These last few weeks of heat have been hellacious for our hydrangeas, especially the pair in our front yard, which receive the bulk of the day’s sun, including mid-day when it’s at its strongest. I’ve been doing my best to water the ferns in the back, so these don’t get as much care in the heat, and they have finally shown me the results of such apathy.
We haven’t had a stretch of sun and heat like this for a while, and I think the hydrangeas just aren’t used to it. They prefer something on the shady side as a general rule anyway, unless they can be given regular and consistent water, which has been sorely lacking (due to my own failings).
An interesting note about hydrangeas – if you get to watering them early in the morning, it helps to soak their leaves and flowerheads too, as the plant takes in water through both. (A trick for cut hydrangeas that show signs of wilting – submerge them fully in a bucket of water, re-cut the stems, and wait for the magic to begin again).
