Pistachios and Puttering in the Garden

Another beautiful hydrangea is just entering the garden scene. Pistachio is in the New Generation™ series of hydrangeas from innovative Hines Nurseries and is a breeding break-through; compact (2 to 3 ft. tall), reblooming, multi-colored, plus...mildew resistant!

Pistachio's large flowers are a scarlet -red tinged with green, and anchored with violet centers. I've been seeing potted Pistachios in the floral department of my local supermarket and they make a great gift, as well as cut flowers after established in the garden. As the flowers age, their colors shift in intensity, making a continuous, showy display. They're also great for drying and use in long-term, in-door floral displays

Most nurseries have only received a limited, preview supply of Pistachios, since they're just starting to become available. Look at the plant's colors, consider your garden's overall color palette and find a way to work this new take on a garden staple into your plantings.

Collection Name: Bloomtastic!™

Botanical Name: Hydrangea macrophylla 'Horwack' PPAF

Common Name: Next Generation Pistachio Hydrangea

Category: Flowering Shrub

Sun Exposure: Part Sun

Average Size: 24-36" tall x 36-60" wide

Hardiness: Hardy to -20° to -10°F

Bloom Time: Spring to Fall

 

                   

Features:  A reblooming variety with flowers of scarlet red tinged with green. Compact, rounded habit is great in patio containers or in the garden. Large, deep green summer foliage.

 

Care Information: Keep moist until established. Keep soil uniformly moist, but not wet. Fertilize with acid plant food in early spring.

 

Planting Instructions Spacing: 36-60" apart.

Consult your Nursery Professional for specific local planting instructions.

 

If Pistachio isn't a color you're working with in your garden, consider "blueing" your hydrangeas.

 

 

Fertilize with Growmore Hydrangea Blueing Formula, available online or from specialty nurseries. As hydrangeas (and other deciduous plants) go dormant, they store nutrients in their roots for spring growth. That’s why fall feeding is so important.

In the case of blue hydrangeas, it is the aluminum (a blue metal) that is in Growmore Hydrangea Blueing Formula that will be stored for the buds in spring. (If you use it on pink hydrangeas, it can make them purplish). Repeat application in spring to keep hydrangeas their bluest blue.

 

P.S. Planted some perennial King Alfred daffodils in my front flower bed and hope I didn't get them into the ground too late. I'm trying for a drought-tolerant, native-rustic feel in the front bed (140 ft. long!) but spring daffodils do my heart good. We'll see what comes up in a few months.

P.S.S. Planted narcissus "paper whites" in a hanging basket and they're starting to bloom. My plan is to bring the blooming basket inside, place it on a corner table in the dining room and inter-plant some red bedding plants around the bottom of the stalks for a "living" indoor holiday garden. Hope it's pretty, hope it blooms at just the right moment. In gardening, as in life, timing is everything.

In the meantime: See you in the garden!