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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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Anticipation



This is exciting! I have wanted an orange ginger lily for as long as I can remember. I tried growing it in Alabama and never got a bloom. I do have a white ginger (Hedychium spicatum) that has had a few blooms. A few years ago, someone told me that 'Tara' is the only one that will reliably bloom here. I don't know if that it true but I finally got one this year (thank you Dancing Oaks!). Planted in April next to our South foundation and given ample water, I can hardly believe it, but it looks like a bloom is imminent - in its first year!

I'm holding my breath...


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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Comments

  1. Kris PetersonAugust 1, 2025 at 12:20 PM

    I'd be excited too! My fingers are crossed on your behalf.

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  2. AnonymousAugust 1, 2025 at 12:38 PM

    oooh, gutsy move to mention it before it's actually blooming. If I did that, I'd jinx it somehow and then no flower. I hope you have better luck! Maybe my comment will cancel out any jinx.

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  3. tz_gardenAugust 1, 2025 at 4:09 PM

    Fantastic! I can't wait to see - isn't it great when things work out :)

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  4. Ardith FergusonAugust 1, 2025 at 5:36 PM

    Exciting! I can't wait to see your photos of the bloom.

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  5. AnonymousAugust 2, 2025 at 3:38 PM

    Their culture confuses me a bit. Here in GA, I juggle heat, sunlight, and moisture levels for my white one. Best bloom was in sandy soil and 5-6 hrs morning sun near an irrigation head. Pretty much won’t bloom in my woodland area, though.
    I’ve also got a variegated one that may never bloom but is lovely. All day high shade.

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    1. Phillip OliverAugust 5, 2025 at 12:20 PM

      I've always thought of them as shade plants, too. Here, many plants will tolerate more sun because of the cooler temperatures. I had my white ginger in a lot of shade because the nursery selling it said that it was good in shade, but I moved it to a sunnier location. I think it is going to bloom as well.

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