I recently received a question about Hydrangea macrophylla that I thought I’d share.The homeowner in the Chicagoland area read that H. macrophylla blooms on old wood so you shouldn't cut them back; however, after his overwinter, there is nothing but dead wood so he cuts them back to the ground since the new growth only emerges from the base of the plant in the spring. The questions are, “Why are my H. macrophylla doing this?” and “Are they only marginally hardy in Zone 5?”

I reached out to Chad Vanden Bosch, the Finished Grower Support Manager  at Spring Meadow Nurseries and asked him to chime in and share his take on this landscape dilemma. Here’s what Chad had to say:

Hydrangea macrophyllas (macs) are the temperamental rock stars of temperate gardens. When they roll out of bed after a long winter of freezing temperatures and decide to perform, they can be showstoppers, but when the winter gets the best of them, it's immensely frustrating. Unfortunately, we cannot give our plants some ibuprofen and tell them to shake it off, so what causes overwintering damage and how do we prevent it? 

Hydrangea macs are not usually damaged during the peak of the winter. Instead, the flower buds and stems are most susceptible to damage as the plants start to break dormancy in the spring, then get hit by a sudden cold snap.

To prevent damage, we can do a few things: site plants close to the house or a heated structure, reduce the amount of fertilizer in the fall, cover the plants with loosely packed dry leaves within a chicken wire fence or apply a large mound of mulch to cover the bottom half to two-thirds of the plant. If you choose to cover your hydrangea with mulch or leaves, be sure to check the lower buds as the plants start to wake. You don't want to trap excessive moisture around the growing buds and invite disease to the plant. All of these methods will protect the plant and your precious flower buds from early season temperature fluctuations and frosts. 

What are some other options available to us? Fortunately for us, plant breeders have been listening to our cries of flowerless sorrow and are selecting for hydrangeas that bloom on both new and old wood! Old wood flowers are set on last year’s growth and new wood flowers are made on the current season's growth. It's important not to prune hydrangeas late in the summer, as the flower buds for the following spring will be removed. 

Let's Dance Rave

Proven Winners Colorchoice has been breeding and releasing new reblooming hydrangeas for over a decade now. The Let's Dance series are reblooming Hydrangea macs that bloom on old and new wood. My personal favorite of the series is Let's Dance Rave, a dwarf mop head selection with hot pink or, when blued, violet-purple flower colors. 

We also have the option of growing a different type of hydrangea that is more suited to withstanding ornery winters. Hydrangea serrata, or mountain hydrangea, has better bud hardiness so it's more tolerant to cold weather after the buds have started to form in the spring. Proven Winners Colorchoice has a line of Hydrangea serrata called Tuff Stuff that have been selected for superior bud hardiness and rebloom. My favorite is Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha, which reblooms heavily and has large doubled sepals on lacecap blooms that are pink (and can also be blued). 

Here's a growing guide to commonly grown Hydrangea species: https://www.provenwinners.com/Hydrangeas-Demystified 

There are many options available for temperate gardeners if they are willing to invest some time into winter protection or try planting new and updated varieties. Through either route, gardeners should have more success and be able to enjoy steady year after year performance with their hydrangeas, so sit back and enjoy the show.

Chad, thanks for helping out with this great question. 

Check out this outstanding new geum from Terra Nova Nurseries. It’s called Pretticoats Peach and produces lots of airy, semi-double peach flowers. Like other cultivars on the market, it blooms in the spring; however, unlike its competition, Pretticoats Peach reblooms all summer long (at least in Oregon). This hybrid geum not only has a long bloom time, it has a compact habit (10-inch foliage and 20-inches tall when blooming) and is easy to grow, deer resistant and hardy to Zone 5. With its reblooming ability, Pretticoats Peach is not only a great choice for perennial borders, it’s also an awesome perennial for decorative containers. 

If you’re in the perennial biz, you’ve likely already heard of, met or attended one of his entertaining and educational presentations. In case you're new to the industry or have the lifestyle of a hermit, please allow me to introduce you to Dan Heims, breeder and co-owner of Terra Nova Nurseries in Canby, Oregon.
 
Dan is quite the plantsman and since co-founding Terra Nova Nurseries over 25 years ago, he has had a hand in bringing over 1,000 new perennials to the market. Fittingly named, Terra Nova literally means “new ground” and Dan’s constantly breaking new ground with his team’s innovative breeding and his company’s vision on marketing, propagating and licensing new perennials.
 
I had the opportunity to ask Dan a few questions about how he became the successful plantsman we’ve all grown to love. Curious? Read on … 

 
Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc. 

Here's a few more questions I asked Dan regarding his thoughts on future breeding efforts.

Dan, thanks so much for your time today. I’ve enjoyed hanging out and learning a little more about you and what you do. Thanks for your contributions to the industry and keep up the good work.
 
Feel free to contact Dan with any questions you may have at dan@terranovanurseries.com. Click here to see the listing of all of the Terra Nova Nurseries introductions. 

Yes, it’s nearly open house season. You’ll soon be congratulating many of your relatives and friends who’ll be graduating from high school this year. It’s likely you’ll be attending one or more open houses over the next couple of months. Open houses don’t always have to be reserved for high school graduations. Star Roses and Plants is hosting an open house of their own and yes, there’ll be free food if you’re there at noon.

The open house will be on June 13, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Star Roses and Plants trial gardens in Cochranville, Pennsylvania. Rain or shine, you’ll be able to peruse through the trial garden, see the container trials, meet the breeding team and catch up with peers. There’s also five 30-minute educational sessions covering roses, woodies, edibles, perennials and Star Track (their new 24/7 online order management program).

If you’ve never visited their trials, I recommend you give it a try this summer and enjoy the free lunch while you’re there. Click here for event info and registration.