HYDRANGEAS IN LATE SPRING

It is now late spring and your hydrangeas are calling you. The clock is ticking and hydrangeas are waking up. Those that flower on new wood like ‘Annabelle’ and ‘Limelight’ have begun their growth cycle. If you haven’t already pruned them back, now is the time to get busy. Here’s a post I did in March on what to do with these new wood flowering plants. Hurry up!

REMOVE WINTER PROTECTION

Big Leaf hydrangea encased in leaves for the winter

Assuming you have already worked on your new wood bloomers, and your long-range forecast doesn’t show any REALLY cold nights, you can begin to remove the winter protection you might have installed for your plants. Wait for a few overcast days so they can acclimate gently to the strong natural light. Be aware that underneath that protection, those new green buds that have developed are soft, so be gentle.

TIME TO CUT BACK YOUR OLD WOOD FLOWERING HYDRANGEAS

You can also start to cut back your old wood hydrangeas like ‘Endless Summer’, ‘Let’s Dance’, etc. Deadheading your oak leaf hydrangeas and your climbers is also OK now. Check this post that details how to go about this chore. This is also a good time to give your plants their first dose of fertilizer.

How to Prune A Bigleaf Hydrangea

WILL I HAVE FLOWERS THIS YEAR?

Prepare to be disappointed in your plants’ flowering this year. Unlike the previous year, they closed out 2024 in a somewhat dry condition. That continued into the winter when snowfall totals were below average in most places, yet temps were unseasonably colder than normal. All that stress impacts the plants’ ability to produce flowers. If ever there was a reason to have reblooming big leaf hydrangeas, this is it. Rebloomers will give you those flowers, albeit a bit later.

TRANSPLANTING NOW?

If you are inclined to transplant any of your hydrangeas, try to wait until the soil temp is at least 50 degrees F. Use an instant read thermometer from the kitchen to determine that. However, if you can wait until late summer to do that transplanting, that would be better. The soil is much warmer and that transplanted hydrangea will get off to a better start when its tootsies are kept warm. Not to mention, you won’t have such a burden to keep it well watered through the hottest time of the year. Who needs another chore??

WILDLIFE PROTECTION

One last chore this time around…If you garden in deer country, get out there and protect your plants. Does are hungry and will soon teach the fawns where to eat. Keep your garden off the menu by using sprays, fencing etc.

I hope to be able to tell you in May that my old wood flowering hydrangeas are budding up. Stay tuned…

Speaking “Landscape”

Audience listening to speaker

Our new normal is to have in person and virtual gatherings, depending on a variety of factors. So the bookings I have are very fluid. I will post only those PUBLIC dates of which I am certain. As things change, so will this info. Stay tuned!

Book Me For A Talk

Of course, I am available to discuss the possibilities of doing a virtual or in person talk for your group. Just “Contact Me.”

Learn Where and When I Am Speaking

Aside from updating this page from time to time re my public speaking schedule, I will also tell you about them in my blog posts, where you can catch the info. It’s easier if you subscribe to my free blog posts. Then they get delivered to your mailbox.

Upcoming Public Speaking Dates

Bookings continue to be brisk. I am scheduling Zoom/virtual talks as well as in person presentations. If you or someone in your organization wants to discuss these possibilities, use the “Contact Me” tab on my site. Note that I speak on other than hydrangeas, but that topic never gets old, especially in challenging seasons! 

Why not plan to attend one of my public upcoming talks? Here’s where you can find me for May 2025:

May 3, Greenwich Botanical Center (GBC) noon. I am delighted to be part of this organization’s Gardener’s May Market. I am one of an array of speakers on a variety of horticultural topics. But there is so much more. Check in on the link to get the full picture. 

May 14. Newtown Senior Center, Newtown CT. 7.00 P.M. The Town and Country Garden Club of Newtown. Shady Characters, Free. 

My award-winning hydrangea book is available for purchase at all live events. A signed copy makes a great gift for you or another hydrangea lover, especially for your upcoming celebrations and holidays like Mother’s Day. And, you can always order one from this site anytime.

I look forward to seeing you. Tell/bring your friends.

Thanks for checking in.