Watch CBS News

A Bloomin' Hardy Hydrangea

By Phran Novelli

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A gardener named Lorraine got in touch with me last week lamenting that, like a lot of us, her hydrangeas didn't bloom this year after our very harsh winter. For those big leaf hydrangeas, there's nothing to do now but wait and see if the buds they made this summer survive the coming winter to flower next year.

But what you can do this fall to have more hydrangea flowers next summer is plant our native hydrangeas. Our native smooth hydrangeas have big puffy white flower heads and there are pink cultivars now too (in the photo here you see one called 'Invincibelle Spirit') I have five of these smooth leaf hydrangeas and they all bloomed beautifully this summer, despite last winter's wrath.

Our native oak leaf hydrangeas flowered well too. And as fall approaches, their leaves start turning beautiful shades of red and purple.

These smooth and oakleaf hydrangeas are just another great reason to garden with more of our native plants for easy care and success. Because they already know it can snow around here.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.