Rocky Butte in Portland

September 12, 2025

Pruning 'Summer Crush' Hydrangea in Late Summer

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 recommend pruning them immediately after bloom, earlier in the ...

Our friend Cindy is visiting from Alabama and we visited a new spot yesterday - Rocky Butte in Portland. This is a small park atop a hilltop that overlooks PDX airport.

You can watch planes coming in for landings. The city where we live - Vancouver, Washington - is across the Columbia River in the distance. That is Interstate 205 on the left.

This is the overlook area. Personally, I think they could do some things here to improve the landscaping but I suppose the views are what brings people up here.