We have several hydrangea plants in our yard that bloom all summer. In the spring, the first blooms of the season are a beautiful blue, but after that the blooms are an unattractive white/green. Are we doing something wrong or is this the nature of the plant?
-- James W. from Athens
You are not doing anything wrong, that is the natural color progression of the flowers as they fade. Some gardeners who do not like the faded flowers will prune them out, bringing the plant back into a more leafy appearance. The good news is that right after the plant blooms is the correct time of year to prune Hydrangea macrophylla (Mophead Hydrangea) to make sure you do not impact the flowering in the following season.
Other gardeners collect the flowers to dry and preserve for indoor use. The flowers can be dried while blue or pink but many gardeners wait and dry the flowers once they have begun to fade to the greenish color on the plant.
This process of allowing the flowers to begin drying on the plant before cutting and removing the leaves is the easiest method for hydrangea flower preservation. Flowers that still are colorful on the plants often are more prone to wither and wilt during the drying process.
• Send your agricultural or natural resources questions to Amanda Tedrow, Athens-Clarke County Extension agent, at firstname.lastname@example.org or call (706) 613-3640.
© 2017. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us