Your Hydrangea Questions Answered
What you need to know about the famous hydrangeas on Nantucket
Every year, July rolls around and the hydrangeas begin to bloom once again. There are many varieties you will see blooming throughout the summer, but the ones that stand out the most on Nantucket—and my personal favorites—are the Endless Summer hydrangeas (perfect name, right?). All month long, these beauties show off & do their thing and we can’t help but be in awe every single year. In fact, we love them so much, we have three hydrangea-themed accessories—a hydrangea tote, the cottage bag & a Nantucket water bottle—along with many prints. While the Endless Summers are some of my favorite hydrangeas, there are actually more than 75 varieties to choose from!
As you can imagine, I get a lot of questions about hydrangeas and though I am not an expert (I fancy myself more as of a hydrangea admirer) I’ve asked Heather at Nantucket’s Tom Hanlon Landscaping some of my most frequently asked questions!
Q: What kind of maintenance do the Endless Summer hydrangeas require when they’re in bloom?
A: No maintenance! Just let them do their thing. Hydrangeas do like water and a reprieve from the mid-day sun so location is key for all those “blue” lovers.
Q: Does this differ from the white Annabelle & Limelight hydrangeas?
A: The white are more tolerant of the afternoon sun but will turn colors faster with the exposure. They can brown a bit from the extreme sun—like we’ve been experiencing this summer.
Q: What can you add to the soil to make the Endless Summers blue?
A: Turn them blue by using a soil acidifier—add around the drip line to increase the “wow” factor. And no, you cannot turn a white hydrangea blue!
Q: What kind of maintenance do hydrangeas require during the fall/winter when they are not in bloom?
A: DEER fencing!!!! Also prune during the fall or early spring to clean out the dead wood and reduce the crown by 1/3 of its size.
Q: Any last tips?
A: They like light conditions, lots of water—hydrangeas are thirsty plants—and they need deer proofing during the winter months. But ones best bet is to ask your gardener!
So there you have it—I hope this article has helped shed some light on Nantucket’s most popular flowers and might even inspire you to grow your own! But if you’d rather leave it to the pros, Heather & the rest of the Tom Hanlon Landscaping team are truly the best!
