Common hydrangeas still evoke memories of lazy summer days, verandas and grandmothers gardens, but today’s new varieties are on the cutting edge.
The big news is the remontant varieties – those that will bloom continuously throughout the summer.
Endless Summer, a mophead type that is probably the most widely planted remontant, is now in great supply at nurseries and home improvement warehouse stores. Also look for Penny Mac and Mini Penny, both reblooming mopheads.
Because remontants bloom on both old and new wood, they will flower even if a late frost nips the first buds of spring. Long flowering and frost resistance makes them a no-brainer for gardeners.
The same hybridizers who introduced Endless Summer are out with Blushing Bride, a gorgeous white mophead that ages to pink.
Merritt’s Supreme, a greenhouse hydrangea often given at Easter or Mother’s Day, produces mopheads that go from pink to purple as they mature.
Ayesha, a hydrangea with pale pink to mauve flowers with sepals cupped like spoons, has stolen my heart. My year-old plant bloomed well this spring producing some huge mopheads. Here's a picture of it.
