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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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Joanne Fuller's Garden



When the temperature is predicted to be 104 degrees, touring a garden is probably not a wise decision. Nevertheless, plans had been made and an appointment to see Joanne Fuller's garden as well as her next door neighbor Linda Ernst was set - at least it was morning and relatively cool.

The two gardens are located in a beautiful neighborhood with tree-lined streets. Joanne's house is elevated above the street and steps bordered by terraced beds lead up to the front porch. Unfortunately, I didn't get photos of the front since I had not asked permission yet and by the time we worked our way around to the front again (from Linda's side), I forgot to go back and take photos.

Stepping into the back garden leads down a shady pathway bordered with a tapestry of contrasting foliage. Joanne loves bold foliage and she is especially fond of podophyllum. I lost count of how many varieties she had - all beautiful. 



 
The garden is also filled with art. This Buddha statue is a memorial to Joanne's sister. The stand is faced with a mosaic of stones and shells.


And draped around the trunk of a large Japanese Maple is this incredible mala (prayer beads) created by Berkeley artist Marcia Donahue.

Continuing down the path...


Joanne's garden is mostly shady. However, a recent tree removal from the neighbor's garden behind her created a sunny spot -



I believe the pebble mosaic is by Jeffrey Bale (I hope my memory is correct). In the corner, notice the loquat tree. Mine is still a baby compared to this -



Every step you take, there is something to see and one must not forget to look down -





Up to the patio/deck that overlooks the garden -


Lots of great pots -



In my next post, I will step through the gate that leads to Linda's garden...


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Kris PetersonAugust 20, 2023 at 4:50 PM

    Gorgeous! If you hadn't mentioned the horrific heatwave, I wouldn't have guessed you were in the middle of one based on those photos.

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