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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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Pamela Harper to speak at Memphis event

I have long been an admirer of this woman - her book "Time Tested Plants" has been a revelation and has made me aware of many fabulous plants. I can't wait to hear her in person and hopefully get to meet her. 

Here are the details

Pamela Harper
‘Hydrangeas and their Companions’
Noted plantswoman, author and photographer
7:00p.m. at the Memphis botanic garden
After we announced that Pamela Harper would be our October speaker, one of our members mentioned coming across an issue of Horticulture magazine that featured Pamela in their “A Gardening Life” series. I happened to have that July/August 2005 issue and was delighted to read again Bobby J. Ward’s celebration of the life of this truly great gardener. 

After her arrival in the United States from England in 1968, Pamela began gardening on two acres near the tidal creeks of Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay. She has tended that garden for more than 40 years and shared her experiences through her lectures and writings. She has authored five gardening books – The Story of a Garden, Perennials: How to Select Grow & Enjoy, Designing with Perennials, Color Echoes, Time-Tested Plants: Thirty Years in a Four-Season Garden – and earned awards from the Garden Writers Association of America and the America Horticultural Society.

Please join us for this rare opportunity to spend an evening with such an fascinating and knowledgeable gardener. 

OF INTEREST. . .
Fans of HGTV’s “A Gardener’s Diary” may remember when Erica Glasener visited Pamela Harper garden. To view a segment from that much-missed show, just go to: http://www.hgtv.com/video/garden-guru-plant-tips-video/index.html

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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Comments

  1. LesOctober 12, 2010 at 4:40 PM

    Today was a crazy day catching up on things at work with lots of phone calls, including one from Pamela Harper looking for a Jalena Witchazel. And now you post about her visit, what serendipity. She is a marvelous plantsperson and has a fantastic garden.

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  2. The Redneck RosarianOctober 12, 2010 at 9:56 PM

    This will be awesome!

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  3. Lisa BlairOctober 13, 2010 at 6:33 AM

    I so enjoyed that video from A Gardener's Diary. I have that show programmed into my Tivo. Love it!

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  4. GailOctober 13, 2010 at 8:39 AM

    What a perfect speaker for the two of you to enjoy~Could anyone love hydrangeas more! gail

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  5. Janet, The Queen of SeafordOctober 14, 2010 at 2:03 PM

    You will LOVE Pam Harper. I have been to her garden a couple times and it is a wonderful retreat. Before I moved to SC I lived a few streets away from Pam. I have heard her speak a few times as well. Her plant collection is incredible.
    I bought an Amsonia 'Seaford Skies' for my new garden. It is one she cultivated.

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