Giant Hydrangea

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Fern

Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills

Posted: Jun-24-2005 at 9:11pm

My Blue Wave Hydrangea has gotten so large I measured it today. It is 13 ft. by 10 ft. wide by 5 ft. tall! I don't prune it because it usually suffers enough cold damage to not bloom well and dies back but the last two winters have been mild. It took 3 moves to find a place it was happy.

Fern

 

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Lisa A

Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro

Posted: Jun-26-2005 at 10:52am

Smoley hokes, Fern, that is one monster hydrangea! It is obviously very happy in your garden.

I don't have any monster hydrangeas but I have a 'Carol Mackie' daphne that always stops people in their tracks. Contrary to what the books say (have you ever known a plant to behave as the books suggest?) my daphne is 7'-8' wide! It's within the 3' height as they books say but much wider than any other 'Carol Mackie' I've ever seen. I keep thinking it's gotten as big as it can get but it grows a little more each year. I haven't figured out if I'll lightly prune or hold the clippers and see just how big this fragrant beast will get.

Anyone else with plants that could claim a spot in our Rainy Side's Book of Plant Records? (completely fictitious but wouldn't it be fun if we had such a book?)

 

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Poppy

Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro

Posted: Jun-27-2005 at 12:13am

Wow, Fern, I am green, (blue? pink?) with envy! When I moved into this house 2 years ago, I found some scraggly little sunbaked plants I wasn't even sure were hydrangeas. I heard they needed some shade, so I took a chance and moved them to the only available spot--under a walnut tree with morning sun. Last year: nothing but green leaves. Ah! Big mistake, way too shady I thought. Suddenly last week: two beautiful blue flowers! There's hope! I'm thinking it was all the extra rain late this year and jump-started them. Maybe some day I can look forward to writing that I have monster hydrangeas like the ones you are growing!

Far west of Metro--at the entrance to the Tillamook Forest.

 

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Fern

Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills

Posted: Jun-27-2005 at 3:38pm

Mine is in alot of shade now too and at first I thought I had moved it to a place with too much shade becauce it wasn't blooming well at first [ plus some late frost damage to the buds, but it has been less here that in the previous places because it is protected by the tree]. I stopped trying to prune it and I got rid of the grass when it moved into the lawn, who needs much lawn anyway? It really likes fertilizer too. Each year it has gotten more flowers till it is full of flowers now.

Lisa, your 'Carol Mackie' daphne sounds amazing. Most people have such a hard time growing them at all. I haven't heard of them ever growing enough to need pruning. I had a 'Somerset' daphne till the trees grew too big and it died from too much shade. I was afraid to move it but I guess I should have tried.

Fern