There’s something special about the garden at the end of July.
Spring’s fresh growth has matured, annuals are overflowing from containers, roses are preparing for another flush, and the hydrangeas are putting on the spectacular show we’ve been waiting all year to see.
This year is especially exciting because more than 200 hydrangeas throughout our garden are in bloom. From dependable panicle hydrangeas to colorful reblooming bigleaf varieties and beautiful smooth hydrangeas, every area of the landscape has something new to discover.
Of course, no garden is ever perfect. After one of the toughest winters we’ve experienced in years, some plants surprised us, others struggled, and a few completely exceeded our expectations. That’s one of the things we love most about gardening—every season teaches you something new.
Whether you’re looking for hydrangea inspiration, ideas for layering plants, or simply love seeing gardens at their summer peak, we hope you’ll enjoy walking through the garden with us.
New to growing hydrangeas?
Before we jump into the tour, download our FREE Hydrangea Identification Chart. It makes it easy to identify the five main types of hydrangeas so you’ll know exactly what you’re growing, when to prune, and how to help it thrive.
One thing you’ll notice throughout this garden is that we don’t just grow one or two hydrangeas—we grow more than 200 hydrangeas representing nearly every major type.
Growing so many different varieties side by side has taught us what performs best in our Upstate New York climate, which hydrangeas are the most dependable, and how to combine them for season-long color. Seeing these plants mature over the years has been one of the greatest teachers in our own gardening journey.
If there’s one group of plants that’s absolutely dominating the garden right now, it’s our panicle hydrangeas.
These have become some of the most reliable shrubs in our landscape because they bloom on new wood, meaning harsh winters rarely affect their flower display. After the winter we experienced this year, that reliability has become even more appreciated.
One of the first combinations visitors see is our hedge of Quick Fire® Hydrangeas paired with Pinky Winky® Hydrangeas. We planted this combination back in 2020, and it’s incredibly rewarding to finally see the structure mature.
Quick Fire begins flowering first, creating airy white blooms that gradually blush pink as the season progresses. Between them, Pinky Winky adds height, incredibly sturdy stems, and blooms that continue long after Quick Fire has started changing color.
Together they create a layered display that anchors the border while repeating rhythmically through the landscape.
Another standout this season has been Quick Fire Fab®, which continues to impress us year after year.
Its oversized blooms are covered with large, star-shaped florets that begin bright white before gradually developing rich pink coloring from the bottom upward. Even before they’re fully open, these shrubs command attention from across the garden.
For gardeners looking for dependable summer color, panicle hydrangeas remain some of the hardest-working shrubs you can grow.
If we had to choose one plant that’s surprised us more than any other this season, it would be Let’s Dance® Sky View.
Last fall we planted an entire hedge of these reblooming bigleaf hydrangeas along the front of our house. Going into winter, we honestly weren’t sure what to expect.
Our Upstate New York winters can be incredibly challenging for bigleaf hydrangeas, and this past winter was particularly harsh.
Yet these shrubs didn’t just survive—they thrived.
They’ve produced continuous new growth, and nearly every new stem is covered with flowers. Even more exciting is their beautiful mix of blue, lavender, and soft pink blooms, proving once again just how fascinating soil chemistry can be with bigleaf hydrangeas.
Because these hydrangeas rebloom throughout the season, we’re expecting them to continue putting on a spectacular show well into late summer.
For gardeners in colder climates who have struggled with traditional bigleaf hydrangeas, this has quickly become one of the most exciting varieties we’ve ever grown.
If you’re looking through this garden tour thinking, “I wish I knew which hydrangeas to plant in my own yard,” that’s exactly why we created our Hydrangea Handbook & Worksheets.
After years of growing and trialing hundreds of hydrangeas, we’ve gathered everything we’ve learned into one easy-to-use guide.
Inside you’ll find:
Whether you’re planting your very first hydrangea or redesigning an entire landscape, the Handbook is designed to help you choose the right plants with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
👉 Explore the Hydrangea Handbook & Worksheets here.
While the panicle hydrangeas provide dependable structure, our collection of smooth hydrangeas brings bold flowers throughout the garden.
