Here is the third article...
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It has been more than a Month
since I have written you all about Hydrangeas!
By May 15, here in Zone 7 we started seeing our Macrophylla
and Serrata Hydrangeas Bloom. Along with Oak Leaf Hydrangea. These
continued and were followed by Arborescens...Annabelle, Hayes
Starburst, White Dome and the Native Arborescens we discovered on our property here in N.W. Shelby County 20 years ago.
It has been a Stellar Year for Hydrangeas. No late frost. Opulent spring rain. MMMMMMMM.
As promised I will share with you what I know about the Panicle Hydrangeas.
I First came upon them in 1980 when I helped my Italian American Father Maintain Formal Estate Gardens on the North Shore of Chicago. The Panicle Hydrangeas Pee Gee or P.G. (Paniculata grandiflora) were commonly used there as "Standards" against stone posts at the entrance gates to many of the North Shore Gardens.
They were limbed up or sculpted to reveal 3-5-7 sturdy legs or branches up 3-5' and then the tops were allowed to grow at will. The P.G. have a weeping or flopping habit and this created tall cascades of White Mophead Flowers. The P.G. sold in the U.S. can reach up to 12' tall. By using this "standards" style of sculpting your P.G. we can create architecture in the garden using shrubs.
So let me begin...again...to generally describe the Species of Paniculata Hydrangea.
In General the Panicle Hydrangeas tend to be more woody than any other of the previous forms discussed.
Woody!! I feel it is their woodiness that gives them new interest and sets them apart from the other forms.
They can be manipulated like Crepe Myrtles,
which are "limbed up" or "sculpted" to form tall leggy shrubs that
create focal points or vertical interest. You can Sculpt them Nov. thru
Feb. and again in Midsummer if you like. Sculpt not Shear! (Shearing is
cutting 3-6'' from the top to produce bushy green foliage.)
They can also be cut to the ground...3-6''
to create short floriferous shrubs of approximately 3'. This is
sometimes called "Stooling", which means cutting a shrub or tree nearly
to the ground to create multiple young branches. In this case it is
done to produce the most blooms on short shrubs. I prefer to Sculpt the
Panicles to create architectural interest.
They bloom on New Wood, which is the wood produced in spring, and early summer of each year.
(Unlike the Mac.'s, the Serrata and the Oak Leaf Hydrangea, which bloom
on the previous year's wood, (the wood produced the previous mid-summer
and fall...after they have bloomed.) Whew!!! Did you get all that??!!
They can take Full Sun!
For Zone 7 and South, I am reluctant to say this, always keeping August
of 2007 in mind; However, I do know they can take at least 3 hours of
miserable afternoon Southern Summer Sun and have grown them
successfully in a full sun Western exposure. Zone 6 and North, I am
confident they can take all day sun.
They Begin Blooming After All of the Others Have Finished!
The first to bloom in my Garden are 'Limelight' and she has been
blooming since July 7 here on the edge of the county...earlier I would
suspect in the City.
As you can see,
by using all of the species of Hydrangea: Mac., Serrata, Oak Leaf,
Arborescens and Panicle Hydrangea; you will have blooms From May thru
August.
They are Drouth Tolerant!
As with everything in our 5 acre Nursery/Garden, P.G. and Tardiva were
planted here prior to our water system being installed, 14 years prior.
So the Panicle Hydrangea as well as many of the other trees, shrubs and
perennials we planted were planted in Fall, Watered by 40 inches of
Winter Rain, and survived our Annual Summer Drouth for 14 years.
I have grown the following Panicle Hydrangeas In the Memphis Area for 20 years: P.G., Tardiva, and Chantilly Lace. In the last 5-7 years many more varieties have become available to local nurseries.
Their Forms include Lacy Vertical Pyramidal Panicles to Fluffy, Vertical and Cascading Mophead Like Forms.
They range in height from 4-18 Ft. I feel the Panicle Hydrangea are
very important in creating structure and height in the Garden and will
become more popular as they are more understood.
We currently have P.G., LImelight, Chantilly Lace, Little Lamb, Pinky Winky, Pink Diamond,
Tardiva, Kyushu, and a few others available.