My Pinky Winky and Quick Fire hydrangea blooms have gone from a nice white - their usual early color - to a weird muddy pink color . . . then to brown. Anyone else have this happen this year? Wonder if it's because of the crazy heat we had? They are paniculatas, which are quite drought tolerant, so I haven't given them lots of supplemental water. Just a bit puzzled by the color!

My Pinky Winky is a sorry sight this year...my eyes actually try to avoid looking at the poor thing. Its blooms are very small and yes, I'd say the color is off as well. I sure don't remember a nice and pretty snow-white this year...last year it was fabulous. The sambucus next to it is also suffering, and there hasn't yet been blooms on some of my other hydrangeas. It's just been impossible to water everything enough this year.

I know, it's crazy this year. You know, I just put in 8 bareroot sambucus this year and, oh my gosh, they're doing great, BUT . . . I water them every single day. I have a rule that for the first year, newly planted shrubs and trees get water EVERY day until frost. Now that you've said yours are suffering, I'm wondering if they're drought tolerant at all? Because after the first year, my second rule is . . . they're on they're own!

Mine do have a lot of competition. I imagine that if they weren't fighting other shrubs and trees for water they'd probably be okay.
I've massed things in there because other than this year, we always at least have a wet spring.

Well, guess where silly me put mine? Around a silver maple! Those roots are soooo thirsty. I'll be watering them for years!

Probably so. We put in some silver maples here...reason #1 was to dry out some areas that used to be a bit soggy.

Do you ever experience rot or stunted roots from daily watering? I had trouble with both when using a daily watering regimen.

No, not at all. Then again, I don't water everything every day - just new trees and shrubs and then only the first growing season. My soil is clayish so holds water pretty well and I've never had an issue with rot on the newbies. I wouldn't do that to perennials or annuals, though. They really only need a few weeks of daily water when they go in the ground. After that they are semi-established and watering should be cut down.

Ah, I see. Thanks!

I think our favorite planting time for trees and shrubs might be different too, Sherri. These dry summer conditions have changed my method with these; now I usually just put woody plants in the ground once the late-summer, early-fall rains begin. It probably works out much the same way.

Dormant roses get planted out even later...usually in December.