Where have all the flowers gone?

Those of us in the northeastern U.S. have suffered a noticeable void in our flower gardens this season:  the lack of colorful hydrangea blooms: those massive, vibrant blossoms of blue, pink, violet and purple seem to be missing from the landscape.  Ironically, the green foliage of these plants looks better than ever, but the buds have gone missing.

Sadly, our harsh winter is to blame.  Unfortunately, the unseasonably cold winter temperatures killed the tender buds of H. macrophylla, AKA bigleaf hydrangea, which produce the colorful pinkish-to-blueish oversize, ball-shaped mophead (Hortensia) or lacecap--airy, flat blossoms which lay like a delicate cap over the green foliage.  Winter's harsh hand also destroyed the buds of H. quercifolia--the Oakleaf hydrangea, with buds that turn from white to pinkish, to brown, and have foliage shaped like oak leaves--and the tender blossoms of climbing hydrangea vines.  Because these blooms are all produced on what is known as "old wood"--existing shrub branches--they can fall victim to killing frosts.

How I miss the billowy blossoms, and old-fashioned charm that hydrangeas add to the garden. I miss the beguiling blues, perky pinks, luscious lavender, and romantic rose shades—sometimes all blooming on the same plant!  As many of us know, the colors of  these showstoppers are produced as a result of the availability of aluminum ions in the soil. Acidic soils with a pH of less than 5.5 produce blue flowers; soils with a pH greater than 5.5 product pink flowers.


Since we can never know what next winter will bring, I'm hedging my bets--and taking extra care to frost-proof (or at least frost-protect) my plants this fall.  I plan on covering the ground around the hydrangeas with at least 18 inches of leaves (though pine bark, pine needles or straw also work well). If at all possible, I'll cover entire plants--tips included--in homemade cages crafted out of snow fencing or chicken wire, and loosely filling the cages with leaves (but never  maple leaves--they mat and hold ice in).

Another way to ensure our yards are graced with the enduring beauty of hydrangeas every year, regardless of the previous winter's weather, is to choose varieties that bloom on "new wood:" this year's stems.  Among these type of hydrangea are: H. paniculata (panicle hydrangea), hardy to Zone 3 and boasting plump, cone-shaped flower heads. The most common cultivar is 'Grandiflora', or P.G. (PeeGee) after its initials, a big old-fashioned floppy shrub that is 10 to 15 feet tall; and H. arborescens (smooth hydrangeas), which produce "snowballs" which flower reliably to Zone 3. The flowers look like oversized white-flowered pop-poms. The best cultivars include, 'Grandiflora' and 'Annabelle' which produce large blooms in late summer.  All these hydrangeas have white blooms.  Mine look especially lovely when paired with dwarf Buxus (boxwood) in front, and a privet hedge behind: