Invested in a few more Hydrangeas this summer .....CityLine Series. They are quite small with stunning colors. Here is Cityline Vienna
My new Hydrangaes.......Stunning
CityLine Paris......most unusual very deep pink. Brightens up the whole garden. Love them, you can be sure I will give them lots of winter cover.
Twist & Shout.......another new addition. Love the soft pastel mauve, I am not sure if it will stay this color or not.
Barb
I have cityline Berlin that I got from Bluestone as a $6.95 special. It hasn't bloomed but it has grown well and I am hoping next year.
Your pic really gave me something to look forward to.
Really, really nice. Twist & Shout is supposed to be bud hardy to zone 4. I don't plan on giving it any protection. I got a bargain on a 'Merritt's Beauty' just a couple of days ago, not a $6.95 bargain though. That's great. I'm sure I'll have to protect that one.
I protect them all. It is worth the time and effort for the blooms I get. Nothing better than working outside in late November in upstate NY.
I guess I'm a bit of a lazy gardener when it comes to hydrangeas. I don't protect 'Lady in Red', 'Blue Deckle', 'Preziosa' and 'Endless Summer'. All four did just fine and bloomed this spring - even after we hit -17° last winter. Except for 'Endless Summer' which gets killed back to the ground and blooms on new wood, the remainder bloom on old wood. I'm certain though that 'Merrits Beauty" will need all the winter help it can get.
Last year, I didn't protect 'Lady in Red' in fact the deep snow came before I had a chance to protect any. Result, only have blossoms on Pinky Winky, Limelight, Annabelle, and a few lower blossoms on the Blushing Brides and Endless Summer, which I thought were both pinks but are a deep blues. Will protect all this winter. Although Pinky Winky and Limelight are heavy with blossoms, it will be weeks before they bloom. They should be stunning by the end of September. Maybe if I give them some kind of protection they will start to blossom earlier.
I am fast becoming addicted to hydrangeas
Barb
Limelight and pinky winky do not need protection. They always bloom on new wood and bloom later than the big leaf mopheads and lacecaps.
bluecow - Endless Summer and Blushing Bride are remontant. That means they can bloom on new wood - wood produced in this year. They're blue because evidently you have acid soil. Lady in Red, though not a true remontant, is pretty tough when it comes to the cold. Mine was completely unprotected through out last winter. We had lows of -17°. It bloomed nicely for me this year. So I suspect your Lady in Red might need a little more help in the soil/fertilizer department or it could possibly be sited where it gets constant wind in the winter.
As bookreader451 explained Limelight and Pinky Winky also bloom on new wood. But they are an entirely different species of hydrangea than Endless Summer, Lady In Red and Blushing Bride. Endless Summer, Lady In Red and Blushing Bride are Hydrangea macrophyllas of which there are two flower forms - mopheads and lace caps. Limelight and Pinky Winky are Hydrangea paniculatas. Paniculatas are tough, tough plants for the cold. They are also large plants, and for some hard to find a place for in the landscape, but well worth the space.
There are other Hydrangea species you might consider. Hydrangea arborescens, especially 'Annabelle', is a giant white mophead bloomer that can be pruned back to the ground or left to grow as a big hedge. They're hardy down to zone 2 or 3. A fault is that the huge heavy blooms often wind up laying on the ground, especially after a rain.
Hydrangea serratas are more delicate cousins of the macrophyllas, smaller in stature for both flowers and shrub size. They are somewhat more hardy than most macrophyllas. If you come across a 'Blue Deckle' H. serrata find space for it. It's a remontant lacecap that can be blue or pink depending on your soil. Pink in soil with pH around or over 6.5, blue in soil under pH 6.5 or so.
Another common wonderful Hydrangea species are the quercifolias - Oak leaved hydranges. The have a flower like the paniculatas and leaves that are shaped like oak leaves. I just love them. They are winter hardy and very showy. The blooms are huge and white. The leaves turn beautiful shades of red, yellow and gold in the fall. They do well in sunny positions. They prefer dryer soil conditions than the macrophyllas.
Last, but not least, of the common Hydrangea species are the climbers - Hydrangea anomala petiolaris ( two species names here). They are winter hardy. They can climb rough surfaces well over 40'. They bloom white in a lace cap form. Their exfoliating bark is very attractive in the winter, making them a two season of interest plant. These vines take some patience. After planting they take a good four years to get their act together. Then they just rocket off up whatever structure you've given them to climb. I have mine planted at the base of a ancient old oak tree. It's six years old, about 8' high this year and blooming. They like a shaded or partially shaded site. The north or east side of brick wall is as good as a big tree.
If you want more information about hydrangeas I highly recommend Dr. Michale Dirr's book "Hydrangeas for American Gardens".
http://www.amazon.com/Hydrangeas-American-Gardens-Michael-Dirr/dp/0881926418
Dr. Dirr is the foremost hydrangea expert, probably in the world. He is the original breeder of 'Endless Summer' and 'Lady In Red'.
This year he introduced "Twist and Shout". "Twist and Shout" is an H. macrophylla lace cap on steroids. The flowers (pink or blue depending on your soil) are e n o r m o u s. It's said to be hardy to zone 4 without protection. It's available this year only at independant garden centers. Find room for this one.
Hydrangeas are addictive. Enjoy!
Your Blushing Bride may have been mislabeled--it's supposed to be white. It could have some pinkish or bluish tinges depending on what pH your soil is, but it shouldn't be deep blue. I suspect you might have two original Endless Summer's. If you protect Endless Summer and Blushing Bride you will get more blooms since they'll bloom on both old and new wood and protecting them will save the old wood blooms (the old wood blooms will come earlier in the season than the new wood blooms). Protecting Annabelle, Pinky Winky, and Limelight won't change anything as others have mentioned--it's not necessary for them and won't make them bloom any sooner.