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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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Homemade Pretzels


I haven't made homemade pretzels since we were in Alabama and I had forgotten how easy they are if not a little time consuming. I made these last week for Oscar night. They keep a long time in an airtight container.

  • 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
    1 tablespoons brown sugar
    1 teaspoons salt
    1 ½ cups warm water (110 degrees)
    3 cups all-purpose flour
    1 cup bread flour
    2 cups warm water (110 degrees)
    2 tablespoons baking soda
    1-2 tablespoons butter, melted
    2 tablespoons kosher salt

Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the yeast, brown sugar and salt in the 1.5 cups of warm water. Stir to dissolve.

Stir in the flour. Knead for about 7-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and cover. Let it rise for an hour (I place mine in the oven with the light on).




Combine the two cups of warm water with the baking soda in a square shallow pan.

After the dough has risen, cut it into 12 equal pieces. 





Roll each section into a thin 3-feet rope.




Twist the dough into a pretzel shape and dip it in the water and baking soda mixture.



Place on the parchment covered baking sheets and let it rise another 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450.

Bake the pretzels for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven, brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with salt.



Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Hoover BooMarch 24, 2023 at 2:57 PM

    Those look really good. Are they crunchy or bread-y?

    I bought an authentic baguette pan and have been making baguettes--the pan made all the difference.

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    1. AnonymousMarch 25, 2023 at 10:12 AM

      These are soft pretzels. I've never made baguettes.

      Delete
  2. ElaineMarch 27, 2023 at 8:59 AM

    My son used to make these all the time when he was in school. It's time to try them again. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  3. RobinLApril 2, 2023 at 6:04 PM

    Oh my goodness, I was practically drooling over this post. I love soft pretzels!

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