Panicle hydrangeas are dominating the landscape right now – learn just how easy to grow they really are. Plus, an interview with Dr. Allan Armitage on gardening in the North vs. South.
Show notes | Episode 101 | 8-10-2024
For more information on ‘Limelight’ panicle hydrangea visit, https://www.provenwinnerscolorchoice.com/product/limelight-panicle-hydrangea/
Visit Allan’s website at, https://www.allanarmitage.net/
To see more on the Gardening Simplified Show visit, https://gardeningsimplifiedonair.com/
Have a question you want to be answered? Send them our way! Stacey and Rick will answer them on the show. Leave your questions in the comments below or visit our website!
26 Comments
You forgot to say how amazing the newly released pinky winky prime hydrangea is❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤people need to know 🎉I had never heard of it even though I watch this show all the time. I picked it up in a nursery 120 miles away. This panicle hydrangea is stunning
Ooooh – maybe you can help with my panicle hydrangea puzzle!!!!!! I have a hedge of 6 Pinky Winky hydrangeas. This is its third year and it has always bloomed beautifully. This year, 3 of them have bloomed – 2 on one end, 1 on the other; and the 3 middle ones have not. Same light, same soil, same late winter/early spring pruning. The three that have not bloomed have no pest damage and have put on lots of new growth like the others, but not a single bloom! What's up with that???!!! I'm stumped! Edited to add – I'm in Zone 6A, the plants are about 5-6 feet tall with strong stems.
Such an informative episode! And I don’t feel hungover at all!
Excellent show as always!!!! Loved the interview….he is so full of information!
Have a few of his books!!! 📚 🪴❤️👩🌾🌲
I live in upper Indiana. When can I plant a hydrangea? September?
I have a handful of them around the yard. Some new some a couple years old. Here in southcentral Kansas we get long hot dry periods. Mine get enough sun but still struggle. Hate to over water but never know when is too much. Hopefully they get established and can handle the heat here. As of this week we are on a water restriction so can only water once a week. I let my lawn go to sleep a month ago. Have to focus on the new plants.
I am delighted to have GORGEOUS perennial flowers in my shade garden due to planting Let’s Dance Sky Blue and LD Rhythmic Blue.
30 years ago I planted wall to wall Hostas which have tall lavender flowers.
I am now (moving some to the back 40) and replacing the repeat similar size /types of Hostas with Let’s Dance. I added three in the spring. The blossom color is stellar. 1000 times better than the Hostas flower. Yay!!
I will be replacing some smaller apple green Hostas with All-Gold Japanese Forest Grass thanks to last week’s show.
I am looking at my limelight which is over 8 feet tall and will keep growing. We had a lot of rain in 7 a New York and it’s a droopy mess. I’m not sure why. The stems just can’t seem to hold up the massive white blooms. I see these all over coastal regions in New York and New Jersey. But they are not droopy like this one. It’s disappointing. I might kill it and put in an oak leaf.
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I LOVE hydrangeas. Keep on keeping on ❤
I plant my hydrangeas crown 2-3 inches above the ground. I mound up the soil to cover up the exposed top part of the root ball into a little hill. I cover it with mulch, and water around the base. I have found that as long as the crown is above the ground, I can water them as many times as I want without the plant getting root rot. It also forces the plant to grow roots down to reach for water. I have clay loam soil in 7a Texas. Might work for some of you all if you have a habit of overwatering your hydrangeas.
Thank you for doing this show on pinnacle hydrangeas! I never grew hydrangeas until we moved to our farm five years ago. I have to say they are fabulous! We planted some limelight and little limes a couple years ago, we already had a couple bobos, and they have all performed so well I’ve added, several other different to my full sung. You have inspired me to want to find more spots to put them. Thank you again for all you do for all of us! Charlotte, North Carolina zone eight
Dr. A! Fun interview.
Enjoyed hearing from Dr Armitage! I have read some of his books that our library has. I lived in Northern Vermont now we are in MS so I can commiserate. I have Little Quick Fire and Pinky Winky which turn pink reliably. For me water is the key on Little Quickfire as I installed a sprinkler tube under the row of 5 which I only hand watered last year. I DO see a difference esp as they are in full sun. Little Lime and Limelight Prime are green and starting to blush up and that is with afternoon sun.
I have 2 little lime punch hydrangeas. The stems are very stout, but the leaves are very sparse and small. I know the deer have nibbled on them. They both have one bloom, but it is very small. Black spots have just shown up on the leaves, also. Any thoughts? The plants are 3 years old, and only about 20 inches tall.
Thank you for this show. It was excellent and so informative. And your guest was so informative for me. I garden in zone 9a and struggle with plant placement because of the hot sun in our area. Dr. Armitage's recommendation for determining the sun and shade parts of your garden was super helpful.
It’s been a few episodes but Stacey, I can’t get used to the absence of your trio introduction. Always lots of love for this show ♥️ Such great information!
I love hydrangeas but have struggled. In the past 2 years, I have planted 8 hydrangeas (2 tree form, 6 small including tidbit, tuff stuff and bobs). Only 1 has survived. I have them on a berm and in front flower bed with well drained soil and prime conditions with all other plants surrounding it thriving. I should be a person who trials hydrangeas because it is the only plant I snuggle with. I am in zone 6b.
Bring on the hydrangeas I’m alway up for learning more about this gorgeous plant🏆💯👏
Thank you for introducing me to Dr.Allen Armitage! What a true pleasure it was!😊
I love hydrangeas and add new ones every year but I agree with Mr. Armitage that Japanese maples are the best. They offer 4 seasons of interest, especially in the fall and spring. I especially like his talk about western and eastern exposure in determining where to place plants. I notice that garden sites in the UK always include which exposure is best for the plant. Very helpful.
I have a hedge of 8 Limelights that I planted from a quart in 2020. They are in the 6-7 ft range. We got the remnants of Debby Fri. They were looking great before but one of them has a section that got weighted down and hasnt bounced back. Upon closer inspection this branch has numerous stems coming from it and when the rains came in (we got 6 inches) it bent over and despite drying out is staying in that position. Should I prune off a few and see if it bounces back, let it go or something else? Was this a pruning mistake on my part by keeping this many stems and should I have preemptively taken some off to lighten the load?
You have such a wonderful wealth of knowledge that has enriched my gardening skills, joy and choices, thank you for this show and sharing! You are my go to for decisions on plant choices!
limelight = the best
Great show as always! Love to listen to Dr. Armitage & excited to hear of his new book about cut flowers! ❤️
Yes!!! Dr. A. Great guest choice