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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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Plectranthus 'Guacamole'



Potted plants are not my forte although we do have more than a fair share. In previous years, our deck was a jungle. We went crazy over fuchsias after moving here but finally realized that overwintering them, quite easy, was taking up too much space in the garage and waiting for them to bloom the following year was no fun and it was easier just to buy new plants. Of course, there are some that we do overwinter but our supply of fuchsias has diminished considerably. 

There are a few other plants that I like to have in pots. Plectranthus 'Guacamole' is one that I discovered a few years ago and is an absolute favorite. No flowers (or does it?), just stunning green and gold leaves that drape ever so elegantly over the pot. Growing it is a breeze. Shade-loving, ours gets only bright light and I would bet that only a slight amount of sun would burn the leaves. Liquid fertilizer every two weeks or so is the only indulgence it gets and it would probably be okay without that.

I've never tried to overwinter it but if I had a sunroom or greenhouse, I would try that. 




Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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Comments

  1. Kris PetersonSeptember 10, 2023 at 8:09 PM

    Very attractive. I'm not sure I've seen that one before.

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  2. Lisa at GreenbowSeptember 12, 2023 at 9:49 AM

    This is a good looking plant. I don't think I have seen this around here before. I will look for it next year. I have a lot of pots on our deck too. It gets morning sun.

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  3. tz_gardenSeptember 13, 2023 at 8:57 AM

    Guacamole indeed! That's a beauty I haven't seen before.

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