'Blushing Bride' Hydrangea (PPAF)

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The Next Endless Summer Hydrangea

In 2003, Endless Summer Hydrangea was introduced by Minnesota's Bailey Nurseries and blew the gardening industry away! It blooms on both old and new wood for repeat-blooming color all season long. Since Endless Summer was introduced, three more repeat blooming hydrangeas have been introduced by Zelenka Nurseries - 'Forever & Ever', 'Forever & Ever Double Pink' and 'Forever & Ever Red.' Now, Bailey Nurseries is introducing an Endless Summer derivative - 'Blushing Bride.' This, the fifth of the new repeat blooming hydrangeas, each one distinctly different, was bred from Endless summer by Dr. Michael Dirr, our nation's preeminent woody plant authority. It will have only limited availability this spring.

White Blooms Repeat Throughout the Season

The blooms produced by 'Blushing Bride' are pure white, maturing to a blush pink or blue, depending upon your soil acidity. It has glossy, deep green foliage. 'Blushing Bride' has even faster re-bloom that its parent, Endless Summer. In addition to repeat blooms, 'Blushing Bride' Hydrangea is unusually hardy, at least through Zone 5.

'Blushing Bride' has the incredible repeat blooms that we love. Hydrangeas macrophylla always set their buds reliably in the fall, but these hydrangeas tend to go into the winter with soft and tender tips and that's where the buds are located. Even if the buds survive the late fall frost and winter cold, they start to grow early in the spring and are subject to late spring freezes. As normal Hydrangea macrophyllas do not produce flower buds in the spring and summer, if and when these fall-produced buds die (or are eaten by deer), there will be no bloom that year. On 'Blushing Bride', flower buds are formed not only in the fall, but also in spring and summer. As the 'Blushing Bride' grows, it is continuously forming buds that will flower all season long. Prompt removal of the faded blooms will encourage new growth and even more new blooms.

Planting and Care

'Blushing Bride' Hydrangea will mature at four feet tall by four feet wide, perhaps a little larger. Unlike other Hydrangea macrophyllas which can only be pruned just as the flowers fade, 'Blushing Bride' can be pruned at any time - although late summer is probably still preferable. 'Blushing Bride' prefers moist soil (not wet) in a place with afternoon shade and morning sun. It makes an excellent choice for foundation planting, as a specimen and in shrub or perennial borders.

For best results plant in early spring to late summer.

Plant in well-drained soil. If you desire blooms that age to soft blue, add iron sulphate or garden sulphur; use lime for blooms that age to pink.

Performs best in moist, but not wet, soil. Add Soil Moist if you think the soil is too dry.

Plant so the top of the root ball is a half inch below the surface of the soil.

Prefers an area with morning sun and afternoon shade.

Use a handful of fertilizer at planting and again in early December and early March.

For blooms that will age to blue, use Leaf Gro compost at planting and fertilize with Holly-Tone.

For blooms that will age to pink, use Chesapeake Blue Crab Compost at planting and fertilize with Bulb-Tone.

Hardy in zones 5 to 9.

Click here to view 'Blushing Bride' Hydrangea on the Carroll Gardens website.