If you are on my plant samples list, many of you have just received one of our Let’s Dance reblooming hydrangeas. Of course, it was a new variety, either Let’s Dance Big Band® or Let’s Dance Can Do!™ But I think it’s time to revisit another solid little contender in the Let’s Dance® series, Let’s Dance® Blue Jangles® Hydrangea macrophylla.
Like the other Let’s Dance® hydrangeas, this is a reblooming variety that will flower on both old and new wood. Let’s Dance® Blue Jangles® is an exceptionally strong rebloomer and has brilliant, vibrant flower color. If you’re looking for that true-blue flower color in a nice, small package, this is the perfect hydrangea for you. Of course, flower color is determinant upon your soil. Here’s a video that shows it in both pink and blue.
This is a compact plant; it will grow 1-2′ tall and wide, which makes it perfect for small-space gardening and patio containers. The beautiful lifestyle photo above is from the most recent Gardener’s Idea Book, showing them in some very stylish Aquapots. Let’s Dance® Blue Jangles® is hardy to USDA zone 5 and heat tolerant to zone 9. Plant it in full sun or partial shade, but remember that H. macrophylla like moist soil.
So many questions…
Hydrangeas are a leading topic of questions on the Proven Winners feedback site. The most common questions are:
- Why they don’t bloom, and
- How to get the desired color.
Our Hydrangeas Demystified flyer addresses these questions and guides people to the right hydrangea for their situation. If you haven’t shared this piece with your readers, please do. It will make you a hero.
Another common question concerns wilting. Hydrangeas, especially H. macrophylla, do have a tendency to wilt. Unsurprisingly, most people don’t like it when your response is, “Yep. They do that.” They want to know why and how to keep it from happening.
Even hydrangeas in moist soil can wilt if they are in full sun and it’s hot. This is because the roots just can’t take up enough moisture to compensate for what is being lost through the foliage. The fancy impress-the-rocket-scientist-next-door word for this is transpiration.
The good news is that this sort of wilting won’t hurt the plant as long as the roots are getting enough moisture to catch up when the temperature cools down at night. But if it’s happening regularly, it’s a sign that the plant would be happier in more shade.
Until next week, enjoy these last few “feels like summer” days, and remember, fall is a great time to plant a shrub! – Natalie