New varieties of Hydrangea arborescens heading to Habersham Gardens

I’m sure you all are familiar with the ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea. This is a plant that gardeners and landscapers started falling in love with when it became available about 20 years ago and remains a favorite at Habersham Gardens year after year. Annabelle is a form of Hydrangea arborescens and this type of hydrangea is truly native to our immediate metro Atlanta area. It grows profusely in wooded areas that have not been developed, especially along the Chattahoochee River corridor. The special thing about Annabelle is the flower. It is much larger (10-12”) than the native form we see in the woods whose flowers are so small that they become lost in the garden or landscape. Over the years, we’ve noticed a downside to Annabelle. She’s not the perfect girl we first thought she was. The issue is this: the flowers are so big that the stem cannot support the blooms and in high wind or heavy rain, the flowers often end up flopped on the ground. Not good, but still a great plant. So, as with almost all types of flowering plants, we are seeing some new varieties of Hydrangea arborescens emerge sporting new characteristics. There are a number of them but I will go over only three. These will be available to gardeners this year. Hydrangea arborescens ‘Ryan Gainey’ is named for the well-known garden designer that first noticed this plant and it has been available for a couple of years. It’s different from Annabelle in that the flowers are a bit smaller and whiter and the foliage is a deeper green. The stems seem to support the flowers quite well. I’ve seen this plant growing next to Annabelle and I personally think it’s a better looking Hydrangea arborescens and will grow quite well in the area. All Hydrangea arborescens need moist, rich, well-drained earth and will tolerate a lot of shade and a surprising amount of sun. I do like to keep them out of afternoon summer sun when possible. I was very excited when I saw pictures of and read about a new Hydrangea arborescens with a larger lacecap-type flower. This was truly something new and interesting. The plant that I read about was called ‘White Dome’. However, Mike Dirr, the man on ornamental horticulture of the East thinks that this plant is “not H. arborescens but from either subspecies ‘discolor’ or ‘radiata’” – the implication being that White Dome might lack tolerance to the high summer temperatures in our area. I think I’m going to put this plant in a good shady spot and see what happens. Last year I saw my first pink Annabelle-type of Hydrangea arborescens. I thought, wow, this is going to be a hot item so I ordered some to grow out. I’m pretty sure I’ll be right about that – we’ll see. My pink Annabelle-type is called ‘Invincibelle Spirit.’  There are others and all should perform well in Atlanta. Unlike Hydrangea macrophyllas which always turn blue in Atlanta, the pink Hydrangea arborescens will hold their color so now one can have a pink hydrangea in your Atlanta garden. Also, some of the royalties from the purchase of these plants that are to grow out for retail sales is donated to support breast cancer research. Good cause, good for them. Now for the wine portion… Santa Fe, New Mexico is the second oldest city in the U.S. (St. Augustine, Florida being the oldest). Like all European settlers in the New World, the Spanish brought grapes and made wine. La Chiripada Winery is carrying on that tradition. The winery is located on the road between Santa Fe and Taos – a remarkably beautiful drive through a remarkable landscape. Their wine is made from grapes you may be familiar with and that have come down from the time of the early Spanish occupation. By the way, the Indians did live in this area for thousands of years before Europeans showed up. The wine I liked was the white Primavera. Great taste, crisp and fruity and I remember it as a great sipping wine. At $16 a bottle, a good deal. Try something new. ~ Walt