What's In Bloom?
Hydrangeas!
The photo above by Jeanne Wiebenga is of a Endless Summer Blushing Bride Hydrangea blooming in the Bride's Garden, the small triangular park between the Hall of Christ, the Hall of Philosophy and the Chapel of the Good Shepherd.
Named the Bride’s Garden because so many brides had their pictures taken here, this beloved garden has had seasons of brilliance and seasons of neglect but was brought back to life during 2015 and 2016 off-seasons and has looked better and better in the years since. The blue and white color scheme evokes the nuptial superstition: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. In a fit of garden-nerd fun, Gardens & Landscape Supervisor Betsy Burgeson selected plants with cultivar names such as Blushing Bride, Hearts of Gold, and Bridal Wreath and painted the urn blue. In addition to the fun she had choosing clutivars with love names, Betsy also selected plants that pick up the bridal theme in more subtle ways, such as in the way the wispy petals of the fringe tree which resemble the lace of a bridal veil. Click here to see the complete tree and plant list as well as historical photos of the garden.
But back to hydrangeas! Scroll down for a photo primer of different kinds of hydrangeas in bloom. There are over 75 different varieties of hydrangeas, but we’ve showcased the ones most commonly found here in Chautauquau.
Many of us have hydrangeas in our yards here in Chautauqua or back home, and there seems to be some magic around when they look good and when they don't. Some of that is Mother Nature - this is simply a good year for hydrangeas because of the mild winter and plentiful rainfall last summer when the plants were setting buds. But some of the success is in your hands.
Here are Betsy's answers to your most FAQs:
When should I prune my hydrangeas?
Betsy: The simple answer is: Your pruning deadline is coming up fast. Do not prune in summer later than the beginning of August. The more complicated answer is that some hydrangeas (Smooth Hydrangea, Panicled Hydrangea, and the Endless Summer Series of Big Leaf Hydrangea) bloom on new growth while others (Oakleaf, Lacecap and Mophead Big Leaf, and Climbing Hydrangea) bloom on "old" wood, aka the prior year's growth. If you prune those near the end of the season, you clip off the flower buds for next year, so don't do that. Put on your readers and look closely - never cut off a bud. Those that bloom on new wood (the current season's growth) can be pruned in VERY late fall (after a hard frost) or very early spring ...but we're not likely to be in Chautauqua then.
My Annabelle hydrangeas are slumped. How do you get them to stand up straighter like yours?
Betsy: Well, many have supports hidden inside them. When they first leaf out in the spring, our crew installs ring supports which the hydrangeas grow through and hide. Others are supported by their garden companions, underplantings of shorter but sturdy stemmed perennials such as butterflyweed or purple coneflowers.
How do you get them to be more blue? Pink?
Betsy: Using nails or coffee grounds to change the acidity of the soil is a fun experiment and sometimes works. However, a more scientific method would be to test the acidity of your soil (using a test kit or by sending a sample to your county extension service) and then gradually adjust the pH by using lime (for pink) or a soil acidifier, such as pine needles or elemental sulfur (for blue). This won't be a one-and-done fix because your soil will revert to its natural state over time. So retest and retreat. Or sit back and accept whichever color your soil gives you....
Sometimes when I cut (or buy) hydrangeas stems to use indoors they last forever, but sometimes they wilt right away. What can I do?
Betsy: You can take a wilted blossom and turn it upside down in a big mixing bowl of water. Hydrangeas can absorb water through their petals. Sometimes it takes a day or two, but they will almost always plump back up and you can return them to a vase. It’s a good idea to trim the stem an inch or two at this time since the xylem will have sealed up in the air.
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What’s the deal with Tree Hydrangeas? The ones along Lake Drive are so cute and the ones in the Chautauqua Cemetery are downright supernatural.
Betsy: So glad you asked! Please click here to be redirected to the BTG exploreCHQ app and read about Tree Hydrangeas (spoiler alert – they’re Panicle (or PeeGees) and really just big shrubs pruned into tree forms and the ones in the cemetery are very old).
A Hydrangea Photo Primer
1. Oak Leaf Hydrangeas These are native in the southeast United States, but do quite well here. There are beautiful ones planted against the wall of the Amp restrooms and more in front of the Post Office. They have beautiful fall color and the leaf shape is so delightfully oak-ish. The scientific name is Hydrangea quercifolia and they bloom on OLD wood.
2. Panicle Hydrangeas in front of the Chapel of the Good Shepherd. There is also a long row along Cookman by Alumni Hall. Panicle Hydrangeas are the ones used to "make" tree hydrangeas. Also called PeeGees, the scientific name is Hydrangea paniculata and they bloom on NEW wood.
3 & 4: Endless Summer Hydrangeas - as the name suggests, these are repeat bloomers and are famous because they are the color-changers. White hydrangeas (like the Annabelle) cannot turn blue or pink no matter what your neighbor tells you to sprinkle on the soil. But these guys do change depending on soil acidity. Photo #3 is from the Bride's Garden (Blushing Bride) and photo #4 is from McKnight Hall (Nikko Blue). The front steps to the President's Cottage is lined with Endless Summer. Endless Summer is a cultivar of Big Leaf Hydrangea. Their scientific name is Hydrangea macrophylla and they bloom on OLD AND NEW WOOD!
5. When you don't know the cultivar of a hydrangea that looks like the one above, you sometimes just call it a "mophead" or "bigleaf." The classic beauty in this photo could be any (or none) of these common cultivars: Blue Deckle, Nikko Blue, Tokyo Delight, Pretty in Pink, Forever Pink, Pistachio, and Endless Summer. Although the names imply a color, in the end it all has to do with soil acidity, so even if you buy a plant in bloom, the color you see next year will depend on your soil. Note: don't get too excited by those variegated leaves under the flower in this photo - those are hostas. The mophead leaves are the plain (still pretty though!) leaves above the flower.
