Hydrangea Anomala Petiolaris Thriving in the Shadow Places

Climbing hydrangea - Hydrangea anomala petiolaris - is beautiful plant, easy to grow in narrow places and half shadow. I see it often planted in front gardens or right at the gate. These charming plants look very heatlhy with very little sunlight. 

It will bloom very soon - would you like to see it then?

16 Photos of the Best Flowering Hydrangeas in Poland

The best recipe for success with your beloved plants in the garden is actually the choice of plants itself. If you match the requirements with the conditions of your climate zone and specific conditions you have in your own location, your life would be much easier and your garden much healthier.

I know why we garden lovers too often try to cultivate plants that have little chance to thrive, that struggle to survive the condition and give us little pleasure in return for efforts and money we spend to make them feel comfortable. Why I know? Because been there and done that.

There are three reasons. First we feel almost almighty, so we can change the condition in the garden and make it suitable for the chosen plants. Which partially might be true, but makes gardening more difficult. At the end we can’t win over Mother Nature, she is too powerful.

Second, we are ignorant and make mistakes. I don’t know how it is in your country, but in Poland there is no proper info coming with the plant. In good garden centers there are sometimes trained sales assistants who could be asked and provide accurate information, but most often there is nobody to ask because the employers while reducing the costs, they tend to hire people with less and less expertise, even sometimes nonexistent.

The third reason that comes to my mind is that we are simply, let’s say, in love aka fascinated and obsessed with certain plants and species. In such malignant state that continues sometimes for years, we do not accept facts, but we rather allure ourselves with our dreams and wishes.

I wonder what’s your obsession? I will tell u mine.

For years this were hydrangeas. Particularly Hydrangea macrophylla. I still love them, but I understood that Hydrangea macrophylla will not grow and flower profoundly in my garden, because of climate zone. I am living in 6b zone, where in winter temperature may drop to -30C/-22F. Such temperatures kill the flower buds and large part of the stems.

I tell you what, the sad truth is that there is no perfect winter protection. Using different kinds of winter protections made me save some of the stems and buds, but I was never happy with flowering…. Maybe next year it will be better… I usually thought. But why to wait till next year, while here and today is only thing that matters? It’s been 10 years since I am gardening here and every year, there was hope for next year.

Further recommended reading Heavenly Hydrangeas: A Practical Guide for the Home Gardener

And one day last summer, while traveling to the Western part of Poland, where climate is milder (6a zone) I stopped at the garden with stunning Hydrangea macrophylla flowering!

I couldn’t resist to ring the bell and ask if could take a photo. She was kind to agree, in fact she was very happy to share her pride and beauties with me.

The lady told me she is obsessed with hydrangeas for over 30 years and they always bloomed nicely for her, but she also admitted that this year is simply amazing because of milder winter we had.

She was kind enough to show me inside of the garden, I couldn’t see from the street. I am telling you, it is hydrangeas paradise! I have never seen such hydrangeas bloom in Poland.

Further recommended reading Heavenly Hydrangeas: A Practical Guide for the Home Gardener

So, this is the story of the photos I share today. Seeing such abundance of flowers make me admit to myself that trying to make Hydrangea macrophylla happy in Masovia (Poland)where I live, is a waste of money and time.

But nurseries and professional plant growers will never share this secret.

Further recommended reading Heavenly Hydrangeas: A Practical Guide for the Home Gardener

Further recommended reading Heavenly Hydrangeas: A Practical Guide for the Home Gardener

5 photos of small shady backyard landscaping ideas direct from Holland

These photos were taken in Holland. Just look at this neat and beautifully maintained spaces.

Whenever I am in Holland I have this surprising feeling that concept of space is really abstract. I am telling you… it is streaching… whatever you may think about it now.  

Just give me your hand and let's have a look at the photos, okay?

These are relatively small spaces to arrange and yet, so much is going on there.   

Gardens and planting is expanded to the walls and nobody is having these irrational ideas that plans will destroy them.

Neatly trained Parthenocissus tricuspidata known as Japanese creeper aka  Boston ivy aka Japanese ivy looks like 3d cushion sculpture on the wall.

Climbing hydrangea on th right gives lush green and white flowers in the late spring/early summer.

On the right trained Pyracantha coccinea - European species of Firethorn that has been cultivated in gardens since the late 16th century. In UK it is trained since 18th century. Great plant with benefits - interesting shape and intense coloured fruits (red, yellow or orange) in the autumn.

And I just couldn't resist to share these eyecandy.

Thanks for the walk :)

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More flowers - more fun! Propagate hydrangea

Hydrangea loves water - it roots even if you just stick the piece directly to water. You can do it too, because now is the time to propagate hydrangea macrophylla (mophead). 3 weeks ago I’ve cut a piece of fresh stem . Choose the stem that doesn’t send flowers this summer, just to prevent removing the flower. It’s always better to have flower and new hydrangea than new flower or new hydrangea – right? I’ve left the top pair of leaves, cut them by half to reduce the evaporation, place them in water and almost forgot about it. Very soon you will see first roots.

This time placing the cutting in the water was an experiment. I wanted to see the roots. Usually I just stick the cutting in the fresh potted soil, keep it in shaded place and make sure the soil is wet (I mean soggy wet) all the time. This method with Hydrangea macrophylla guarantees 99% success. I failed only once, when I tried to do it end of September, after obtaining exciting varieties.

I always propagate H. macrophylla in the summer, while propagating Hydrangea paniculata works best very in early spring, before vegetation starts.

