Hi Missy, Sorry your Mini Penny isn't blooming for you but I see you are in Zone 5, maybe the initial flower buds died due to cold or whatever, but Mini Penny is a remontant type so hopefully you will see some flowers as the season progresses and it puts on more growth. My MP in zone 6b is loaded with flowers, and last year it produced flowers right through fall. I think yours will do the same, it may just take a bit longer to get started!! Good Luck, and don't give up on it!

Donna

I hope you are right Donna. Actually, I am zone 6. We did have late freezes, but I covered my hydrangeas.

Thanks for your response. I will keep my fingers crossed.

Donna,

Did you winter protect yours?

Thanks,
Mel

The planting information on this hydrangea says shade to part shade. Mine is in mostly shade. The company rep. informed me that the best place to plant the mini-penny is where it gets morning sun. So - could I transplant it now to get blooms this summer?

In my experience Hydrangeas will often take the season after planting to concentrate on root growth so I don't get alarmed when it doesn't put on a show that second year. Keep in mind that when you purchased it it was still a very young plant and probably wasn't ready for the flowers you had last year but it was forced to flower. This year it's going to establish itself in the ground.

I'm in 6b/CT and have 3 Mini Pennys. Two were purchased last year from Home Depot. They are doing well and pictured below. I got a third one from HD and planted it over two weeks ago...it has required extra watering. I moved a few perennials at the same time and they were not happy, it has not been a good year for transplanting around here, too hot. I'm not qualified to answer your question about moving it now.

The tags on mine say shade to part shade, best with morning sun and afternoon shade. The website only says full shade to part shade:
http://www.gardenersconfidence.com/Royal_Majestics/Variety2.aspx?Variety=MiniPenny

I did not provide winter protection and both of mine from last year are 3 x 3.5 ft wide. The first one pictured used to get sun in the spring, between 7-8am...it now gets practically no sun at all! The second one pictured used to get sun in the spring between 7-8:30am, it now gets less. Ironically the one now in full shade has more blooms. Prior to taking pictures, I cut a few blooms. The new one I planted gets sun between 7-12:30pm, I hope it won't be too much sun...I'm surprised the one in the shade did so well. They are all planted on a wall that faces north.

So I don't think too much shade is your problem. Is yours as big as mine? Maybe you have a younger plant?

Hi Mel, No we don't use any winter protection at all other than a nice thick coat of mulch when we first put the plant in. Now, I will admit, that last year was my first hydrangea year and we had pretty good winter and an early spring with no sneaky frosts to speak of. So, it may be beginners luck for us, this is the best hydrangea year for everyone around this neck of the woods!!

My Mini Penny gets quite a bit of sun, a little in the morning and a lot of hot afternoon sun that sends it into a faint just about every sunny day this year, as it's been really hot! I think the key to success for these plants in plenty of water! We have very sandy soil and it leaches right through, so on these hot days, a little drink every day seems appreciated for those that get several hours of that hot afternoon sun. The hydrangeas planted in mostly shade are really loving it this year! My Mini Penny is the same soft blue as the beautiful pictures above, was so pleased that it didn't turn pink as everything else seems to have in our alkaline soil. I do love pink, but Mini Penny and David Ramsey seem to have retained their color the best without turning lavander! There is a double hedge along a very long walkway down the street from us, there must be 50 plants, apear to be Endless Summer, or one of those that sort of gives all three colors, and it is just out of this world!! I can't really take a picture with out getting seen, but I wish you could all see it, it stops you in your tracks! They must have a sprinkling system because everyday the plants are in top condition and I've never seen so many flowers!! So very beautiful, I think I'm jealous!!

Donna

Same here on the CT shore Donna, great year for hydrangeas. So I guess my Mini Penny that receives full sun until 12:30pm will be fine in the long run and perhaps the one in full shade is doing well because of this year's weather conditions.

Mine were pink when purchased, our soil I think is on the acidic side...we also put the organic, aluminum-free, soil acidifier. One's blue, the other two not quite there yet.

A neighbor has a beautiful hedge in a much darker blue/perwinkle...I want cuttings!

bekind, your plants are beautiful. I think mine are probably about the same size, just lacking the flowers. They were a #3 pot and fairly expensive.
I used Aluminum Sulphate to make them blue. I also fertilized a couple of times. Perhaps I overdid it??

I don't think you overdid it nor did anything wrong. I'm no expert but I think our plants were old enough for the acidifier and fertilizer, and mine handled it. I used aluminum-free because I have azaleas planted on either side. I'm almost certain that someone in the family fertilized our hydrangeas a couple times. Yours should be getting enough sun because I have one getting none. Did you have a late freeze? It got really cold here for a couple days in May. You could call the garden center where you bought it and speak to someone with expertise.

Give it time. If yours is growing like mine, at least you have a nice green mound. The flowers will come.

I also bought a mini-penny last year, but from Costco. It has huge leaves right now, but no flowers or buds yet this year. I guess I shouldn't have used any fertilizer? It seems cruel not to feed though! And all my light requirements are spot on. I am waiting patiently for flowers but every time I see my neighbors hydrangeas plant loaded with blooms for several months now, it is upsetting.