We’re especially impressed with:
Each offers its own personality, from vivid pink blooms to enormous white flower heads and sturdy stems that stand up remarkably well after heavy summer rains.
One thing we’ve continued experimenting with this season is pairing hydrangeas with evergreen structure, ornamental grasses, and low boxwood hedges. These evergreen elements provide year-round interest while creating beautiful contrast once the hydrangeas begin to bloom.
We’ve also learned just how important proper watering becomes as a garden matures. Over the past year, we’ve expanded our drip irrigation significantly, and the difference in the health of both our hydrangeas and roses has been remarkable.
One of our favorite parts of every gardening season is creating containers that evolve throughout the summer. By late July, the combinations have filled in beautifully, spilling over urns and softening pathways throughout the garden.
This year we’ve been especially impressed with combinations featuring Meteor Shower® verbena, Superbells®, Nemesia, Torenia, Coleus, and Purple Queen Tradescantia. Many of these combinations use the same plants repeated throughout the landscape, helping tie the entire garden together while still giving each container its own personality.
One thing we noticed this season is just how much light exposure changes a container. The same planting combination looks completely different in full sun than it does in part shade, proving that placement is just as important as plant selection.
Whether you’re planting one container or ten, repeating colors and textures throughout your landscape is an easy way to create a cohesive garden design.
While the hydrangeas may be stealing the spotlight, they’re far from the only plants putting on a show.
Many of our David Austin roses are beginning their second flush, including favorites like Lark Ascending, Lady of Shalott, Boscobel, Penelope Lively, Gabriel Oak, and Mary Rose. With consistent watering through our expanded drip irrigation system, we’ve seen healthier growth and stronger repeat blooming than ever before.
Throughout the borders, perennial favorites continue to attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators. Plants like Culver’s Root, Agastache, Verbena bonariensis, Serendipity Allium, Salvias, Phlox, Monarda, and Giant Yellow Scabiosa have become some of the busiest spots in the garden during the height of summer.
Creating a pollinator-friendly garden doesn’t require a dedicated meadow. By mixing flowering shrubs, annuals, and long-blooming perennials throughout the landscape, you can support pollinators while keeping the garden colorful for months.
One of the things we enjoy most about gardening is that every season teaches us something new.
Walking through the garden this July reminded us just how effective a few simple design principles can be:
Many of the beds we’re happiest with today look very different than they did just a few years ago. Gardening is always evolving, and that’s part of the fun.
Every garden has successes and setbacks.
This past winter was one of the harshest we’ve experienced, and it reminded us just how important it is to choose plants that fit your climate. While many of our reblooming bigleaf hydrangeas exceeded our expectations, several older varieties lost flower buds after the cold temperatures.
We’ve also learned that as a garden matures, watering becomes even more important. Expanding our drip irrigation this year has made a noticeable difference in the health of our roses, hydrangeas, containers, and newly planted shrubs. For tips on setting up your own drip irrigation system in your garden, check out our free Drip Irrigation Quick-Start Guide.
Perhaps the biggest lesson, though, is to stay patient.
Gardens aren’t built in a single season. Many of the combinations you’re seeing today began as tiny one-gallon plants just a few years ago. Watching them mature into the landscape we envisioned has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey.
Photos only tell part of the story.
In the video, we’ll walk you through the entire garden, sharing our favorite hydrangeas, summer containers, roses, trees, and the design ideas we’re experimenting with this season. You’ll also get a closer look at the varieties that exceeded our expectations after one of our toughest winters.
If today’s tour inspired you to add more hydrangeas to your landscape, we have two resources to help you get started.
🌿 Not sure which type of hydrangea you have? Download our FREE Hydrangea Identification Chart to quickly identify the five main hydrangea types and learn how to care for each one.
📘 Ready to design your own hydrangea-filled landscape? Our Hydrangea Handbook & Worksheets walks you through choosing the right varieties, planning beautiful combinations, understanding bloom times, pruning with confidence, and creating a garden you’ll enjoy for years to come.
Whether you’re planting your very first hydrangea or dreaming of a landscape filled with hundreds of blooms, we hope these resources help you garden with confidence.
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