Hi Boncrow--I'm usually over on the rose forum too, but hydrangeas are my second love.

I can't help you with Endless Love, but others here probably can--lots of people seem to grow it.

What I can advise you on is how to have hydrangeas blooming all summer. These are just once bloomers, but they bloom for a long time.

First all, you get Annabelle (or one of her cousins)--an arborescen hydrangea. She will bloom the first half of summer. Can take a bit of sun, but probably should have mostly shade.

Second, you get one of the paniculata hydrangeas--there are lots to choose from. I have Vanilla Strawberry and Pinky Winky--adore both of them. The "Lime" ones are very popular--there's a taller one and a smaller one (can't remember their exact names, but they are "Lime" something). Take care the "small" one is 5-6 feet tall. The paniculatas can grow in full sun, though they wouldn't object to some shade late in the afternoon. The paniculatas will bloom for the entire second half of the summer, into fall--at least my Vanilla Strawberry does.

Here's a pic I took just today of Vanilla Strawberry blooming in the middle of my rose garden. It just opened this past week.
{{gwi:291533}}

Hope that helps.

Kate

My Hydrangea 'Twist 'n Shout' blooms in Spring and fall both.

In my experience Endless Summer might develop a new bloom or two in late summer, but it primarily produces a single flush of blooms that last the whole summer (blue in late June/July, green/red by late August in my zone). I am on my first year with Twist 'n Shout, so we'll see if that produces any new blooms. I don't think any hydrangeas really bloom continuously in the sense of making new flowers constantly like petunias do.

I couldn't imagine ES not blooming more than once in zone 8. Fertilize in April and July, and keep watered .

Reblooming hydrangeas do not revloom continuously. There is a gap of several weeks/months between these flushes and you can speed them by pruning the spent blooms.

If your Es is only blooming once and there are no soil pH issues, sunlight issues, N-P-K minerals issues and watering issues, consider that it may not be ES but another mophead that only blooms once a year. Mislabeling is how I ended with a lacecap that was supposed to be a Nikko Blue. Oh lordy Lord. Hee hee hee!

Thanks Kate, that clears up question of blooming for me. I have to find ones that bloom at different times. I will have to look at my local nurseries next year for the varieties you mentioned. Your garden is beautiful with all your roses and hydrangea. Thanks for the advice, it was nice to see a familiar name :).
And echinacea maniac I will also check out Twist and shout, thanks.

Twist and Shout is also my best rebloomer. Between the 3 of them one almost always has a fresh bloom. Odd considering Penny Mac is a parent and my one Penny Mac rarely blooms!

Thanks everyone, my ES had a good spring flush but I have been lax in fertilizing this year. It's pouring at my house right now so after my yard has time to dry out a little bit I will have to feed it and see if that helps.