This. This brings a smile to my face and warms my soul. My absolute favorite flower. The hydrangea. If I could cover my entire yard in them I absolutely would. I’ve done the next best thing. I’ve found a hydrangea that will grow in every single flower bed around my yard. Hydrangeas for days. Hydrangeas for years. I love them.
Of all of them…. these are my favorite. The classic. Gorgeous shades of pink, violet and blue are found in this mophead hydrangea. It is rightly named “Endless Summer.” These blooms will continue into the early fall. I can have gorgeous cut flowers for months thanks to the abundant blooms. I find their old-fashioned charm hard to resist.
There are so many different varieties of hydrangeas, it can be overwhelming to figure out how to care for them and when to prune. If you have some beds with partial sun and shade I highly recommend picking up a mophead (H. Macrophylla) variety like this! They grow amazing in Zones 4-5. Not sure which zone you are in? Check out this map of the US. They are easy to care for and you’ll be rewarded with months of amazing blooms.
Here are some tips to care for your mophead hydrangeas:
- It’s best to plant in early spring or fall. They don’t tolerate intense heat. Pick a spot that gets a bit of sun and shade. Mophead varieties have large leaves that can’t tolerate tons of sun all day. Mine get a bit of early morning sun and then shade the rest of the day and they thrive!
- Be sure they get plenty of water in that first year. The leaves will wilt if they aren’t adequately hydrated.
- No pruning in the fall. Let them be. Leave the big flowers until early spring and then trim them down to the next healthy bud. These bloom on old wood, so you don’t want to cut them down short each year or you’ll be left without flowers!
- You CAN change the colors of your hydrangeas. I love the blue! A soil acidifier takes a bit of time to work but produces great results. I sprinkle around the base of the plant about three times per summer.
- Make sure you have well fertilized soil. The tree and shrub spikes work great. I put them in once in the spring and once late summer/early fall. These beauties are going on 4 years old and get better and better each year!
There are others that can do well in the sun as well… I’ll be sure to share some other varieties I have added to my yard.