Over 15 years ago, my mother gave me a house warming arrangement that contained a stem of hydrangea. That stem put out roots and I planted it. It is still one of the show stoppers in the garden. This stem came from a plant in front of her house which was there when my parents bought the house over 60 years ago. How do I find out what variety of hydrangea this is? I compare what I see in the beautiful pictures and wonder where do I begin to decide or is it a just a lost cause?
Jean
How do I know?
Jean, that's a tough one. You may want to start with when the house was built. Then you have a time frame when it was planted. There are several plant vendors that specialize in heirlooms that give a lot of info about when and where certain varieties were most popular. Many heirloom plants are no longer in comercial propation and many are in danger of being lost, so if your specimen shows some exceptional qualities (compared to other hydrangeas grown in your area) it may be worth persuing. Good luck, Neal.
Jean, the hydrangea that I have the least trouble with and seem to love the most is one I rescued from an old home place that had belonged to a friend's mother. It is just a blue mophead and I suspect it is very old or at least much older than me. Can't beat the old favorites that our grandparents had! Jenny
Thank you Neal and Jenny. I'm obiviously not an expert on hydrangeas but I don't see any special characteristics on this one other than it's reliablity and size. I think that Jenny and I have two old garden ladies who are happy where they are and don't want a lot of fanfare. I'll just continue to appreciate the beautiful blue Mopheads she offers all season long.
Jean