Planting BloomStruck® Bigleaf Hydrangeas
I am always thinking of ways to enhance the gardens here at my Bedford, New York farm. Developing them takes time, patience, and knowledge about what grows best in a specific location.
I love hydrangeas and have been collecting them for years. Hydrangeas are popular ornamental plants grown for their large flower heads, which are excellent in cut arrangements and for drying. I recently decided to plant BloomStruck® Bigleaf Hydrangeas around my peafowl and goose pens outside my stable. These flowering plants are from the Endless Summer Hydrangeas Collection. I know they will flourish here with their large blue-purple to vivid rose-pink blooms.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Recently, we received a large delivery of beautiful hydrangea varieties from Endless Summer Hydrangeas, part of the fifth-generation, family and wholesale brand owner Bailey Nurseries in St. Paul, Minnesota. I was so excited to plant these big, blue, re-blooming specimens.
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- I decided to put these BloomStruck® Bigleaf Hydrangeas around two sides of my peafowl and goose enclosure, where they could be seen from the carriage road.
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- Before planting, two feet wide strips of sod are removed from the area directly in front of the bird fencing.
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- The hydrangeas are lined up perfectly and spaced evenly.
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- These plants are 2.5 feet apart, which will allow branches to grow together and create a nice hedge.
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- It’s always important to do research before planting. Make sure to consider the plant’s mature size and light needs when selecting a space. And remember, perennials grow slowly the first year, faster the second year, and then usually reach full size in the third year.
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- Because most of my peacocks and peahens were hatched here at the farm, they are very curious and comfortable around all the noises and activity. Here’s one of my “blue boys” coming to the fence to see what’s going on.
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- These mophead blooms measure 3.5 to five inches across. They bloom in rose-pink or violet blue, depending on pH of the soil. Hydrangeas are long-lived, and extremely vigorous specimens that offer lavish and varied blooms. The most common garden hydrangea shrub is the bigleaf mophead variety, Hydrangea macrophylla. The name hydrangea originates from two Greek words – “hydro” meaning “water” and “angeion” meaning “vessel” or “container.” Together, the rough translation is “water vessel” which refers to their exceptional thirst for water.
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- This variety also has burgundy stems and handsome dark green foliage.
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- Hydrangea leaves are opposite, simple, stalked, pinnate, and four to eight inches long. They are also toothed, and sometimes lobed.
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- Here’s a flower still waiting to bloom. Blooms appear all summer long on both old wood and new growth.
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- Josh digs a hole appropriately sized for the potted plant. The rule of thumb in gardening is to make a hole two to three times wider than the original pot and slightly deeper.
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- Josh sprinkles fertilizer into the hole and mixes it with the existing and surrounding soil.
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- We use Scotts All Purpose Flower and Vegetable Continuous Release Plant Food. This formula delivers nourishment, encourages vigorous root growth and lush foliage.
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- Josh and the crew work in an assembly line process, which is fast and efficient when planting in large quantities.
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- As with any plant, the root ball is teased with beneficial cuts on the side and bottom to stimulate growth.
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- Josh uses a Japanese hori hori knife. A hori hori is a Japanese gardening tool with a sharp, serrated, multi-purpose steel blade. It’s also known as a “soil knife” or “weeding knife” and is designed to be used as a trowel, knife, and saw.
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- Josh places the hydrangea into the hole facing its best side out. In the ground, the plant should sit at the same depth it was in the pot.
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- And then he backfills carefully, tamping the soil lightly at the end to ensure good contact.
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- Here’s another “blue boy” watching all the planting from his perch made from a downed tree here at my farm.
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- Many of the potted hydrangeas are blooming right now. When mature, these hydrangeas will reach two to four feet tall and three to five feet wide.
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- Once they are all planted, they’re given a deep drink of water. When established, hydrangeas should be watered about one inch per week, spread across three watering sessions. And always water evenly at the base, and never over the top of the plant.
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- In time, these gorgeous hydrangeas will develop into a nice hedge. And don’t worry, the peafowl and geese will still have great views of the farm from their enclosures.
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