Many gardeners in Northern climates have been enjoying the blue hydrangea ‘Endless Summer’ for a few years. Unlike most mophead hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla), ‘Endless Summer’ blooms on new and old wood, so even if it dies back in winter, it still produces a flower show the next summer.

Now a new series of hardy hydrangeas is available that expands the color choices. The Forever & Ever hydrangeas also bloom on new and old wood, they are compact growers, and they produce large flowers.

Forever & Ever Red (H. macrophylla ‘Red Sensation’) grows 3 feet tall and wide and produces large, round flowers in midsummer that start out red and fade to purple. It’s hardy to USDA zone 4. Forever & Ever ‘Double Pink’ (H. macrophylla ‘RE109’) has the same growth habit, but it produces double pink or blue flowers, depending on the soil pH. It’s hardy to USDA zone 5.

For more information on these new, hardy hydrangeas, go to: Carroll Gardens.