Brian Minter: How these big, blooming hydrangeas have taken the gardening world by storm

Sun loving, drought tolerant and cold hardy: hydrangeas have spiked in popularity, especially with so many new and remarkable varieties now available. There are so many, even the professionals are having trouble keeping up.

I think one of the nicest features of H. paniculata grandiflora, or PeeGee, hydrangeas, is that most change colour from a creamy white to beautiful shades of pink or red as the blossoms mature. Some, like H. p. Limelight, start out as a beautiful green shade and then age to cream with varying pink tones.

The H. paniculatas variety also vary in height and breadth, which is an important issue with so many smaller gardens. The standard, or tree form, is another great feature, especially in cramped spaces when a two- to three-metre tree can make a great focal point and also act as a screen.

By far one of the most popular low growing varieties is a Proven Winners introduction called H. p. Bobo. Growing less than one metre tall and about two metres wide, it is one of the earliest to bloom with beautiful white panicles that mature into a pleasing pink.

A close competitor, H. p. Dragon Baby, was introduced by Van Belle Nursery in Abbotsford. It opens with slightly smaller triangular blooms with a touch of green, which quickly turn white and finally finishes as a rich pink. I find it always looks perky and stays very low in the two-to-three-foot range.

Another Van Belle introduction, H.p. Bubble Bath, is gaining attention heads because of its low-mounding form. It also opens lime green, and its huge blossoms age to rosy pink. It’s also a shorty, only getting up to one metre tall and wide.

One of the newest developments by Van Belle is H. p. Hot Sauce, which has more distinct triangular panicles that open a creamy white and then turn pink and red.  It’s another very compact variety, growing to less than one metre tall, and it keeps blooming well into autumn.

Last of the shorties is another Proven Winner H.p. Fire Light Tidbit. Similar to H.p. Bobo, with a mounding habit, it also starts out as bright lime, transitioning to white and then quickly turning to a dragon-fruit neon pink. Another feature is its beautiful fiery, orange-red fall foliage.

The popular lime family is always expanding and improving. H.p. Limelight was the original strong-stemmed lime hydrangea, growing up to two metres tall and wide. It is very impressive, but as the blossoms age the green can change into pink and ultimately burgundy in the fall. A shorter, more compact form is called H.p. Little Lime is about half the size of the original with the same colours.

H.p. Little Lime Punch is very similar to Little Lime in size, but the difference comes as the flowers begin to age. Green turns to a festive blend of pink, green, white, and Hawaiian Punch red. It is not only vibrant but very uplifting. In addition to all these varieties, Proven Winners recently introduced H. p. Limelight Prime. It is a very strong plant with darker green foliage and grows to about two metres tall and wide. This new variety holds its lime colour weeks before transforming into a nice bubble gum pink, like their famous petunia. It is the ultimate Limelight icon.