I bought my Hydrangea Annabelle five years ago. It was about a foot tall and wide. Didn't know much about hydrangeas at the point, but the picture looked nice.
Today Annabelle is close to 5 feet tall and just as wide. It has been the one plant in the garden that shines, with minimal, if any, attention from me. The summer that I brought this baby home, I watered it frequently of course, but since then, I cannot remember ever pulling the hose out to give it a drink. May sound a bit harsh, but I've never seen it drooping. And fortunately, no bugs appear to have taking a liking to Annabelle, with the exception of the Hydrangea Leaf Rollers that I found one year. But they were not able to do any noteworthy harm.
Annabelle has a simple beauty that is so easily appreciated. The mop heads that open up in early June, are of a chartreuse green color that slowly transform into a soft white. I absolutely love how I right now can enjoy a range of mop head colors on my shrub. All backed up by a bounty of healthy dark green leaves.
The one thing I've struggled with, is whether I should cut it back, how much, and when. And seriously, Annabelle looks its best this year when I didn't do anything at all. No cut backs. I just removed broken branches. Someone told me that if you want large mop heads, cut them back. And so I did, but when the hard rains came, my beautiful big mop heads were heavy on the ground in the dirt. This year the mop heads are smaller, and they have held up well to the rains - so far. 
Now that we know that we like each other, Annabelle and I, I've been a bit eager to get my hands on a pink Annabelle. It was on my shopping list for this spring, but it's nowhere to be seen. What I have noticed though, is that my shrub has a branch that is growing horizontally on top of the ground with tiny shoots coming up like little mini shrubs. I think if I cover the branch with a bit of dirt I can maybe get roots to grow? And, and.... maybe have little Annabelle babies?
What do you think? Would that work, or am I being a bit optimistic?
SO. BEAUTIFUL.
ReplyDeleteIt's gorgeous. Yes, I think you could definitely get baby plants. Hydrangeas grow very well from cuttings - I have about 8 hydrangeas and they've all grown from cuttings. I think it will be a while before they flower though :)
ReplyDeleteSå VACKER!! Funkar säkert med att gräva ner grenen lite, jag har inte provat med just snöbollsbuske, men jag har förmerat en magnolia på det sättet, funkade jättebra. ha en skön vecka/Sophia
ReplyDeleteHimmel o plättar så stor den blir. Jag trodde den blev omkring dryga metern hög...
ReplyDeleteFina bilder du tar Annelie!
Ha en fin midsommarvecka! H.
Annelie, Annelie........ Sååå fin! Helt makalöst stor också den är.... Blir något avundsjuk.... (men du vet: inte missunnsam... :-)) Lycko dig helt enkelt som kan ha sådana växter och får dem så frodiga.....även om den verkar sköta sig själv till största del, vilket ju är perfekt...
ReplyDeleteVilka fina bilder du tagit också.... Tror också som Sopiha gällande grenen...
Ha en superskön vecka!
Kram tjejen!
/Charlotte
Hi Annelie! You wrote about your hydrangea with such love, it makes me whant to go and buy it right now! It's a gorgeous plant, for sure. I hear what you are saying about pruning/cutting back. For no reason, I decided to prune one of my shrub roses earlier this year.I am embarassed now. It looked perfect all previous years. Why did I decide to improve it? Maybe, we need to remember the French saying: Better is an enemy of Good. As for the rooting hydrangeas, I saw some nice tips here: http://www.gardenguides.com/78844-root-hydrangea.html But, I think you might skip almost all steps since you have roots already!
ReplyDeleteHey, be careful: having her babies will make you a grandma!ha-ha...
I also wanted to say that the Swedish princess and her bouquet are lovely, lovely, lovely!
Thanks for your kind comments on my blog! Happy to see your name there!
Thank You, Michelle! We biked past your old house yesterday.
ReplyDeleteSarah- Thanks, great to know. I will patiently wait for flowers.
