Variegated Hydrangea

[Ann B.]

It won't be long before my hydrangeas are in bloom.

This one is small and definitely one of my favorites...

[vicki]

I really like the looks of this one! Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing Ann! Hope everything is going good for you and yours. Busy, busy here.

[Dazed_Lily]

I have never seen a variegated one ! After daylilies and lilies , I have a soft spot for hydranges(probably because all of mine(5) are Easter rescues). I'll be anxious to see the blooms on yours !

[Dazed_Lily]

Ann- Would you happen to have the name of that hydrangea ? I have been doing an internet search and found one on Paghat and stories about reverting elsewhere but none of the photos look like this--name, I hope, please ?:)


PS: Ann- Look a hydrangea symposium in Alabama(too bad its' not free):
http://www.conweb.com/hydrangea/index.shtml

[Ann B.]

Cathy,

I am pretty sure this is it!

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Variegata' - Variegated Lacecap Hydrangea

It is definitely a lacecap. The flower buds used to all have a baby blue tint, but I noticed this year that one of the caps has pale pink ones.

They are in too much sun at the moment, but when the sun goes to the west, I will try to get a picture of what is opening now.

[Dazed_Lily]

Lacecap--yes, that helps--i found a pink one mantioned. I tell you I just love hyrangeas and might have to start a new 'passion'. Yesterday, I saw Angel's Smile at the nursery and just went ga-ga over it ! I can't find an on-line photo but the flowers are white with a pink line right down the center--i'd say it's a macrophylla.

[Dazed_Lily]

Re Angel's Blush. I finally started finding photos but they don't look like what the nursery is calling Angel's Blush. I figure Monrovia knows what they are talking about and their photo is an all white flower that will turn red over time. Oh well ! The imposter AB is very pretty.

[Ann B.]

It sounds very pretty!

Actually, I like this one more because of the leaves rather than the flowers, but the flowers are pretty.

Here is a picture of the one with the pink buds...

[Ann B.]

and the blue...

[Dazed_Lily]

Oh, thank you for taking those pictures ! They are so delicate and pretty ! :)

[Ann B.]

Before it was all said and done, they all ended up being baby blue, and so very pretty!

I do need to get that honeysuckle vine out of there, though. Don't I?

[sue salley]

Ann, I love hydrangeas. I didn't feed my Nikko Blue enough acid last year and it was baby blue. I think I prefered it to the brighter blue. But the brighter blue reminds me of my Grandmother. She had them in front of her porch. If she found anything rusty like a nail she would take it and bury it under the hydrangeas and they were always so dark blue. Me, I use Miracid.

[Dazed_Lily]

so acid= pink
alkaline= blue The rusty nail is alkaline ?

My Dad & his Mom used to do that too--nails and cans. But I can't remember what color that gets you. Blue?

[sue salley]

Cathy,
The acid makes blue and the alkaline (lime) makes pink. I want to start one off of mine and try a pink one,too.

[Dazed_Lily]

Hmmm. I mixed acidified(sulfured) cotton bol mulch in with the soil when I transplanted the hydrangeas and the first one blooming is pinkish !
I found a link. That's IT on the LEFT-not right !

http://www.dahlwatt.com/BERLIN.htm

I just read the link. It's like the left because it's immature.

[Ann B.]

Cathy,

We don't do anything to get them to turn blue. Our soil and our water is acidic here.

So, I am thrilled when they stay pink or purple for a few years. This one is probably 5-6 years old and is planted near the cement foundation of my patio, so it is less acidic.

I had never heard the story about the rusty nail, but then again, it is not necessary here.

However, pulverized limestone is helpful for some plants.

They say that it is harder to turn alkaline soil to acidic than acidic to alkaline. I believe that, but there are some things that simply will not grow well here, no matter what you do!

[sue salley]

The link Ann gave us has some info on "blueing hydrangeas". Go to the main page them to culture.

[Dazed_Lily]

In an earlier thread I mentioned that I have Berlin. Here it is in my garden(matches pretty well to the link http://www.dahlwatt.com/BERLIN.htm):