Hydrangea ALL SUMMER BEAUTY,(4' POT) LIVE PLANT,Perennial, SHRUB

 Want the absolute best new Hydrangea breeding? Magnificent, bright-blue flowers!
‘All Summer Beauty’ macrophylla blooms on both old and new wood, stunning blue mophead hydrangea that blooms all summer long. Hydrangeas traditionally bloom on “old wood”, meaning last year’s growth but ‘All Summer Beauty’ is one of a new breed that reblooms on the current year’s growth as well! So you get a lot of blooms in early summer, followed by more blooms in late summer! It is a deciduous shrub with outstanding ornamental flowers. Unlike older varieties, this super-floriferous shrub is hardy right through zone 5 in the north. In the fall its foliage turns a bright yellow before dropping in late fall.

Hydrangeas are among the showiest of all the flowering shrubs. Spectacular in any landscape design, this dazzling shrub is versatile, vigorous and easy to cultivate. This shade of blue is rare to find in garden plants, but ‘All Summer Beauty’ delivers a deep blue that will be the focal point of your landscape. The flower color of the ‘All Summer Beauty’ hydrangea depends on the acidity level of the soil. In acidic soil, this hydrangea has deep blue flowers, while in alkaline soil, the blooms tend to be lighter, and sometimes even pink. Hydrangeas have huge bouquets of clustered flowers, in various arrangements from mophead to lacecap from summer through fall. Varieties of hydrangea differ in size of plant and flower shape, flower color, and blooming time. Hydrangeas thrive in a moist, fertile, well-drained soil in partial to full shade.

Hydrangea grows into a shrub about 6 to 8 feet tall, and as much across. The height can be controlled and your plants kept smaller by pruning a little harder each spring. It has rounded deep-green leaves 8 or more inches long, which clothe the plant right to the ground, making a rounded mound that will shade the ground beneath it and prevent weed growing. In summer it is covered in huge balls of rich-blue flowers which last and last. Even when they eventually fade to a light-brown color they stay on the plants into fall and give an elegant appearance. With Nikko Blue Hydrangea you will need no other plants around it, as it will be interesting all season long.

Hardiness

 Hydrangea is hardy from zone 6 to zone 9. So it will grow all across America except for the tip of Florida and the coldest central and eastern states. It will also grow in zone 5, but fewer flowers will be produced, especially after more severe winters. These plants do extremely well in areas with good rainfall and mild winters, so are especially admired and loved throughout the South.

Planting as a Hedge or Screen

Hydrangea should be planted 3 feet apart to make a dense informal hedge or screen. So dig a hole or a trench, two or three times wider than the pot and add plenty of organic material, like peat-moss, compost, rotted leaves or rotted manure to the soil. Place your plants in the hole or trench, replace most of the soil and firm it well down. Then water thoroughly and when the water has drained away replace the rest of the soil, being careful not to cover the roots with any extra soil. Keep well watered and apply mulch each spring to retain moisture.

Sun Exposure

Hydrangea is the ideal shrub for shady areas. It will do well in the shade from homes and buildings but will also be happy with some sun in the early parts of the day. Do not plant in hot, dry areas or in the afternoon sun. Each spring removes any weak, thin branches and cut back the tip of the stems to the first pair of healthy, fat buds. If you want to retain a lower height, cut back to buds one or two feet lower than the height you want your Nikko Blue Hydrangea hedge to be. If your plants get too large, cut back further, just leaving a few strong branches low down, but you may get fewer flowers the first year after doing this.