THE DELIGHTS OF A CLIMBING HYDRANGEA


In my last blog post, I said I would write next about what happened to my hydrangeas after last winter, but I must tell you first about what's happening right now:
climbing hydrangeas are in bloom in my garden and they are fabulous!! 


If you can  get anywhere near a climbing hydrangea (hydrangea ssp. petiolaris), do it now while it is in full bloom. First, they are absolutely glorious as they climb and scramble over everything. I use it to scamper up trees, over an arbor, and even to hide ugly stumps of trees that have come down.
Climbing hydrangea in shade garden in full flower.
 

Best of all, when climbing hydrangeas first flower they are wonderfully fragrant. This is something that's not mentioned in most of the literature. They perfume a shade garden with a soft scent that makes that delicious shade that much more appreciated as the day warms up.
 
Find a comfortable chair or hammock, a tall glass of iced tea, maybe a book and enjoy that fragrance for the fleeting 10 days or so. After the fragrance fades, the lacecap flowers persist and age to a soft cream to continue to add beauty to your garden.
 
This species of hydrangea is easy to grow. All it needs is a little shade. It's very drought tolerant once established, deer avoid it as do pests and diseases and it even does double duty as a ground cover (but with fewer flowers when used that way). I can't think of an easier plant to grow. It even flowers after brutally cold winters. What's not to like?

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