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pixie_lou

Local Nursery wit Lots of Hydrangeas

pixie_lou
12 years ago

My mom wants a Blue Lace Hydrangea. I figured I would try to get her one - an early anniversary present. (Won't my dad be thrilled? Not!)

Any nurseries in the area that have a good selection of hydrangeas? I'm metrowest - 128 and the Pike. Willing to travel an hour.

Comments (14)

  • diggingthedirt
    12 years ago

    Is she also in zone 5? Some lacecap hydrangeas will not bloom reliably there. I'm not familiar with blue lace, if that's a specific cultivar, but you'll want a nursery that knows about the bud hardiness of the hydrangeas it sells.

  • Marie Tulin
    12 years ago

    or get from the library michael dirr's book "hydrangeas" which does list at least 2 or 3 lacecaps that bloom on new wood. I remember one is Nikko Blue; I believe Blue Billow is too, tho not sure BB is a lacecap
    what I learned is that hardiness is far less important if the flowers bloom on new wood (wood that is gererated in the spring) because even if the shub dies to the ground the new shoots will be 'bud/flower bearing.'
    I think I have it right.

  • diggingthedirt
    12 years ago

    Yes, you're right about the new wood, Marie, but then the trick is finding the varieties that Dirr lists, locally. I think I really need that book ... thanks for reminding me!

  • Marie Tulin
    12 years ago

    and of course, I'll bet there a dozen new cultivars since it was printed. However, if you know the parents and first cousins one can make an educated guess new ones that you don't find in the book. It is a very, very good book. I'm going to buy it.

    Northeast Nursery in Peabody had a few of the less than usual ones. I've been meaning to get to the big Mahoney's to see their stock. I'm going to look at Katsura on line, too.

    Dirr said some of the really unusaual ones can usually only be gotten from speciality nurseries, which means they are not going to be big potted or b & B stock,

    MT
    Marie

  • runktrun
    12 years ago

    After a long day and an even longer glass of wine, off the top of my head I would HIGHLY recommend H.'Tokyo Delight' a lace cap that has been around forever but is zone 5. I would also recommend H. 'Shamrock' that again is zone 5. But honestly when the warmth of the red grape fades I will have a longer list of suggestions for zone 5 but do we know if pixie's Mom is zone 5?

  • pixie_lou
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Yes - my mom is also zone 5. She has a friend who lives in Holden (also zone 5) who introduced her to Blue Lace Hydrangea. The friends plant has been blooming for 4 years. So now mom wants one.

    My DD (6 years old) just spent a week at Camp Grandma and Grandpa, so I should probably get this Hydrangea sooner rather than later.

    Marie - where is the "big" Mahoneys? I have my Mahoneys Groupon from last month.

  • Marie Tulin
    12 years ago

    I'm referring the first Mahoneys that ever was, before it began to spawn.....the one in Winchester.

    Marie

  • diggingthedirt
    12 years ago

    Wait, please, I've got a question!

    Blue Lace could very well be a shortened name for any blue lacecap hydrangea. There IS a variety called 'Blue Lace' - Forestfarm has it. It isn't hardy in zone 5, and furthermore it doesn't look like something you'd really want, unless you're a hydrangea collector (EGO might have it ... I'm bookmarking it, I think I need it!). It has very few sterile florets, for one thing, so it does not appear to be one of the showier varieties.

    So, is your mom's friend a hydrangea collector, or someone who might call a ble lacecap 'blue lace' for short? I'd be very surprised if a reliable local nursery carried it, but in case you find it, be wary of hardiness claims.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Hydrangea serrata Blue Lace

  • pixie_lou
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    diggingthedirt - I think you hit on something. Blue Lace could very well be a shortened name for any blue lacecap hydrangea.

    The friend brought a couple blossoms in vases as a center piece for some club luncheon. My mom thought the flowers were pretty, and asked what they were. (And then helped herself and brought some of the flowers home).

    I saw the flowers. Typical white hydrangea flowers in a ring on the outside, and this bluish lacy type flowery stuff in the middle. That Hydrangea serrata Blue Lace that was linked - not enough white flowers around the edge, and the blue stuff in the middle isn't wispy enough.

    I figured these aren't the most common type of hydrangea, so I figured I need a nursery that has a wide selection of hydrangeas.

    Here is a link that might be useful: What I remember the flower looking like

  • diggingthedirt
    12 years ago

    In that case, you probably do need a nursery with lots of hydrangeas in stock, and hopefully ones that have not gone by yet. You might be able to find one in bloom that looks a lot like the one your mom liked so much - although the lacecaps at most of the nurseries I've visited lately have changed color already. Good luck!

  • WendyB 5A/MA
    12 years ago

    I have seen 'Blue Billow' in bloom at Uncanoonuk Mt. Perennials in Goffstown, NH, so it is definitely a Zone 5.

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    12 years ago

    I have 'Blue Billow' and I love it dearly, but I'm in zone 6B. If it's hardy to zone 5 you should be careful about not siting it in full sun. From what I've read it was found on a shady mountain slope and doesn't do well in sun.

    I just found this reference which also says it's hardy to zone 5 and should be planted in full or part shade.
    Blue Billow at White Flower Farm

    Claire

  • ego45
    12 years ago

    There is only one (as far as my knowledge goes) ABSOLUTELY reliable bloomer without winter protection in z5- H. serrata 'Blue Billow'. With some stretch I could say the same about 'Blue Bird'.
    However both of them has all blue flowers, not a blue center + white outer ring of flowers.
    The most showy of blue+white, IMO is the H.macrophylla 'Tokyo Delight', but to say it's a reliable bloomer in z5 would be a lie, eventhough in a warmer parts of z5 it blooms in 3 out of 4 years.

  • ejr2005
    12 years ago

    I have both Blue Bird and Blue Billow. They were both purchased last year and I did winter protect them. The Blue Bird is also against the house, so I assume a bit warmer. I'm not sure if I am in Zone 5 or 6 - everything I see online seems to have me in Zone 6 though idabean has us a Zone 5A and she's in the same town.

    When I unwrapped my Blue Bird in the spring, there were just some dead looking twigs. I thought it was a goner. But slowly it got leaves from the base and then developed a ton of buds also from the base. The twigs never revived. I had beautiful lacecaps this year and the sterile flowers were mostly white, with the centers bluish. I have acidic soil (pH about 6.0) but a number of my other new hydrangeas (Purple Tiers and Twist and Shout) were very pinkish. I thought it was because they were along the foundation of the house or along a fairly new wall. But we checked the pH and it's about 6. So I'm thinking it's from the soil from the pot. So maybe your "Blue Lace" is a Blue Bird that was grown in more neutral or basic soil?

    My Blue Billow was definitely all blue.

    I'm planning to post some pictures of my new collection of hydrangeas (I'm totally smitten) but have to finish weeding and mulching (really late) and get over the new computer (MacBook Pro)/picture posting anxiety.