All of the snow is melted. For now, anyway. Gone are the blue skies shining brightly against smooth, white drifts. Short, gray days have moved in. Overall, winters here in West Michigan can be quite dreary, so we treasure every sunny, clear day we can get.
Everyone loves blue skies, just as most gardeners love blue hydrangeas. That’s why we’re pleased to introduce our beautiful new hydrangea hybrid (macrophylla x serrata): Let’s Dance Sky View®.
Let’s Dance Sky View® hydrangea is very easily turned blue; the flowers emerge light blue with honeydew green eyes before shifting to a deep sky blue. They’re a lovely hue.
As with our other new hydrangea introductions, we’re about more than pretty flowers. In the photo below, its breeder Megan Mathey shows off the tight., compact growth habit of her creation. So many flowers!
The plant grows about 2-3′ tall and 2-4′ wide, so it should fit nicely into most landscapes as well as being quite appealing in the garden center – especially with a full crop of blue flowers!
Let’s Dance Sky View® is a very strong rebloomer. It has performed well in both Michigan (above right) and our Florida test gardens. It is hardy in USDA 4-9 and will grow in full sun or part shade.
So when you’re wading through these short, dark winter days, just think of Let’s Dance Sky View® hydrangea when you want to brighten your horizons.
Bye-bye, Standard Time
Speaking of horizons, around here, we aren’t seeing the sunrise until 8:15 in the morning. It’s setting around 5:20. But by this time next year, if you live in West Michigan, you’ll be driving to work in the dark unless you leave after 9:00 AM!
That’s because, last March, the US Senate passed “the Sunshine Protection Act,” which allows permanent Daylight Saving Time (DST) in all US states.
No more springing ahead (except for this spring) and falling back! I’m on the fence about it, but we’ll see how it feels next fall.
If you’re wondering how Daylight Saving Time came to be, check out this article on timeanddate.com.