If you’ve had a look at the summer issue of Garden Making, you might notice the editor’s message makes a point about getting the right plant in the right place. A few years ago I planted woolly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus, Zone 5) next to a small granite rock that’s beside the front steps. Sometimes a plant just knows what to do, and this little woolly thyme fell in love … [Read more...] about Thyme: right plant, right place
hydrangea
Understanding blue hydrangea
Now in the fullness of summer, my neighbourhood is burgeoning with bright pink hydrangeas, but not a blue one is to be found. They have handsome foliage and hortensia-style flowers, broad corymbs of large showy clusters, and also some of the lacecap forms with masses of tiny fertile flowers on the inside of the blossom and larger infertile flowers ringing the outer edges. These … [Read more...] about Understanding blue hydrangea
The luxury of hydrangeas
My ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’, 4 x 4 ft. / 120 x 120 cm, Zone 4) is developing broad domes of creamy white flowers. ‘Annabelle’ is a cultivar of the native smooth hydrangea, and woody plant expert Michael Dirr makes a “beauty and the beast” comparison between ‘Annabelle’ with its huge and long-lasting flowers, and its species ancestor with small … [Read more...] about The luxury of hydrangeas
Colourful oakleaf hydrangeas worth the risk
I seem to be increasingly tolerant of risk these days, especially when it involves a desirable shrub, and oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia, Zone 6) fall into this category. They’re borderline hardy in my Zone 6a garden, meaning this is the coldest winter temperature they can survive in. Like all hydrangeas, H. quercifoliarequires consistent moisture, and suffers in … [Read more...] about Colourful oakleaf hydrangeas worth the risk
