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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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Chocolate Zucchini Cake



Our neighbor gave us a huge zucchini a few days ago, the first of the season. It was enough to make my go-to recipe - Zucchini Bread - and enough left over for another recipe. I just saw this in the latest issue of Mother Earth News and decided to try it. It turned out quite good although a little dry. I do intend to try it again because it was quite good.

One change I made was to reduce the sugar. It calls for 2 cups (!). I used half sugar and half brown sugar. In the future, perhaps applesauce would be a good substitution for one of the cups.

The frosting is simple and divine!

Deep Dark Chocolate Zucchini Cake
(adapted from Mother Earth News, August 2020)

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate (chopped)
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar (I used 1 cup white sugar and 3/4 cup brown sugar)
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream
3 cups grated zucchini, drained, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350. Butter or spray a 9 x 13 pan.

Melt the chocolate with 1/2 cup of the butter over simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a mixing bowl, beat the remaining 1/2 cup of butter and the sugars until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well.

Add the melted chocolate mixture and the vanilla extract.

Add the flour mixture a little at a time alternately with the buttermilk until just combined.

Fold in the zucchini.

Pour the batter into the baking pan and smooth the top. Bake for 40 - 55 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Cool the cake completely before frosting.

Frosting

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 TBS. butter
1/4 cup brewed coffee
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

Melt the chocolate and the butter over simmering water (or in the microwave).

Stir in the coffee and the vanilla extract.

Place the powdered sugar in a large mixer bowl and slowly add the chocolate mixture, beating until smooth.


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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