Hydrangea macrophylla - Bigleaf Hydrangea - French Hydrangea - Lacecap Hydrangea - Mophead Hydrangea - Penny Mac - Hortensia

Hydrangea propagation easiest way

Hydrangea paniculata "Limelight" 1 year old

While pruning hydrangea paniculata Limelight last year - I looked at the cuttings and thought it is a total waste just to send it to hydrangea's heaven. Why not to try to have even more Limelights? I cut them into 20 cm pieces, made sure there are at least 2-3 pairs of buds - and just like this, stucked them into pot filled with plain garden soil. No tricks. No gimmicks. No growth hormone. Niente. Nothing.
Why 2 pairs of buds? 1 pair above the soil, so it can grow leaves, 1-2 pairs in the soil for growing roots. It was 8 cuttings in total. All of them started to grow in 2 months. 
This baby one on the picture will be send tomorrow in exchange for comfrey (Symphytum o.) - I hope she will have good travel.
Comfrey is very valuable source of fertility in the organic garden. Great source of potassium - important element for setting fruits, seeds and flowers. Comfrey leaves contain 2-3 times more potassium than manure.

Hydrangea paniculata "Limelight" - pruned in March

See how beautifully it spreads the flowers, after being pruned in conical shape.

On below picture I am showing how I have pruned it beginning of March and how does it bloom today.

First picture shows how it looked like in the Spring of 2008, right before first pruning.

Are pink Hydrangea flowers superior to blue or not?

Second part of Summer without Hydrangea flowers in the garden is like Christmas without Christmas tree. If you start to think about it in terms of endless Hydrangea flowers show, you will have no doubts whether to invite it to the garden or not.

Hydrangea is almost careless and if you prune it properly late winter, already two years later you get bouquet of flowers standing bold in your garden. Pleasing your eyes and soul.

You want white hydrangea? Here you are. Maybe pink or blue? Mophead? Lacecap? Oakleaf? If you get bored with pink mophead hydrangea, you can make it blue.

Really wonderful plants.

Which one is more beautiful? Are pink Hydrangea flowers superior to blue Hydrangea flowers?

I know I have asked stupid question, but allow me say in public, that despite I love all of them, the blue one is having special place in my heart. And finally I made them blue! Acidic soil makes them blue, but if naturally soil in your garden - like in mine - is neutral, trying to change is like trying to tame the lion - it will always be wild at heart.




I have tried many things, but the only working one is plain yellowish sulphur, I scattered last fall on the soil around it.

So, blue or pink Hydrangea is superior?

Hydrangea Pruning or Pruning Hydrangeas After Winter

How and when to prune hydrangea - this is an often asked question.

The best time to prune hydrangea is it in the spring, after the most severe frost is gone. Rather do not prune plants before winter, as it easier for them to survive when the real cold hits the garden. Not pruned plants and not cleaned perenninal remains give the shelter to many beneficial creatures. Look at this picture, how many ladybirds (natural aphids enemies) have been hiding from the cold under dead leaves on the flower bed.

In my 6 zone garden I prune hydrangea at the beginning of March. Depending of weather conditions you may prune hydrangea also end of February. I have in total 12 different hydrangeas and I will show you how I pruned them.

Recommended further reading Hydrangeas in the North: Getting Blooms in the Colder Climates


Hydrangea paniculata pruning
This one is easy, because it always flowers on current year growing stems. Therefore main role of pruning, as you can see, is to keep the proper shape and density of the plant. This is especially important when hydrangea paniculata is still young - pruning makes it more dense right from the bottom. The general rule is to keep 1-3 buds pairs on the stem.
In the first year it looked like this before pruning:

I pruned it low, at the level of 25 cm, in order to give the plant nice dense shape.
Next year I prune it 10 cm higher (1 buds pair)... (see how Hydrangea paniculata Limelight looks 6 months later, while blooming in August'09)...

......and additionally, I keep the inside stems higher, while outer stems are cut shorter. This will give hydrangea paniculata nice symmetrical shape. If your H. Paniculata is too large, you don't have to be affraid - just prune it as much as you need. It will show happily new leaves soon.

Hydrangea macrophylla pruning
(Bigleaf Hydrangea, French Hydrangea, Lacecap Hydrangea, Mophead Hydrangea, Penny Mac and Hortensia - all name same plant)
H. macrophylla does not require too much pruning, unless it is really required due to frost or physical damage of the plant.
First of all examine entire plant and check what is the situation with buds. From nature buds are naked, they do not have any protection against freezing - this is why they flower best in the zones = or lower than 7.
In lower zones, it shoud be planted in cosy corner, sheltered by other plants. It also may needs covering for winter. This winter mine were not covered, survived -20C, buds look so-and-so.
If you look at the buds and see, that they are completely brown - this means high possibility of damage - such buds must go!
If you see green inside of the bud.... like on the picture below........

- there is a chance that flower, formed previous year, has survived. So we spare this one and see if we were right.
Pruning of Hydrangea macrophylla is easy if you remember to not prune it too much - it will love you for this. Next thing you should do is to remove dead flowers, that are so ornamental in the winter garden - and look where is the nearest set of green buds and cut 1 cm above it. That is all you need to do to keep it ready for the happy summer.

Hydrangea aspera pruning
It does not require pruning and actually it doesn't like it. This is large shrub (up to 5m), so you need lot of space to make it real stunner.

Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle
Flowers form on current year stems, so in general you may prune it to keep the shape of the shrub. However don't prune it too hard if you don't want to stalk your flowers. Fresh stems are not rigid enough to hold big, white flowers. I make rather cosmetic pruning - only if I see dead stems or want to change its shape. As you can see this hydrangea does not need pruning this year.

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Recommended further reading Hydrangeas in the North: Getting Blooms in the Colder Climates