Time to report on winter's impact on my hydrangeas. In early May, I went out to my Zone 5 garden to see what winter had done to my hydrangeas that bloom on old wood: macrophyllas (big leaf) and hydrangea serratas (mountain). I also checked on the quercifolias (oak leaf) and petiolaris (climbing).   I held my breath, fearing the worst since we had a brutal 2 week spell of cold temperatures to close out 2017 and begin 2018 in southwest CT :

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!!  

ARE THE LEAVES ON YOUR HYDRANGEAS STUCK TO EACH OTHER? Are the leaves on your woodland hydrangeas stuck to each other? Take a look at your 'Annabelle' hydrangea and any other hydrangea arborescens you may have like Incrediball ® or Invincibelle ® Spirit. You may notice some of the leaves cupped together. It looks like these leaves on my Invincibelle ® Spirit. Hydrangea arborescens showing typical activity of leaf tiers forming their cocoon-like structure to rear their young.

LAST CALL TO PRUNE NEW WOOD FLOWERING HYDRANGEAS     This is your last call to prune new wood flowering hydrangeas. If you haven't cut back your hydrangeas that bloom on this year's stems -- your new wood bloomers -- you are running out of time. We're talking about 'Annabelle' hydrangeas, and all those beautiful Invincibelle ® Spirits, Incrediballs ® , and other hydrangea arborescens. Don't forget your hydrangea paniculatas like  Quick Fire ® , and Pinky Winky ® .   By now they have broken dormancy just about everywhere and are setting up their flower buds for this year like this 'Annabelle' New wood blooming hydrangeas breaking dormancy should be pruned NOW. or this 'Limelight'. If your hydrangea paniculatas look like this, you better hurry to cut them back!   So get out there and make the right cuts to shape those plants and keep them healthy. BUT, if you can't get around to it with graduations an...

Yes, it's time to prune new wood hydrangeas. Now that it is mid spring and your hydrangeas are dormant or just beginning to leaf out, this is the time to get those clippers out for some of them. When I say some, I mean those that bloom on new wood, the growth they will put on in the current season. In the late fall when they still have their leaves, wait until they are leafless and have gone completely dormant before you cut them. You can also do this pruning in winter when they are fast asleep. It is critical for pruning new wood hydrangeas that you wait until all growth has stopped in the current year. That's because pruning always stimulates a plant. If you prune while there are still leaves on that plant, it will continue to grow and possibly start producing the buds for flowers you want next year. That means in a cold winter climate those flowers might not survive and you will be the one to blame for that. Just wait it out and let the plan...