Hydrangeas

Recently I was chatting with someone about gardens and. more specifically hydrangeas.

We have several in our yard, though I don't remember the exact variety names at this point.

One is a variety similar to "Annabelle". It behaves similarly to a perennial with new stems growing from ground level each spring and has large white globe-shaped flower heads, one head per stem.

These are in the back yard along the stone wall.

Another is a small/medium shrub, which I prune back hard each spring to maintain its size. At the beginning of the summer post-pruning it is 3 feet tall and by the end of the summer it is perhaps 4-5 feet tall. It has very diffuse, "open" flowers that turn pink late in the year.

These are in a back bed between the driveway and patio.

The last is a variety similar to "PeeGee". It has a dwarf tree form. I prune it back - hard - each spring and it seems to grow quite vigorously. I prune it down to 5-6 feet tall to start the summer and it ends up at 9-10 feet by the end of the summer. The flower heads are quite large and oblong. The bloom pictured is longer than my hand, from fingertip to wrist, and is roughly 4 feet off the ground.

These are in the front garden on either side of the front porch.