Most of the varieties in Endless Summer will reach 3-4′ wide at maturity. I would give them at last two feet away from the foundation. Or even a little more if you don't want them touching the house. Summer Crush is the most compact, so you can plant that one a little closer.
A good rule of thumb is to calculate one and a half times the estimated maximum width of your Hydrangea and plant it at least that far from your house.
Stop halfway and pour water into the hole until it rises to the top. Once it drains away, finish filling in the rest of the soil. If you're planting your Endless Summer Hydrangeas as foundation plants, space them eight feet apart from each other from the center. For a garden border, space them out four feet apart.
Endless Summer hydrangeas should be planted in a place that receives morning sun and dappled afternoon shade. "The amount of sun they can tolerate depends on the zone," says Mcenaney.
The best place to plant hydrangeas is in a sheltered location with sunny mornings and shady afternoons. You often find this on the north or south side of your home. Avoid planting directly underneath trees, which can lead to competition for water and nutrients.
One of the easiest types of hydrangeas you can grow along your home's foundation is a panicle hydrangea. Because their size ranges greatly, you'll want to be sure to read the label carefully when choosing which is the best fit.
Proper placement and care of your hydrangeas are crucial to ensure they thrive where you plant them. Be sure to provide adequate water, nutrients, and pruning to keep your hydrangeas looking their best and add a touch of elegance to the front of your home for years to come.
Endless Summer hydrangeas grow at a moderate rate. They don't grow too slowly or too quickly, and typically reach their mature size in 3 to 5 years. These hydrangeas produce large blooms lasting up to 8 weeks during the summer months.
Endless Summer® Hydrangea will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front.
Fall/Winter Care
Cover the plant with a four-inch layer of organic mulch (wood mulch, leaves, etc.). There is no need to cover all stems to the tip or to cut them back. Covering should be done when fully dormant (around November 30th), or at the same time you would cover perennials in your garden.
"Bigleaf hydrangeas, such as endless summer, should be deadheaded when the first set of flowers sprout from last year's growth in the spring," says Meyers. This eliminates the faded flowers before the next flush appears.
Types of Endless Summer Hydrangeas
The 'Original Bigleaf Hydrangea' was the first re-blooming hydrangea discovered and it remains the most well-known and widespread . Hydrangea macrophylla 'Original Bigleaf Hydrangea' : This variety grows three to five feet tall and wide with blue, purple, or pink blooms.
The key to any hydrangea planting is to choose the right location. This can make all the difference in your blooms. This location gets full morning sun and then dappled sunlight later on in the day. The amount of sunlight also depends on how far south or north you are, too.
You want to make sure they are far enough from the property line, fence, building or road when you plant them. A Little Lime Hydrangea grows 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, therefore it might grow two and half feet wide from center in any direction. We planted our hedge exactly two and half feet off of the property line.
Hydrangea should be planted away from the main roots of the tree. To be safe, it is best to plant your hydrangeas out of reach of the tree's main roots. Hydrangeas (with the exception of Hydrangea paniculata which prefers full sun) do best in partial shade with morning sun for about four to six hours.
Hydrangea blossoms are at their best when they are well watered and well fed. Mulch also provides an evaporation barrier. Keeping your soil moist in the heat of the summer, which is also the flowering season for hydrangeas, will help to maintain the healthiest version of your plant.
Fertilization. Fertilize your Endless Summer Hydrangeas in the spring with Holly-tone for blue flowers or Plant-tone and granulated lime for purple to pink flowers. For best flowering we recommend fertilizing in April, May and June with 1 cup of fertilizer for each foot of branch spread.
Your Endless Summer Hydrangea needs consistent moisture throughout its growing season to stay healthy and produce beautiful blooms. Watering deeply once a week should be enough to keep it hydrated, but if temperatures are high or there's been little rain, you may need to water more frequently than that.
There are a few main reasons that you may not see blooms on your hydrangea bushes: sun exposure, over-watering and over-fertilizing. Endless Summer® hydrangeas prefer morning sun and afternoon dappled shade. If they are planted in full sun, it may be too hot and intense for the blooms to produce.
The best fertilizer products for Endless Summer hydrangeas tend to be slow-release granular products with a balanced NPK ratio plus minor nutrients like iron. One application of fertilizer in the spring is usually enough for these plants.
Pruning is an important part of caring for Endless Summer hydrangeas. Pruning helps to maintain the size and shape of the shrub, as well as encourages new growth and blooms. The best time to prune these plants is in late summer when they are done flowering.
Climbing Hydrangea is one of the best vines for clinging to brick or stone walls. It can be particularly effective when grown against building walls where it can easily attach and cling to the surface using its aerial rootlets are durable holdfasts. Cold and heat tolerant in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 10.