Spring Gardening in Oklahoma
How to add that special gardening arrangement that says, WOW!
We are nearing the end of February in Oklahoma and it is already time to start thinking about your spring landscape. What plants, flowers or trees are going to add just the right amount of something fresh to stand out and say, Wow!
Spring Gardening - Oakleaf Hydrangea
It is true that anyone who enjoys a good garden or flower bed also enjoys the praise of a neighbor or friends telling them how wonderful their work looks. And one way to spice up that dreary flowerbed is to add vibrant color. But one of the most favored plants for this season is the ‘oakleaf hydrangea’. It’s white blooms will be a great offset in any landscape and actually bring out some of the more brilliant colors of your other flower arrangements.
Oakleaf Hydrangea
The oakleaf hydrangea is a native to the United States and thrives well in Oklahoma planting zone. It’s foliage is dark green throughout the summer, silvery underneath and turning glowing red in the fall and it’s pinnacle blooms are a creamy white.
Hydrangeas are a beautiful centerpiece on any table. There white, pink and blue blooms have been prized for fresh-cut bouquets and used as dried accents in wreaths.
Taking care of your Hydrangea
Over the years, a hydrangea bush grows big, oftentimes out of bounds. The stems get heavy, weighted down by bunches of blooms that make the plant droop to the ground, especially after a heavy summer rain.
Now is the time to grab pruners and put that bush back in its place.
Depending on the species, hydrangeas grow as vines, shrubs and small trees, says Michael Dirr in his book “Hydrangeas for American Gardens.” Their flower buds form on the growth of the previous season or, in some species, on the current year’s shoots. The timing of that growth affects how and when you prune them.
When taking care of your oakleaf hydrangea or ‘Hydrangea quercifolia’ – known for its oak leaf-shaped foliage – it flowers on last year’s wood, and once shaped to your liking it seldom needs pruning – snip it lightly to control growth and shape. Snow Queen and Alice are names you often hear in this family.
