This week-end is the 3rd annual Penny McHenry Hydrangea Festival in Douglasville, GA, and the hydrangeas have been more beautiful this summer than in years and years. Maybe the heavy rains we had several months ago got them “plumped up” and ready to bloom, or maybe it was the late spring temperatures, which were cold, but not freezing. Anyway, they are gorgeous!
This is a lace-cap, in case you aren’t familiar with hydrangeas. The larger flower, shown above, is a mophead type.
You can modify the pH level in your soil to change the color of your hydrangea flowers, but I’ve never tried it. I like these just the way they are!By the way, if you’re looking for a source for hydrangeas, one of the best nurseries I’ve found is Wilkerson Mill Gardens, in Palmetto, GA (I am not affiliated with them in any way, and actually, I haven’t visited there in several years. But when I used to go regularly, they were great.)
They have a wide selection of unusual and hard to find plants, and they take good care of them, so you don’t pay hard-earned money to get your plants home and find them root-bound or sickly. They also know their stuff and can answer your questions. Wilkerson Mill doesn’t ship plants during the summer months, but I think they’ll resume shipping in September or when the temperatures cool down. Check out their website for lots of helpful how-to-grow information. http://www.hydrangea.com/
