Hydrangea 'Forever & Ever'

Are you a Plant Pioneer?
We are pleased to announce a new "ever-blooming" hydrangea, not yet officially introduced - 'Forever & Ever.' Developed in Holland, 'Forever & Ever' is making its way into the US for the first time. We have not thoroughly tested it, but 'Forever & Ever' is so outstanding we just couldn't wait to share it with you. If you are a plant pioneer and want to try something that no one else has - this is it! If you already have Endless Summer and room in your garden for another hydrangea, this is the one to try; 'Forever & Ever' is sufficiently different from Endless Summer.

Forever & Ever -- New Repeat-Blooming "Mop Head" with Great Potential
Hydrangea 'Forever & Ever' appears to have all of the qualities of the Endless Summer Hydrangea that gardeners have fallen in love with. It blooms repeatedly on both old and new wood, ensuring that your hydrangea will be covered in beautiful blooms throughout the season - and it has proven reliably winter hardy to Zone 4 (minus 30 degrees); tested in Michigan. As with almost all other macrophylla hydrangeas, the color of the blooms is affected by the acidity of the soil. From what we have seen and heard, 'Forever & Ever' has many qualities that quite possibly may make it superior to Endless Summer (if that is possible!), including:

Larger blossom clusters.

Larger individual florets with frilled petal edges.

Often both blue and pink blooms appear on the same plant; sometimes even one flower can have both colors.

More compact growth habit by about a foot all the way around.

Waxy, leathery leaves.

Here is a pic of the first bloom as it was beginning to open. One of my favorite pics!

Here it is super upclose, because I like taking pics like that!

Another ridiculous closeup...

Now, here is the same bloom about 2 weeks later...

Here is the second and only other bloom right now. Notice it is more vibrant pink.

Here is the whole plant to give you a better idea...

Notice that the two flowers have a different color. The first bloom has both pink and purple in it. I guess that supports the claim that it can have different color blooms on the same plant and even the same flower head. Here is what else I've noticed about it so far:

1. It has very think stems which support the blooms even after heavy rains (unlike my ES!)

2. The leaves are dark green, deeply serreated, and large!

3. When in bloom, my ES doesn't put much energy into growing "new wood". Not until I deadhead does the foliage start to grow again. Not with Forever and Ever! The "new wood" seems to continually grow no matter what.

4. Holds up fairly well in heat. My ES wilted and slumped every afternoon in the heat. My Forever and Ever only did once, and that was in 95 degree heat!

I have had my ES for 2 years now. This is only my first year with Forever and Ever. So far though, my Forever and Ever FAR exceeds my ES. Then again, that is just my experience. I am starting to question the health of my ES anyway, so maybe that's it. Anyhow, the only thing I have yet to see is (a) whether or not it truly does bloom on new wood and (b) whether or not it really can withstand a zone 5 winter with no protection (once I do plant in ground that is). If it does, this plant is a SURE WINNER!

- Brent