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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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Fuchsia 'Hawkshead'

 

We fell for fuchsias in a big way when we moved here because they didn't fare well in the southern heat at all. We started growing them here in pots the first year and then learned that many can be grown in the ground. One of my favorites is 'Hawkshead' which has pendulous white flowers. If you look closely at the flowers, you will notice that they have green tips. 'Hawkshead' is a vigorous upright plant and reaches about 3 feet in both height and width. It tends to have a heavy bloom in early summer followed by another one in fall here in our garden.


 

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

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  1. Kris PetersonOctober 5, 2021 at 11:31 AM

    I fell in love with this fuchsia too. I tried growing it outside and, to its credit, it made it through our summer if not into the following year. It's just too dry for it to thrive in my borders here, although I might be tempted to try it again in a large pot inside my lath house.

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  2. Hoover BooOctober 5, 2021 at 2:08 PM

    So lovely!

    Fuchsias grow well in Sunset 24 where I grew up--23, just one zone inland, not so good. Yours are spectacular.

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  3. ksOctober 5, 2021 at 8:49 PM

    My Hawkshead tends pink here in Napa-I assume it's the heat since Anabelle pinks up in summer too. It's a prolific bloomer from the moment it leafs out in April.

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