Hydrengea

Photo taken May 2012

Photo taken June 20, 2012

 Hydrengea
Hydrangea macrophylla

Purchased from Al's Garden Center in Woodburn. I don't remember it being this color when I bought it summer of 2011.

Planted by the back fence.

For hydrengea's to bloom in oink, no aluminum can be present in the soil. To change the blooms from pink to blue: add aluminum sulfate to the soil in a solution of 1 tsp per gallon of water throughout the growing season. Soil pH must be low (5.2 - 5.5). An easy method to lower the soil pH is coffee grounds and other organic materials (such as grass clippings). A fertilizer low in potassium and high in phosphorus helps blooms tend toward the bluer shades.

Hydrangeas never NEED to be pruned and take caution in doing so.

To propagate, take cuttings about 5-6" long; remove the lower leaves. Cut the largest leaves to about half their size. Dip cuttings in rooting hormone and put into sterile medium such as damp vermiculite. Keep soil moist but not wet. Cover with plastic. Cuttings will form roots in 2-3 weeks. Start new cuttings early in the summer.

photo taken July 3, 2012

These just keep changing colors! And I thought it was a goner...