outdoors

P LA N T IN G S

My hydrangea has lots of green leaves but very

• few flowers. Why won’t it bloom?

To bring out the blooms .

..

Choose a hardy plant. The bigleaf types, such as mopheads and

lacecaps

(H. macrophylla),

bloom best in Zones

-

. In colder

Zones

-

, plant

H. arborescens

cultivars such as ‘Annabelle’, or try

H. paniculata

‘PeeGee’,

above,

or ‘Tardiva’.

Give it some sun. Most hydrangeas need at least four hours of

direct sun to produce flowers. In the South, protect them from hot

afternoon sun. Plant oakleaf hydrangea

(H. quercifolia)

in partially

shaded Zones

gardens.

Feed it properly. Hydrangeas

Choose the best

need a fertilizer labeled just for

hydrangea for your

garden at

BHG.com/

hydrangeatips

flowering trees and shrubs.

Q

My hydrangea is in a

• moist spotjDut the

are wilting and turning

brown. What’s up?

Hydrangeas like moist, but not soggy

soil. Heavy clay soil can be a problem

as well. Move your hydrangea to a

better-drained location. Or improve

the clay soil by mixing in a generous

amount of compost and replant the

hydrangea in the same spot.

Q

Are those reblooming

• hydrangeas for real?

The new reblooming bigleaf types,

such as ‘Endless Summer’, do bloom

repeatedly all summer in the right

conditions. They need

hours or

more of direct sun, protection from

late-spring frost in Zones

-

, and an

annual dose of fertilizer with

balanced numbers, such as 10-10-10.

120

JUNE 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS

PHOTOS: (‘PEEGEE' TREE HYDRANGEA, WHITE HYDRANGEA) CHIPPER HATTER; (‘ENDLESS SUMMER' HYDRANGEA) RICK TAYLOR