during Winter 2016-2017 until January and then they tanked down to 19. As a result, many mophead hydrangeas that do not re-bloom lost their early Spring flower buds. That meant no or few blooms. Almost all of my mopheads did not bloom. Sad to say, I prepared winter protection and placed the stuff nearby so I would use it as soon as there was any mention of cold temps. Then I forgot to listen at the weather forecasts!!!!!

Reblooming mopheads produce a second flush of blooms, usually around mid-to-late Summer or the start of Fall. Non-reblooming mopheads can sometimes squeeze a handful of blooms in the Fall too but I am talking about one bloom per shrub (or very few) & only in some years (when the weather is just right).

My oakleaf hydrangeas managed to produce blooms in early Spring. But, because they bloom earlier than any other hydrangea, their blooms turn brown earlier too. I deadheaded those brown blooms 1-2 weeks ago. Oh, well.

[lakngulf]

These blooms were on those huge shrubs you have along the shore? They must be adding/have added beautiful accent. I didn’t know they bloom in the fall like that — does it depend on the weather? Is it like when fruit trees sometimes get confused and bloom?

You are right about the location along the shore. And I think your confused fruit tree analogy is correct. I always have some stragglers but these were absolutely beautiful.