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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...

Portland Study Weekend Gardens - West Linn, Clackamas & Oregon City pt. 1


Last Saturday, I saw the six gardens featured on the HPSO Study Weekend tour. These gardens were in the southern part of Portland. I was excited to see Sherry Sheng's garden. She has visited our garden in the past, and I got to know her better when we were on the England trip together.  Her garden was a delight with something fabulous at every turn. 
















Next, the Connall garden which has a Mediterranean, drought-resistant planting scheme.







The Harry Landers garden was packed with colorful flowers and a koi pond -





Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. Sherry's garden was so much fun. I enjoyed all the colorful elements she integrated into the landscape. I can tell she really enjoys being out in her garden. The Connal's garden was amazing in its own right. I really like their use of repeating patterns and colors to cohesively bring everything together. Not only that, but their gravel areas near the house were so pristine!

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  2. More beauty! I appreciate you covering all the gardens, that 2nd photo doesn't look real. Fantastic colors & textures.

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