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| Feature Flowering Shrub: Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band' |
Welcome to This Month in the Garden! There's a new hydrangea in town and it is called Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band'. I have been testing this Proven Winners cultivar for two years now and it has proven to be cold resistant enough to thrive in a planter on my back patio, while maintaining an abundance of long-lasting blooms on a compact plant.
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| Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band' Springtime/Summer |
Growing to a mature size of just 2.6 feet tall by wide, this newer cultivar is hardy in USDA zones 5-9 and combines the best features of mophead flowers, displaying large colorful pink, blue or purple flowers (pink in alkaline soil, blue in acidic soil and purple in neutral soil) on a stronger plant that better withstands winter temperatures and reblooms from late spring until frost.
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| Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band' Late Summer |
For best performance, plant Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band' in a moist well-drained soil in partial shade. Morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal for this plant. This cultivar blooms on both old and new wood and may be shaped to keep more compact; however, all mophead hydrangea are best not to be pruned, as it can have a negative effect on the number of blooms. It is best to only prune out dead or damaged branches once the plant pushes out new growth in spring. To keep your plants healthy and to encourage more robust blooms, apply a slow-release fertilizer in early and late spring. Adding a layer of mulch around the base of the plant will help to conserve moisture and serve as protection from severe cold during the winter months.
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| Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band' Autumn |
The default color for most mophead hydrangea is pink in a neutral soil (pH 7.0) and higher and will turn towards blue in a more acidic soil containing aluminum sulfate. In a soil with a pH of 6.5 or under, a bluer tone is present. I presently have my hydrangea in a neutral potting soil and am loving blooms that start off as a vibrant pink in springtime, then slowly change to deeper tones of pinkish red to welcome in fall.
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| Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band' Autumn |
I hope you enjoyed This Month in the Garden for October and if you are looking for a new compact, long blooming hydrangea, this one is a winner in my zone 7a garden!
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| Let's Dance Hydrangea Series Size Chart (Photo Credit: Proven Winners) |
Be sure to stop by on the 1st. and 15th. of each month as I continue to share gardening tips, information and horticultural adventures! For more information on Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band', visit the Proven Winners website. Until we meet again...be well, and as always...Happy Gardening!
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Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2022. All rights reserved.
Wow, they're all beautiful! I just got a couple of new Hydrangeas, and I'll look forward to seeing how they do through the winter and into next growing season.
ReplyDeleteThis one has certainly proven to be both hardy and beautiful! It’s a keeper!
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