Please don't hate me!

10 years ago

Here are some shots of one of my Endless Summer Hydrangeas. This is one plant - about 5 - 6 years old. Never fertilized, never pruned except for cut flowers, bunches dried for holiday crafts, and pieces for propagating. The gate is 5 ft, and the fence is a few inches shorter. The tall upright branches are Fuji Falls, bought for $8 at a grocery store about 6 years ago.

Moral of the story; location, location, location! lol Growing in N Seattle (Shoreline), top of ravine, under Douglas Fir trees. My neighbor has a soaker hose along the fence for his tsuga hedge and of course water does not respect property lines!

Looking down from the deck.

Hydrangea anomala, climbing hydrangea, on right of ES

Fuji Falls on left, fence and gate for scale.

Featured Answer

mnwsgal

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

Your Endless Summer looks amazing. Location is correct. I think the original introducers of ES have backed off of some of the expectations for those of us in the colder zones.

When I visited the Pacific Northwest I was amazed to see the size of some of the plants in relationship to the size the same variety grows for me here in Z:4. I have two ES plants. The one in the front bed is in full sun with competition from maple and locust tree roots and stays short with some bloom on and off throughout the summer but not a major display.

This is the one in the back bed which is shaded part of the afternoon. It is 3-4 ft. tall and has the most blooms it has had at one time. No early spring bloom as we had a late spring frost.

Click to enlarge.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (13)

luis_pr
10 years ago
Oh how nice and how happy they look. And a bargain! Enjoy. My blooms are now starting to fade but looks like yours still have a ways to go!!!
ophoenix thanked luis_pr
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
10 years ago
lovely!
ophoenix thanked NHBabs z4b-5a NH
Related Professionals
Jacksonville Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Chattanooga Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Danbury Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Selma Landscape Contractors · West Palm Beach Landscape Contractors · Covington Landscape Contractors · Corpus Christi Landscape Contractors · Taunton Landscape Contractors · Superior Landscape Contractors · Dothan Design-Build Firms · Washington Design-Build Firms · Hattiesburg Design-Build Firms · Champaign Design-Build Firms · North Platte Design-Build Firms · Everett Design-Build Firms
October_Gardens
10 years ago
Contrast that with here, where the ES canes are hitting 30" and a few broccoli stage flowers are all that's to be seen....
ophoenix thanked October_Gardens
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
10 years ago
gorgeous!!..nice to hear u admit that the location is key..& not just superior gardening skills that give u such fantastic results..I have worked MUCH harder on my ES hydrangeas & they were a TOTAL failure..I don't hate u!!..do hate growing ES's in Indiana...
ophoenix thanked nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
ophoenix
Original Author
10 years ago
But, we can't get a tomato to ripen - not matter where we plant it! lol Oh, my neighbor can ripen his, but they are backed up by a fence, with a very large three car driveway, unobstructed, painted a shiny gray, in front of the tomato plants which are facing South West with sun all day.
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
10 years ago
ophoenix - funny..tomatoes here r terrific..but NOT in my wooded lot haha..my sisters share so I get homegrown without the work..maybe you could get one from your neighbor..
ophoenix
Original Author
10 years ago
We do! We share our homemade fudge for the homegrown tomatoes! What a deal - for us.
TaraMaiden
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Well, sorry, ophoenix... I hate you! (J/K!) That's a lovely display, and frankly, I think without a doubt you are doing it right; the less you mess, the better plants respond. I think sometimes we gardeners can fuss and fret too much, and many people new to horticulture, plant what they want, not what's appropriate to climate/region....

You obviously pay attention to those details and the result is a winner! Well done...!

We haven't lived in our apartment long, but we have generous grounds to go with it. It needs a lot doing, so it's very early days yet. These are my 2 latest additions to 'the family'...
ophoenix thanked TaraMaiden
October_Gardens
10 years ago
Give them their own room, shade, soil, etc. and they won't disappoint!!
ophoenix thanked October_Gardens
ophoenix
Original Author
10 years ago
Springwood, change soil to food and you might be talking about teenagers, not plants! lol

mnwsgal Your ES looks great. Looks like you found the perfect conditions for your plant. It is good to know that the breeders and growers will eventually change their tags to reflect reality.
luis_pr
10 years ago
Hmmm, could also be talking about my dogs too! Ha! But somehow we are off topic, hu? LOL!
October_Gardens
10 years ago
Goofy!