To-Do List

Feature Task: Choose and grow the best hydrangeas for Michigan gardens

Annuals

• Remove spent flowers on a regular basis to maintain vigorous blooming. • Sow forget-me-nots at this time for blooms next spring. • If petunias are leggy, shear them back early in the summer and fertilize to help push new blooms. • Monitor container plants on a daily basis for dryness.

Bulbs (August)

• In late August, begin preparing for fall bulb planting. Select a well-drained area in sun or part shade. Clear the grass and weeds and dig in 2 to 3 inches of compost or manure.

Evergreens

• Trimming can be done on arborvitae, yew, hemlock, and juniper.

Fruits (August)

• Begin the harvest of early grapes, early apples, and fall-bearing raspberries. Prune out old raspberry canes as they finish blooming. • Grapes and bramble fruits can still be planted. Continue the harvest of day-neutral and everbearing strawberries. • Strawberry beds should be fertilized now. • Keep strawberries, brambles, currants, and gooseberries weeded to prevent competition for water and nutrients. • Clean up and destroy fallen tree fruit on a weekly basis to reduce future problems with pests and disease.

General

• Check and change nectar in hummingbird and butterfly feeders on a regular basis.

Good sanitation is especially important for hummingbird feeders. Bacterial build-up in the nectar can cause severe health problems. • As crops are harvested and other areas of the garden are cleaned up, a lot of organic matter is produced. This is an excellent time to start a compost pile. The process involves layering organic matter and, ideally, turning it on a weekly or biweekly basis. Keep the pile moist, but not soggy. By next spring, the pile will be broken down enough to add to and improve your soil.

Houseplants

• Plants kept outdoors should be checked daily for moisture. Keeping them in a shaded area will reduce drying out.

Lawn

• Lawns need about an inch of water per week in dry periods. A half inch of water every 3 to 4 days will fulfill this need. • If there is moisture stress on the lawn, watch for opportunistic diseases. An overwatered lawn will be prone to brown patch and melting out. A drought-stressed lawn will be at risk for necrotic ring spot and dollar spot. • If your community restricts water use during dry periods: 1) do not fertilize during the drought; 2) increase your mower height to 3 inches; 3) pull or spot-spray weeds; 4) water in the early morning, using two short cycles an hour apart.

Perennials

• Garden mums should receive their final pinching in early July. Asters can also be pinched back for bushier growth. • Beds should receive one inch of water per week during dry periods. • Cut back spent stalks of yarrow, Shasta

daisy, coreopsis, and balloon flower. Deadhead bellflower, coneflower, blanket flower, baby’s breath and daylily. • Clean up the dead foliage of columbine, bleeding heart, and poppy as they go into dormancy. • Keep an eye out for Japanese beetles in midsummer. A pheromone lure trap set away from desirable plants is an excellent monitoring device.

Shrubs & Trees

• Rhododendrons and azaleas should be watered 1 to 2 times per week in dry weather. • Deciduous hedges can be pruned or sheared now.

Vegetables

• In mid July, make a final sowing of snap beans, sweet corn, and summer squash.

Late in July, do a final planting of beets, carrots, chard, and head lettuce. Plant a fall crop of leaf lettuce, Chinese cabbage, kale, collards, and endive. • To help prevent the spread of disease, avoid harvesting green beans while the plants are wet. • Stop cutting asparagus and allow ferns to develop. Apply balanced fertilizer. • Finish the rhubarb harvest when the stalks start to get small.

With their big, beautiful, and colorful flower heads, hydrangeas are one of the most popular summer-flowering shrubs in the garden. They create interest spring through fall and pair nicely with perennials and evergreens. There are hundreds of hydrangea varieties, but some are better suited to Michigan’s climate than others. First, let’s review some growing information.

Hydrangeas do best when planted in areas with sun or partial sun, in consistently moist, well-drained, and organic-rich soil. Too much shade can result in reduced blooming. When planting hydrangeas in well-drained soils, enrich the soil with compost. For poorly drained or clay-based soil, add compost and soil conditioner (pine bark fines). Add a starter fertilizer to encourage rapid root growth. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application rates.

For newly planted hydrangeas, deep watering every couple of days, or as needed, is important. For established hydrangeas in dry weather, deep watering every few days is recommended. To help keep roots cool and retain moisture during dry summers, apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch around the plants, but away from their stems. Fertilize established hydrangeas every spring.

Here is a list of the hardiest hydrangea species that handle Michigan winters and bloom reliably every year without special care or pruning.

Smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens). These flower blooms are white or pink. The flower colors cannot be changed. Popular varieties: Annabelle (white flowers), Incrediball (white), Incrediball Blush (blush pink), Invincibelle Garnetta (pink), Invincibelle Limetta (white), Invincibelle Mini Mauvette (dwarf, pink), Invincibelle Ruby (pink), Invincibelle Spirit II (pink), Invincibelle Wee White (dwarf, white).

Panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata): These all bloom white and age to varying shades of pink. Their flower colors cannot be changed. Popular varieties: Bobo (white fades to pale pink), Fire Light (white fades to red/pink), Fire Light Tidbit (dwarf, white fades to red/pink), Fire and Ice (white fades to red/pink), Limelight (white fades to pale pink), Limelight Prime (dwarf, white fades to pink), Little Lime (dwarf, white fades to pale pink), Little Quick Fire (dwarf, white fades to red/pink), Pinky Winky (white fades to bright pink), Phantom (white fades to soft pink), Quick Fire (white fades to red/pink), Quick Fire Fab (dwarf, white fades to bright pink), Strawberry Sundae (white fades to soft pink), Vanilla Strawberry (white fades to strawberry pink), Zinfin Doll (white fades to bright pink).

Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris). White lacecap flowers will only appear after several years of being established in the ground. Requires some type of support to grow up on, like a tree, trellis, wall or arbor.

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia): These all bloom white and age to varying shades of pink. Their flower colors cannot be changed. Their unusually shaped leaves have spectacular fall color, changing from green to burgundy or purple. Popular varieties: Alice (white fades to soft pink), Gatsby Pink (white fades to bright pink), Munchkin (dwarf, white fades to dull pink), Pee Wee (dwarf, white fades to dull pink), Ruby Slippers (white fades to red/pink), Snowcicle (double-flowered, white fades to dull pink), Snow Queen (white fades to soft pink).