In some gardening regions, hydrangeas simply rule

Is it possible to get sick of hydrangeas? Apparently not. If, like me, you can withstand a 4-day garden tour in the Pacific Northwest followed – two weeks later – by a six-day get-away in Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, in which every private garden and every piece of public landscaping was dominated by billows of this shrub, you’re immune. You may even be addicted. 

There was nearly universal agreement among those who attended the 2024 garden bloggers’ Fling in Tacoma, WA, that the hydrangea was among the two or three top plants of the trip. One private garden we visited is so famous for its hydrangeas – particularly its majestically tall H. serrata hybrids (one above)  – that mail-order nurseries would come there for cuttings to propagate. (Something like that – I was just eavesdropping as I am hesitant to get into long, technical plant discussions.)

Actually, I had a bit of hydrangea envy. In Western New York, we still see far too many of the older Endless Summer hybrids, which tend to be some kind of mushy color between pink and blue. They’re never a clear purple or lavender – just that uneasy blend. Begone with them.

None of these were in evidence in the PNW, the Cape or MV. (Though by August on the Cape, there was some fading.) There were gorgeous new macrophylla hybrids in impossibly clear and vivid shades of red, blue and purple, serrata hybrids that I had never seen before, and, everywhere, paniculata Limelight, because why not. 

There were few labels and usually only other Fling visitors to ask, who mostly said “I dunno.” I didn’t really care that much, as I will likely not be purchasing these or anything like them for my garden, which already features  almost every basic variety of the shrub: aborescens, quercifolia, macrophylla, paniculata, petiolaris (climbing) and even one serrata, the co-called “mountain” hydrangea. My serrata  is not nearly as cool as what I saw in the PNW.

I am a little concerned. How far will new hybrids try to go? We’ve already seen some overreaching with echinacea in terms of garish colors. Will there be bright yellow or bright orange hydrangeas? Black? I have seen some unbelievable – and rightly so – seed offers on eBay and Etsy.

The main thing is that hybrids should be able to stay the color they’re sold as. My ‘Alpenglow,” which goes by other names, has always been a deep rose, without any additives needed. Same with another old-fashioned pink macrophylla I had and pulled out for other reasons. Otherwise, I have been delighting in the quercifolia (oakleaf) which get gracefully tall with huge conical flowers, maturing to dusty pink. And ‘Limelight,’ at its best right now. 

What I’ve learned is to cut the arborescens back fairly hard in early spring and pretty much leave the others alone. I have one of the new Invincibelle types and like it so far. 

Another hydrangea benefit is that if I do decide to pull up one of my shrubs and  replace it with something I saw and managed to identify on one of my my trips, it won’t take long for it to fill its space.

Finally, though this is bad for other reasons, winters aren’t nearly the threat they used to be. that’s been a mixed blessing for gardeners – and the planet.