Sophia- Ja, då hoppas vi att det funkar. Ha en skön midsommarvecka!
Hillevi- Tack. Ja, den har blivit lite större än vad det stod på etiketten. Men den får ta all plats den vill. Ha en skön vecka du med!
Charlotte- Jag vet, inte missunsam. Hi hi. Ja den här är frodig, men det finns många som behöver lite hjälp från mig där jag måste skärpa mig. Kram
Hej Annelie,
ReplyDeleteÄlskar hortensior! Jag har tänkt att plantera många buskar så snart trädgården kommer i ordning. Din Annabelle är jättefin och jag gillar fotot av hur du lyckats smyga dig "behind-the-scene" ;)
Hoppas den rotar sig så småningom.
Ha en skön dag,
Sanna
RIKTIGT toksnygga foton på denna underbara och - som det låter - växglada hortensia! Jag skulle gääärna ha denna i min trädgård, men befarar att jag skulle få kämpa både med klimatet och med den synpunktsrike "trädgårdsmästaren". Han är ju lite snobb att vilja ha växter som hör hemma i den naturliga engelska faunan... suck.
ReplyDeleteJotack, nu har vi campat i helgen, minsann, och några inlägg kommer snart från vackra Devon. Och jag överlevde, kan man tänka sig. ;-D
Varm kram och en fin vecka önskar
Helena
Tack snälla för din kommentar. Vilka underbara blombilder du tagit, ljuvligt.
ReplyDeleteHallå Annelie, vilken enorm tillväxt, fantastisk. Jag har Annabelle på inköpslistan, än finns det gott om plats på tomten trots att tiden kanske inte främjar byggandet av nya rabatter.
ReplyDeleteMEN... det går fort att köpa en planta :D
Marit
Tatyana- Thank you for the link, it was very helpful. With pruning, it's been a lot of trial and error. Sorry about your rose.
ReplyDeleteSanna- Javisst är hortensior fina. Älskar de riktigt blåa. Visa lite bilder sen på dina buskar när du får ordning.
Helena- Toktack då. Din man har bra instinkt. Jag tror att den trädgården blir naturligast och lättast att ta hand om som växter som hör hemma där. Campat, nej fy sjutton? Vilken tur att du överlevde.
Hemmabloggaren- Tackar!
Marit - Tackar! Visst går det fort att köpa en planta. Har några som står och väntar på mig mot väggen utanför, men jag vet inte exact var de kommer att flytta in. Ja, min hortensia har växt mer än jag trodde, och mer än vad ettiketten sa. Yikes!
Ljuvliga bilder på Annabelle! Jag har en dröm om att någongång få ha henne i trädgården, men på grund av att hon blir så stor, måste det förbli en dröm tillsvidare!
ReplyDeleteHa en skön vecka!
Kram Margot
Hydrangeas are so beautiful and especially this one. I am glad it is doing so well for you.
ReplyDeleteI see the beautiful Hydrangea everywhere around me in the neighborhood, but have stayed away, because I thought that they were high maintenance and needed to be watered every single day..., apparently not so, only the first year. Good to know!
ReplyDeleteLovely hydrangea. Simply beautiful. Good luck with the babies. I know nothing of growing them.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love Hydrangeas! I never thought too much about the white ones, until I saw your pictures. I can imagine these beautiful flowers in a bridal bouquet :-) I do hope you find a pink one....
ReplyDeleteMargot-Drömmar är bra att ha. Det har jag massor av.
ReplyDeleteMothernaturesgarden- Thank you!
Maya- This one is super easy. I think as long as they get afternoon shade, they are fairly easy.
A write life- Thank you. Don't know much either, learning as I go.
Noelle- Thank you, I love them as well. I keep most of them in the back yard for the afternoon shade, so I can't really show them off as I'd wish to. Maybe I'll find a pink next year, or I'll have to order one online.
Oh my God, stunning pictures, Annelie!
ReplyDelete