6. Lace Cap Hydrangeas - as the name implies, the flower is not a big mop head, but rather a ring of larger petals around a center section of short flowers that look like buds.
Both the Lacecap and the Mophead are Big Leaf Hydrangeas. The scientific name is Hydrangea macrophylla and they both bloom on OLD wood.
7. Perhaps the showiest hydrangeas are the Annabelles, with their big white swaying cumulus cloud flower heads. Also called smooth hydrangeas, the scientific name is Hydrangea arborescens. They bloom on new wood, so the best time to prune is very early spring.
8. In a surprise category all it's own, is the Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangeo petiolaris). This one is growing on both sides of the serpentine wall behind the Post Office and I've never seen a happier one anywhere. It's a delicate bloomer but a leafy wonder and very useful if you're trying to hide things like trash cans or HVAC.
Thanks to Jeanne Wiebenga for biking around in the rain to take hydrangea photos today! She took all the good ones and the rest are mine.
Leslie Renjilian, Amateur Hydrangist
Tickets On Sale Now! (The VERY last day to purchase tickets is July 23rd, but the hotel would really like our final tally by...yesterday)
Monday, July 15
Location: Smith Wilkes Hall Lakeside Patio
Bring a lunch and a grown-up. We will provide the story, the craft, and the fun!
Ages 3+
4:15pm Lake Walk: Chautauqua's Rain Gardens with Betsy Burgeson
Location: Meet at the Pier Building by the Bell Tower
This tour is a perennial favorite!
Tuesday, July 16
12:15pm BTG Brown Bag Lecture: How Native Plants Can Help Us Share A Crowded Planet with Carolyn Summers from Flying Trillium Gardens and Preserve
Location: Smith Wilkes Hall
Wednesday, July 17
Location: Meet at the corner of Massey & Hawthorne. We will head into the Secret Silo Garden together.
Join us for a 20-minute gardening lesson with Betsy, followed by weeding alongside new friends. We are making a difference in the woods! Bring gloves if you have them; we'll provide the tools.
12:30-2:30pm Shipman Garden History & Horticulture Tours
Location: Miller Cottage (24 Miller)
There will be a historical garden tour at 12:30PM, followed by horticulture Q&A at 1:30PM.
4:15pm Tree Walk with Jack Gulvin
Location: Meet on the Smith Wilkes Hall Patio
Thursday, July 18
Location: Meet at the corner of Massey & Hawthorne. Forest Bathing will take place in the Secret Silo Garden.
Wear comfortable clothes.
Location: Purple Martin Houses just north of the Sports Club
This is the last Purple Martin Chat of 2024. After this week, the martins will head off to their pre-migration roosting area (likely on Lake Erie) before heading south to the Amazon Basin. Learn more about that here.
Beginning next week (Week Five), we will transition our program from the "Purple Martin Chat with Jack" to a "Bird Chat with Twan" - new this season! I hope you will join us!
Friday, July 19 9:00am Nature Walk with Jack Gulvin
Location: Meet at Smith Wilkes Hall Lakeside Patio
12:30pm What? You Can Eat That? Garden Walk led by Betsy Burgeson
Location: Discovery Garden by the Main Gate
Off-season (and Off-site) Nature Tours
If you can't get enough of Nature Tours this summer, consider joining one of the Chautauqua Travels Tours this winter led by our own Nature Guides!
Betsy Burgeson is leading a trip to Mexico February 21–28 to see the winter home of our own Methuselah Monarch Butterflies. Many BTG friends will be on the trio (including your editor ;). The dream would be to find one of the Monarchs that Betsy tagged in Chautauqua this summer (see photo below), but since there are a billion Monarchs over-wintering in Mexico, the odds aren't great.
And Twan Leenders is leading an Ecological Exploration in Costa Rica trip March 27 – April 2. I went to Costa Rica in January of 2024 with Twan and I can attest that traveling with Twan is like taking 20 nature tours a day, an incredible experience. And you'll see lots of frogs, maybe even the Gulfo Dulce!
2024 House and Garden Tour Recap
The House & Garden Tour would not be possible without the help of over 200 volunteers. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. But we are most grateful to our Chief, Rosemary Rappole, who has chaired the event for a long time!
A Few More Photos from Week Three
Betsy Burgeson leads a group down the beech path at the Shipman Garden at Miller Cottage on Wednesday. Sadly, one of the 100-year old beeches is infected with beech leaf disease and a cure has yet to be discovered. The other old beech is still healthy. Learn more here.
At Gloves-on Gardening Lessons with Betsy on Wednesday morning, Betsy shows an example of Wild Parsnip, being careful not to touch it as it can cause painful welts. This is growing in abundance along roadsides in Chautauqua county and it's blooming now, so it's easy to identify. It looks pretty but do not be tempted to cut it for an arrangement. (There is none in the Institution, thankfully!)
Commemorative Plate Info
Pre-Ordered Plate Pick-up
Pre-ordered plates can be picked up:
Monday - Friday 12:00 - 1:00pm on the patio behind Smith Wilkes Hall
Plate Purchase Times & Locations
Additional plates are available Plates can be purchased for $50 each or $535 a dozen. Supplies are limited.
Tuesdays 12-1PM at our Brown Bag Lectures at Smith Wilkes Hall
On our website
Endless Summer and Annabelle Hydrangeas at the President's Cottage. Photo by Betsy Burgeson.
Thanks for reading!
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