Here's a photo of the happy bloom. :)

Very pretty, Carol. I was planning to go shopping yesterday as well but got delayed watching some pre-recorded movies/programs. I wonder if stores will be open today? Hmmmm. Probably noooot. Enjoy the new shrub. I am guessing it will bloom blueish in Jax? Over here they do shades of pink. Whew, it was hot outside just pruning roses. Whew. not sure why I am so drained. Maybe because it is starting to get uncomfortably hot here by mid morning (90s). if I do not find something soon, either I will not buy it or it will have to wait to get planted..

Luis, these were at Lowes, 3-gallon, $12.98. Just beautiful. It is getting hot - you are right. I now do most of my gardening from 5-8 pm. Right now, the only place I have hydrangeas planted is against the house. They are some old Nikkos and they have always been a pinkish-purple. I read somewhere that the concrete from the foundation leaches alkalinity into the soil? Or do I have that completely wrong? Thanks to you, I have applied aluminum sulfate but not on any kind of schedule. Again, thanks to you, I am going to get on a schedule (twice a year, right?). I do appreciate all of the great info that you take the time to post here!

Here's a photo of the Nikkos.

Carol

Very nice shrubs. And yes, the cement leeches lime and that makes them turn pink. After a while, the amount leeched out should reduce some and that could affect their color but I am talking years for that to happen. I too amend the soil as you describe. Always in the Spring because I remember then and the weather is nice. I should make a habit to do the same around July-August but I only notice signs of iron chlorosis on a few years so, I just wait to see if the plants tell me that they need it. Of course, July-August temps are triple digits here so I do not want to make a habit to do something outside during that time.

Your neck of the woods is not that bad. I remember visiting an aunt in Ocala with my sister and driving to Jax in early summer. Visited a fort and the surrounding area before heading back. Did not seem uncomfortably warm like it is here but then again, you are by the sea!

Very nice shrubs. And yes, the cement leeches lime and that makes them turn pink. After a while, the amount leeched out should reduce some and that could affect their color but I am talking years for that to happen. I too amend the soil as you describe. Always in the Spring because I remember then and the weather is nice. I should make a habit to do the same around July-August but I only notice signs of iron chlorosis on a few years so, I just wait to see if the plants tell me that they need it. Of course, July-August temps are triple digits here so I do not want to make a habit to do something outside during that time.

Your neck of the woods is not that bad. I remember visiting an aunt in Ocala with my sister and driving to Jax in early summer. Visited a fort and the surrounding area before heading back. Did not seem uncomfortably warm like it is here but then again, you are by the sea!

Luis, these were at Lowes, 3-gallon, $12.98. Just beautiful. It is getting hot - you are right. I now do most of my gardening from 5-8 pm. Right now, the only place I have hydrangeas planted is against the house. They are some old Nikkos and they have always been a pinkish-purple. I read somewhere that the concrete from the foundation leaches alkalinity into the soil? Or do I have that completely wrong? Thanks to you, I have applied aluminum sulfate but not on any kind of schedule. Again, thanks to you, I am going to get on a schedule (twice a year, right?). I do appreciate all of the great info that you take the time to post here!

Here's a photo of the Nikkos.

Carol

{{!gwi}}

A little redundancy going on here?? Trippy!

Just about everywhere was open today around where I am, and jam-packed at that. The nearest Home Depot was even having a cookout for customers! But around here $12.98 for a 3-gallon is absolutely unheard of!

Best lately I could manage at a big box retailer was a $15 one-gallon Queen of Pearls that I replaced a Blushing Bride with for container use.

Nice find, though. In the south, just about anything should do well, so you can surely take that to the bank!

I looked back and the tag on the outside of the pot says 1.5 gallon. Looked like 3 gallon to me, but I guess I am not a very good estimator! Still, a very good-size plant.

Carol

A 1.5g container "with very good-sized plant and very nice blooms". How are your blooms over there in FL? I was looking at Alice and noticed that some of the blooms were starting to fade and turn pink but, Pee Wee -another oakleaf- still had white blooms.

You are further south so I was wondering if your blooms are "further" ahead of mine and fading even more. The macs and arborescens have not started fading yet. I did notice a little fading on some tree Limelights (paniculatas).

Hydrangeas over here are on sale now. Saw 30% off signs.

Let me start with the most important first - did you say "SALE"?! I'm on my way to check! :)

My established Nikkos (planted in 2005 or 2006, I think) are starting to bloom but I freely offer them to the neighbors and so they often get them before I see them! Also, being on the north side of the house, it is in the shade most of the year but actually gets some full noon sun at the height of Summer (Summer Solstice is June 21 this year). So a few of the flowers and leaves get a little sunburned. I took this picture a couple days ago and you can see that the flowers are starting to open.

All of the others that I have planted are very, very young. After much trouble with my beloved camellias - which I so badly wanted but they did not want me (boo, rejection!) - I am slowly replacing them with hydrangeas. I planted a Merritt's Supreme last year that has a few small blooms on it this year. Maybe it is just getting started, I don't know. I also put quite a few unknowns down this year - five $5 clearance rack plants. I successfully rooted cuttings (finally!) of the Merritt's Supreme and they are really, really small - planted them about two weeks ago and they look great. They'll do fine but they are probably 2-3 years away from having any blooms to speak of. Then we come to the Perfections. Got in the ground on June 1st. Looks very happy and some new blooms coming forth.

So to answer your question, it is difficult to measure the timing because all of my plants are so immature, but definitely no "fading" at all - not yet. I would say still on the upswing toward full bloom for whatever blooms I am going to get.

I will say, I really hope this yard is gorgeous in a few years!

Will Limelight or Pink Diamond survive this far south? I was working with someone to exchange rooted cuttings (although I haven't heard anything from them lately). The trader lives in Pennsylvania. What do you think?

Carol

Man... Faded blooms already? Nothing here has bloomed yet, only roses. All are in the bud stages still with slight color around some edges. Quickfire actually looks like it's going to beat everything, with Bella Anna a close second...

It's already a crazy growing season nonetheless, with mild temps and lots of rain. My Summer Storm hibiscus is already at five feet, after reaching nine last year. Maybe it'll hit twelve this year!

Yes quite odd all right but our growing season starts early and winter was unusualy mild, which probably helped confuse the plants.

Talking about confusing, this morning I had a large amt of rain (3") and the newspaper weather forecast called for -get this- sunny weather. Talk about a screw up. Rained for at least 2 hrs. I finally fell asleep waiting to see if the dogs wanted to go out to take care of business but they were afraid of the lightning storm that came with the bad weather. Ha!

Paniculatas may be difficult to grow in the south. I find few places here sell panics but some do so I tried to dabble last year and royally messed up by planting QF in an area that had no sprinkler/drip irrigation but I thought it did. Poor thing dried out no matter how I tweaked the sprinkler controls. Sigh... One thing for sure, paniculatas are sometimes sold with notes indicating that they can take full sun but not down here in the South so, try them but give them afternoon shade as usual.

Roses are also doing well here. They had an early flush, took a break, flushed again and now are taking break number 2. Aphids and thrips are starting to be an issue so I had to release some ladybugs about a month ago and may need more in other sections of the yard.

This post was edited by luis_pr on Mon, Jun 10, 13 at 14:33

Luis, thank you for the info on the paniculatas. I will be sure to put these in full shade like the rest (except for those ones on the north side of the house). Good advice! Thank you!

Carol