should we cut hydrangeas short or let them grow wild?
Every spring, I find myself standing in my backyard, pruning shears in hand, staring at my Annabelle hydrangeas. I remember my mother teaching me to cut them back hard in the fall—down to just 10 inches. She swore by it, saying it kept the blooms big and the bushes tidy. But this year, life got in the way. I missed my window, and now the hydrangeas are already sprouting, their woody stems reaching up like old bones from the earth.
I can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia and a bit of guilt. Did I ruin the tradition? Will my garden look wild and unruly, unlike the neat rows my parents kept? Some neighbors say to let them grow naturally, that the old wood adds character and resilience, especially with our unpredictable North American springs. Others insist on strict pruning, warning that too many woody stems mean fewer blooms and a tired-looking plant.
There’s a quiet battle in our community: the old ways versus the new. Some folks love the wild, untamed look—more natural, more eco-friendly. Others want that classic, manicured garden, just like the ones we grew up with. And then there’s the weather—last year’s late frost wiped out half my blooms. Should we adapt our methods to the changing climate, or stick to what our families taught us?
I’d love to hear your stories. Do you follow tradition, or have you found new ways to care for your hydrangeas? Have you ever regretted cutting too late—or not at all? Let’s share our successes and failures, and maybe, together, we’ll find a new path between the old and the new.
#hydrangeas #gardeningdebate #familytraditions #Gardening
