Hydrangea '' Endless summer ® ''

Endless Summer “The Original”,are Hydrangea macrophyllas, which have the unique characteristic of blooming on both the current season’s growth as well as old growth, providing the advantage of a longer bloom period. Researchers at the University of Florida found that Endless Summer Hydrangeas flowered on average 10 to 12 weeks longer than other Hydrangea macrophyllas. The plants also have the ability to flower in cooler climates because they don’t need last season’s growth to produce new blooms.

Location
In zones 4-5a , recommend planting your Hydrangeas in a location that enables them to receive at least 6 hours of sun with some dappled shade in the afternoon. If you'd like to enjoy the pink (alkaline soil) or blue (acid soil) flowers of bigleaf hydrangea in your garden, plant the three to five foot tall and wide `Endless Summer' in a spot where the soils are well-drained, yet moisture-retentive. And, while `Endless Summer' will produce a few small flowers when it receives as little as two or three hours of sun each day, it flowers best when planted in full sun but protected from harsh winds.
Pruning
Don’t treat your Endless Summer Hydrangeas like an Annabelle Hydrangea by cutting them back in the fall or early spring.
To avoid pruning off new flower buds forming at the tips of stems in late summer, clip off spent blooms at a point just above the first set of leaves beneath the bloom. And, in the spring, do not cut "dead"

stems to the ground until new leaves have completely expanded - often not until early June.


Winter Cover
Protection for plants in the first few years is important, as is protection from spring freezes. Since Hydrangea buds emerge early in spring, late freezes may damage bud development as well as any new growth. Keeping the crown of plants covered with mulch through May helps protect these buds and any soft new growth from late spring freezes
Feeding your plant
Fertilization is also an important factor in flower production of Hydrangeas. A good quality, slow-release fertilizer applied once in spring or early summer should suffice for all but the most demanding locations. Look for an NPK ratio of 10-30-10. Container plants may need an additional application of liquid fertilizer during the growing season. Remember, if you over-feed your Hydrangeas, the effect is more dark green leaf production with fewer flower buds. In the North (zone 4) we recommend no fertilization after August 15th, as plants need to slow down and acclimate for winter.
Watering
The amount you water is one more factor you can regulate to ensure beautiful blooms. Although Hydrangeas are named after “Hydra”, Greek for water, your hydrangeas will form large leaves, lots of green growth and few flower buds if over- watered. Over-watering may slow the formation of flowers considerably. It’s normal for plants to wilt for a short time in the heat of the day. You’re better off to water well and less often, than giving a little all the time.