It won't be long till many of the hardy hydrangeas will start to show their floral colours. Hydrangeas have been a part of local landscapes for many years but recently there has been some new hardy varieties that have been introduced and these will get every gardener excited.
Fire and ice is a hydrangea paniculata that lives up to its name. It is like having three hydrangeas in only one plant. In the spring the flowers open up as creamy white and as it matures the flowers turn to pink, then in the fall, the flowers become a dark burgundy.
It is a colourful plant as the foliage is green/red. The plant itself is large, growing two to two-and-a-half metres tall/wide. It is easy to grow tolerating shade and heat.
Hydrangea paniculata limelight is another large plant growing two metres tall/wide. When it starts to bloom the flowers are a bright chartreuse green and in late summer they get a pink tint to them. A smaller version of limelight is little lime This plant grows around one metre in size. The flowers on both of these varieties make beautiful bouquets.
A hydrangea that is a little different is hydrangea paniculata pinky winky. It has large two-toned white and pink flowers on the same bush. The flowers start off as white and as the season progresses the flowers become darker but the plant continues to grow new flowers that are white creating two colours on one plant at the same time.
The large flowers are held up on sturdy red stems, making this a very colourful flowering shrub.
Hydrangea paniculata sweet summer, produces lots of green flowers in early summer that later turn white and then turn to shades of pink in the fall. This compact plant grows one to 1.2 metres and has strong stems to hold the many flowers.
A delicate and small flower petalled variety is hydrangea paniculata little lamb. The name comes from the masses of delicate white flower heads that look like tiny lambs. Little lamb grows 1.5 metres in size.
Hydrangea paniculata bombshell is a smaller version of the old time favourite 'hydrangea paniculata grandiflora (peegee hydrangea) growing around one metre in size.
Bombshell is an early bloomer exploding with lots of flowers that start off as creamy white and go to rosy pink. It is an easy to grow plant able to tolerate many growing conditions.
All the above mentioned varieties are paniculata types. A paniculata hydrangea is hydrangea that changes colour as the season goes on. The name paniculata comes from the panicle shaped flower heads.
Another type of hydrangea is the arborescens type also known as smooth hydrangea.
Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle has white globe shaped (mophead) flowerheads that remain white throughout the season and look beautiful against the dark green foliage. It is a good cut flower and can also be used for dry flowers. It grows 1.5 metres in size.
Hydrangea arborescens BellaAnna is similar to Annabelle but is a pink flowering hydrangea.
Hydrangea arborescens incrediball, is also similar to Annabelle but has larger globeshaped flowerheads growing up to 30 centimetres in size, and sturdier stems to hold the flowers up.
Hydrangeas are easy to grow deciduous flowering shrubs. They are rarely bothered by pests and disease, and require very little maintenance. Both the arborescens and paniculata types bloom on new new wood meaning that even if the plant dies back to ground level over the winter and is severely cut back in the spring the new stems will produce flowers. Flowers are long lasting and can be seen blooming well into the fall.
There is still a large selection available and they can be planted now for summer blooms.
