While now is not the best time of year to plant hydrangeas, it is a good time to prune those that are overgrown. Such specimens may need selective pruning to eliminate all but the taller stems. In general, it is not recommended to prune most plants between mid-July and November as it can promote new succulent growth that will be subject to winter injury.  There are a few exceptions, however, those being roses, peaches and gardenias. As hydrangeas may still be blooming, there could be some reluctance to prune these plants at this time. 

The ideal location for hydrangeas is semi-shade such as under tall trees with thick canopies. Usually, pine trees are better choices because of the highly competitive root systems of most hardwood species. Even when environmental conditions are favorable, proper and regular care is important for best performance. This certainly includes frequent and generous watering, especially during high summer temperatures and long periods of no rain. 

  One reason many homeowners like to include hydrangeas in their landscapes is their coarse-textured foliage. Since many landscape plants are “equipped” with fine or medium textured foliage, a change of texture is often a nice textural change. These several kinds of hydrangeas can be easily mixed with other plants and there are several kinds of hydrangeas such as garden hydrangeas, Oakleaf hydrangeas and lace cap hydrangeas. American Beauty Berry is a close relative and is sometimes referred to as a French Mulberry.  Garden hydrangeas usually mature at about five feet tall and four feet wide while the oakleaf can be as tall as eight feet with a width of five feet. The American Beauty Berry grows to a size similar to the oakleaf hydrangea.  

An interesting characteristic of the garden hydrangea is the color change you can alter in their flowers by changing the chemistry of the soil in which they are growing. A quarter cup or aluminum sulfate added to the soil several days apart will turn the flowers blue. Different amounts of this compound will change the shade of blue. For pink flowers, add lime to the soil from time to time to make the soil alkaline. Often, during these color changes the flower color may be lavender or there may be individual pink and blue flowers on the same plant at the same time. No matter what the case you need a lot of patience because you may not see these color changes occur for up to two years.  

Since hydrangeas require so much water during the summer, it’s a good idea to place a drip hose in their beds so that supplemental watering can be easily furnished whenever needed. 

One other plus the garden hydrangeas offer is their ability to provide material for floral arrangements. Their hard, sturdy stems can be cut about any length desired and the flowers can be left a natural color or dyed any color desired.