Although we have focused primarily on spring-flowering trees in this catalog, we simply could not ignore one of the most magnificent flowering shrubs just because it's a late bloomer! We speak, of course, of breathtakingly beautiful Blue Hydrangea, also known as Hydrangea macrophylla 'Nikko Blue.' Proffering enormous clusters of flowers that range from 8-15 inches across, Blue Hydrangeas are a summertime treat for floriculture enthusiasts lucky enough to live in zones 6 to 9 in the United States. Used in head-turning flowering hedges or in all of their stand-alone floral splendor, Blue Hydrangeas grow rapidly (with annual vertical growth of 25" or greater) to become 3' to 6' feet in height, with similar spread, at full maturity. These rounded shrubs thrive in full sun to partial shade and prefer acidic, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, silty loam & well-drained soils. Much has been discussed & written about changing the color of summertime hydrangea blooms! In other words, blue hues CAN become many different shades & tints of pink, lilac & lavender! (While it's harder to accomplish, reds & pinks can sometimes become blues, as well.) Enthusiasts & horticultural experts concur that, generally speaking, an acidic or low pH will induce 'blueness', whereas, a higher or alkaline pH will induce 'pinkness or redness'. Furthermore, studies in Englan indicate that higher aluminum content influences blueness more than pH levels. Other tests have been conducted in Georgia, where a horticulturist was given a number of plants on which to run "color changing" experiments. He found that by applying aluminum sulphate as soon as the flower buds were evident on the new shoots in the spring (about 6 weeks before flower maturity), at the rate of 2 ounces in a 3-gallon container, he was able to change 'Masja', which is normally a red, to a brilliant blue. Hydrangea blooms are at their peak for 2-3 weeks, or a little longer. Even if you cannot catch hydrangeas at their summertime peak, however, the blooms can be lovely even after they've passed their prime because they usually retain some antique shades of pink, green, burgundy or even blue. Although the color of the blooms may change, they will often still be beautiful! Many hydrangea lovers endeavor to dry their beauteous blooms, with varying levels of success. According to hydrangeashydrangeas.com, "The secret to perfectly dried hydrangeas is very simple. Wait until they are ready before picking them." They stress that timing is much more important to beautifully dried hydrangeas than the method one uses to dry them. They insist that while it is tempting to cut the hydrangea blossoms for drying at the height of their color, this doesn't work because fresh, recently opened blooms rarely dry well in the open air. Hydrangeas do best when allowed to dry on the plant before picking them. They suggest experimenting with harvesting from August through October by cutting the blooms, stripping off the leaves, arranging them in a vase (with or without water), and leaving them to dry. They further state that it is not necessary to hang hydrangeas upside down to dry unless the stems are very thin and weak. All in all, gardeners love them, florists covet them & many summertime brides adore them! If you haven't already acquainted yourself with these splendiferous blooms, we'd highly recommend it! Happy hydrangeas!
This color coordinated collection of fashion fabrics was first featured in our Vogue Fabrics By Mail Spring 2011 catalog of swatches. Subscribe to receive home delivery of these catalogs every other month.
