Endless Summer® The Original Hydrangea

Endless Summer The Original solved a problem that kept blue mophead hydrangeas out of cold gardens for decades: the flower buds formed in summer and winter killed them. Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmer' blooms on both old and new wood, so even when a hard freeze takes last year's buds, the plant flowers anyway on the growth it puts on that spring. It grows 3 to 5 feet tall and wide in part sun to part shade, hardy from Zone 4 through Zone 9.

Bloom starts in early summer and keeps going into fall, with fresh flower heads opening through the season rather than one flush and done. Cutting spent heads keeps new ones coming.

The color of the blooms depends on your soil. Acidic soil, roughly pH 5.5 and below, gives blue. Neutral to alkaline soil gives pink. Aluminum sulfate in spring pushes toward blue, and soil sulfur works more slowly but holds longer. If you want a specific color and your ground fights you, a container is the easier answer.

Give it morning sun with afternoon shade, consistent moisture, and shelter from cold wind. Do not cut it back hard in spring, since that removes the old wood buds and costs you the early flush even though the plant will still bloom later. The large leaves wilt on hot afternoons and recover by evening, so check the soil before watering again.