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Pruning 'Summer Crush' Hydrangea in Late Summer or Early Fall

Hydrangea 'Summer Crush' in June... in September Pruning can be a complicated project, especially when it comes to hydrangeas (I can think of one more plant that causes pruning headaches - clematis). That said, if you grow many hydrangeas, especially different types, once you get the hang of it, it begins to come naturally. I used to rarely prune my hydrangeas because I had more space. Now, with a smaller garden, I'm finding that some are getting too large for comfort. Case in point, 'Summer Crush'. It is actually not a huge hydrangea, but it does get larger than advertised - about 5 feet in my garden (the tag said 3-4'). 'Summer Crush' is in the 'Endless Summer' line of hydrangeas and they are among the easier to prune. This is because they bloom on both old and new wood. Therefore, no matter when you prune, you should get blooms. It is the older hydrangeas, the ones that only bloom on old wood, that you have to be careful with. I would recomm...
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Mid-November blooms

I'm a little late for Gardener's Bloom Day!

The sasanqua camellias are blooming -

'Hana Jiman'



'Snow Flurry'



'Bonanza'



Mexican Sage (Salvia leucantha)



The colorful foliage of Sweet Shrub (Calycanthus floridus)



Hyacinth Bean



Mums



Red Maple



Lespedeza



The brilliant crimson leaves of a pear tree hover over a group of hydrangeas



This is Scudder, a new addition to the family. He appeared as a stray and has been around for the past several weeks. He was on top of the garden wall today.



And here is the real Queen of the Roost - Isabella. She is fifteen years old and she's not too keen on Scudder.

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  1. LostRosesNovember 17, 2007 at 11:15 PM

    Well it was worth the wait, Phillip. Camellias and fall foliage all in one post, very nice. Hope the kitties get used to one another!

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  2. Carol MichelNovember 18, 2007 at 2:23 AM

    Late is just fine when you bring us camellias like those! Thanks for joining in with bloom day,

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

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  3. lisaNovember 19, 2007 at 7:48 AM

    Nice post! I take it you aren't in the "drought zone"?

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  4. Phillip OliverNovember 19, 2007 at 7:54 AM

    Lisa, we have had a terrible drought this year! We did get a good rain a few weeks ago. The last I heard, we are about 17 inches under average.

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  5. Annie in AustinNovember 19, 2007 at 11:39 AM

    Oh, Phillip - I should be happy just to have my two camellias live at all in my alkaline soil, but I would so love a delicate looking flower like that 'Hana Jiman'. Any camellias I've seen around Austin are the rosier tones.

    You have a post filled with lovely blooms, and your photographs are perfect - yes, definitely worth the wait!

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

    PS You and Isabella have such royal names - why'd the new guy get stuck with 'Scudder'? Are you a Heinlein fan?

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  6. Phillip OliverNovember 19, 2007 at 5:16 PM

    Annie, I'm not familiar with Heinlein's Scudder. I got the name from "Maurice" by E.M. Forster (and the movie is a favorite of mine). The character of Scudder is a gardener. I've always to name a cat that.

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  7. Annie in AustinNovember 19, 2007 at 7:11 PM

    Ah, Phillip - that makes much more sense! Heinlein's character of that name was not a nice guy.

    Annie

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  8. AnonymousNovember 21, 2007 at 7:58 PM

    Terrific photos, Phillip; the hyacinth bean, in particular, is so dramatic. And how interesting to see the clear yellow leaf color on the lespedeza. I didn't realize the plant did that. Thanks for sharing your garden!

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