Hello there, dedicated gardener. I am an Endless Summer hydrangea, a proud member of the *Hydrangea macrophylla* family, and I’m thrilled you’ve chosen to care for me. From my perspective, my needs are quite specific, but when they are met, I will reward you with a spectacular show of color from early summer often right through to fall. To help you understand how to make me truly thrive, let me explain my world.
First and foremost, my location is everything. I adore the morning sun; it gently wakes my petals and fuels my growth. However, the intense, scorching afternoon sun is my nemesis. It stresses me, causing my large, beautiful leaves to wilt and my blooms to fade prematurely. The ideal spot for me is one with dappled sunlight or a place that offers bright shade in the afternoon. Next, my roots are my lifeline, and they crave consistently moist, well-drained soil. I despise having "wet feet" – sitting in waterlogged soil will cause my roots to rot. But I also panic if I become too dry. A layer of organic mulch around my base is like a comforting blanket; it keeps my roots cool and helps retain that precious moisture. As for food, I am a bit of a gourmand in the spring. A balanced, slow-release fertilizer formulated for shrubs gives me the sustained energy I need to produce my first, and most importantly, my subsequent, rounds of flowers.
My name, "Endless Summer," comes from my unique ability to bloom on both old wood and new wood. This is the key to my long flowering season. The flower buds that formed on my stems last summer (the "old wood") will open early in the current season. Then, as those flowers fade, I get to work producing new stems ("new wood") that will develop their own flower buds and bloom later in the same season. This is where many gardeners unintentionally hinder my performance. If you prune me heavily in the fall or early spring, you are likely cutting off the old wood buds that were waiting to burst open. The best approach is to practice "deadheading." Once a flower cluster has faded, simply snip it off just above the first set of large, healthy leaves below the flower head. This encourages me to put energy into new growth and future blooms rather than producing seeds. Save any major shaping or removal of dead stems for right after my first flush of flowers has finished.
The color of my blooms is not just a genetic trait; it's a direct response to the chemistry of the soil I live in. This is a fascinating conversation between my roots and the earth. The availability of aluminum in the soil dictates my color. In acidic soils (pH below 6.0), aluminum is readily available, and my roots absorb it, resulting in beautiful blue to lavender-blue flowers. In more alkaline soils (pH above 7.0), aluminum is locked up and unavailable to me, leading my blooms to express shades of pink and even red. If you desire blue flowers, you can apply a soil acidifier, like aluminum sulfate, in the spring and fall. For pink blooms, apply garden lime to raise the pH. Remember, this is a gradual process, not an instant change. White-flowered varieties of Endless Summer, however, are a delightful exception; their color is genetically fixed and will not change with soil pH.
While I am bred for improved cold hardiness, a harsh winter can still damage the flower buds on my old wood. To ensure a spectacular show first thing in the spring, a little protection is appreciated. After the ground has frozen in late autumn, add an extra-thick layer of mulch—like shredded bark or leaves—over my root zone. This prevents the ground from repeatedly freezing and thawing, which can heave my roots out of the soil. In very cold climates, some gardeners even wrap my upper branches with burlap. This cozy protection helps safeguard those precious buds that will become next season's first flowers, setting the stage for another endless summer of beauty.
