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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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DVD Giveaway

Congratulations to RobinL, who is the winner of the contest!

I recently received a great documentary and want to pass it along. Gardeners will love this! The subjects of "Portrait of a Garden" are a country estate owner in the Netherlands and an 85 year old pruning expert. The film follows them during the course of a year as they work in a vast kitchen garden. They grow every fruit and vegetable you can think of (and some that I had never heard of). Most of their time is spent painstakingly pruning espalied fruit trees. They chat about their methods (which they have been practicing since the days of Louis XIV) and how the world once revered great gardeners while today it is sadly a diminishing art. There is little dialog however (and the language is Dutch with English subtitles). Mostly the camera lingers on nature, resulting in exquisite photography. The beautiful images are accompanied by a mellow score. The whole film is mesmerizing (or it was for me) and I enjoyed it very much.

 To enter the contest, just leave a comment to this post and include your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you are the winner. The deadline for entering is midnight, April 9. I will use a random number generator to select a winner.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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Comments

  1. Lisa at GreenbowMarch 25, 2017 at 3:39 PM

    This sounds like something I would like to see.
    bowerbird53atsbcglobaldotnet

    ReplyDelete
  2. RobinLMarch 25, 2017 at 5:27 PM

    How fun, count me in! robinleja@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anne BoykinMarch 25, 2017 at 6:01 PM

    Thanks for the giveaway! Vujade1 at Gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  4. organicgardendreamsMarch 25, 2017 at 9:01 PM

    Hi Phillip, that sounds like and interesting documentary indeed. Please enter me in the drawing. Thnaks!
    christina@organicgardendreams.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. ShoalandaMarch 26, 2017 at 6:28 AM

    Fantastic contest; I'll link it. Shoalanda.Speaks@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownMarch 26, 2017 at 9:43 AM

    Have been trying to get fruit from my espalier trees for years. Love your post.

    ReplyDelete
  7. LesMarch 26, 2017 at 1:52 PM

    Please put my name in the hat - morehiways at cox dot net

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lita SollischMarch 26, 2017 at 2:19 PM

    I look forward to receiving the DVD with great anticipation. Thanks.

    plantlustlita@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. AaronMarch 28, 2017 at 5:30 AM

    Thanks for bringing this DVD to my attention, Phillip.

    I'm going to see if I can get my local library to order it!

    ReplyDelete
  10. debsgardenMarch 28, 2017 at 10:55 AM

    Sounds beautiful! I am sure it would give me some great ideas.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ronald OliverMarch 28, 2017 at 3:04 PM

    This sounds like a great documentary! Thanks for having the giveaway! My wife and I would really enjoy this! Thanks for the chance!

    oliverspendulum@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. bellaMarch 29, 2017 at 4:29 PM

    Would love this dvd. Could watch gardening experts all day.

    ReplyDelete
  13. JeannieMarch 31, 2017 at 5:53 PM

    Please add my name to the list.
    Jeannie
    GetMeToTheCountry.Blogspot.com
    jmorrrris9@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. UnknownApril 1, 2017 at 2:27 PM

    Learning about the tried and true methods and some unusual varieties sounds like fun!
    ricklet@centurylink.net

    ReplyDelete
  15. CyndiaApril 2, 2017 at 11:39 PM

    Oh, what fun! Count me in! Gardenspirit13@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete

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