Wow! I would love to have
flowers that were half pink and half blue! I'll try the pine needles this fall. I have access to an unlimited supply - one of our public parks. I also have a wood burning fireplace. We usually put the ashes in my veggie garden, but maybe after trying the pine needles for a couple of years I will try the ashes. Can you imagine what the neighbors would think if the
plant produced a different color every couple of years?!! Ha!Ha! They think I'm a nut anyway, because I'm always puttering around in my gardens.
I'm not sure why your's doesn't bloom every year. Do you cut the blossoms off? I leave them until the
plant wakes up in the
spring. My hydrangea blooms every year whether I cut them back or not, I cut them in the very late fall every other year because it gives me a chance to clear out leaves and dead wood. That's also when I will put those pine needles down that you suggested.
The only reason I want to divide out some of the
plant is because it's starting to spread down a hill near a sidewalk. I'm concerned about damage to the hill from erosion. The grass won't grow under the leaves because it doesn't get any light. This thing takes up a five-foot square area!
Thanks for the info!! Maybe someone else has some other ideas why yours only blooms every other year.