7/15/10 STORMY WEATHER AND HYDRANGEAS

SQUALL LINE OVER THE LAKE YESTERDAY EVENING
HYDRANGEA 'A.G.'
AKA "HILLS OF SNOW"
HYDRANGEA FLOWER COLOR IS OFTEN DEPENDENT ON SOIL pH

Thursday, 8:00 AM. 66 degrees, wind W, light. The sky is cloudless but the barometer predicts more rain, which we received .75” of yesterday afternoon during torrential downpours. We did dodge the worst weather, which spawned tornadoes and high winds to the south and west of us. The atmosphere over the big lake is a great help in warding off severe storms. Hayward, an hour to the south, had some damage. It promises to be a nice day.
The Hydrangeas are an important group of ornamental shrubs, most with large, showy flower heads. They have been much propagated and named and renamed and are confusing to identify and purchase. A common Hydrangea in bloom in gardens now is H. arborescens, usually known as “Hills of Snow,”H. arb. ‘Grandiflora’ and Hydrangea ‘A.G.’ It is native to the eastern and southeastern U.S. and is quite hardy.
The other most common Hydrangea is H. paniculata ‘Grandiflora’ usually called Hydrangea ‘P.G.’ or mop head Hydrangea. It has huge conical blooms up to 18” in length that are first white, then turn pink and finally brown. They are much used in dried floral arrangements. Of Asian origin, they are quite hardy and have been planted in America for a century and a half. They are not in bloom here as yet.
More recently introduced Hydrangeas are the many cultivars of H. macrophylla, many not hardy, which have pink, white, blue or multicolored flowers, depending upon soil pH. There are other Hydrangeas as well.
Hydrangeas are a welcome addition to the horticultural landscape, but be careful in making a selection.