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Sunday, February 16, 2025
Growing Together: More from the world of hydrangeas
This variety of hydrangea, called Let's Dance Can Do, reblooms quicker than others: in other words, you won't have to wait until fall to see the new flowers.  SUPPLIED

At this time of year, you cannot walk or drive too far down any street in Niagara without noticing beautiful hydrangeas.

This summer has been a particularly good season for the captivating display flowers and foliage.

Almost every shrub that I see seems to be completely covered with large blooms.

Every year, growers are coming out with more and more varieties of hydrangeas. Just when you think that they can’t possibly come up with something different, they do.  

Whether it is repeat blooming, longer-lasting blooms, larger flower heads, more compact growth habit, or sturdier stems, there is always something they can improve upon.  

Why have they become so popular? 

The first reason for their popularity is the large, colourful panicles, or globe-like blossoms, and flat lacecap clusters of beautiful flowers.  

There are no other shrubs that give you such large flower heads — they just demand your attention in the landscape. 

Hydrangeas come in shades of greenish/cream, white, light pink through to the dark pink, purples and blues. 

A second reason for their popularity is their large, coarse, dark green leaves. The foliage alone will make your gardens lusher looking. 

Thirdly, hydrangeas are one of the longest-blooming of any of the flowering shrubs.

Some varieties, especially the repeat blooming ones, will start to bloom in mid-June and will continue to flower well into September and even into October. 

A fourth reason why hydrangeas are so popular is that they work well with different styles of gardens. 

Whether your garden style is formal English, contemporary, traditional or cottage, hydrangeas will complement your theme. 

Lastly, if given the right growing conditions, they are also an easy-care shrub. 

Most hydrangeas prefer a site with light shade and evenly moist soil. Ideally, they do best with four to five hours of morning sun and afternoon shade. 

Though, they can tolerate a full sun location, but will require frequent watering, sometime daily in the summer heat.

Here are some of the latest additions to the hydrangea family.  

The first appearance of the Endless Summer (Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Endless Summer’) series of hydrangeas was made in 2004. 

This series’ claim to fame was that it was one of the first series that was considered repeat blooming, meaning that it blooms on both old and new growth. 

The flowers usually begin blooming mid-to-late June and continue flowering into the fall.

There have been a few additions to the Endless Summer series, such as Blushing Bride and Twist & Shout. The latest one is Pop Star, which has a flat, lacecap-type flower head.  

Pop Star continues to deliver on and elevate the brand promise of season-long reblooming flower power, cold hardiness and disease resistance. 

Not only is Pop Star the most compact hydrangea, growing only 18 to 30 inches high and wide, it’s also the strongest rebloomer they have ever trialed. 

If the soil is made more acidic, the flower colour will be more purple/blue in colour, otherwise the flowers will be pink.  

First there was Quick Fire hydrangea, then Little Quick Fire and now, Tiny Quick Fire panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Tiny Quick Fire’).

It is the smallest, most versatile selection yet, growing 18 to 30 inches high and wide.

Perfect for the front of the border or for mass planting in drifts. Like the other Quick Fire varieties, it starts to bloom mid-June.

Flowers first open a greenish white colour then ages to an attractive reddish pink. Tiny Quick Fire is also more drought tolerant than other hydrangeas.

The Let’s Dance series of hydrangeas is another popular group that are also repeat blooming. 

These cultivars are a cross between bigleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) and mountain hydrangeas (Hydrangea serrata).

Let’s Dance Can Do hydrangea is one of the newest cultivars in this series. It has the unique ability to create flower buds along the entire length of the stem instead of only at the top like other bigleaf hydrangeas.

That means even if winter does its worst and kills back a portion of the plant, there will still be flower buds to open in early summer. 

Let’s Dance Can Do also reblooms quicker than others: in other words, you won’t have to wait until fall to see the new flowers. 

The flower clusters are lacecaps, but the size and quantity of the showy sterile florets obscures the tiny fertile florets.

Flowers are a luscious strawberry pink in neutral/alkaline soils and a lovely lavender in acidic ones.

Need a summer boost in your garden? Check out these varieties at your local garden centre.

Joanne Young is a Niagara-on-the-Lake garden expert and coach. See her website at joanneyoung.ca

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