Dear Hydrangea Enthusiasts,

Welcome!
Welcome to the March 2008 edition of Hydrangeas Plus® newsletter.  Yes, it's March here in the valley.  We had our usual snow, hail, sleet, rain and sun.  Days are warming to 60 degrees but still a little chilly at night.  Hydrangeas are looking fabulous.

Orders are pouring in!  Get your orders in - catalog is in the mail and slowly reaching those mailboxes.  Remember, our one year hydrangeas in a 4" or 3.5" pot are slowly creeping back onto the 'available for sale' section of our website.  I think most will be ready sometime in April but some may not be big enough until May.  I'm talking to them every day.

Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers during my recovery.  I am doing fine and doctors say everything is healing better than they anticipated.  I'm not quite 100% but getting there.

SPRING RETAIL HOURS and LOCATIONS
I finally did it - set the day and time for our pre-spring retail sale.  Let's hope for some good weather.
Our RETAIL WEEKEND will be
March 22 (8am - 5pm)
March 23 (8am - 5pm)
This will take place at the nursery.  Address is 6543 S Zimmerman Rd, Aurora OR 97002.  Directions can be found here.  Wish me luck!
Yes, I realize this is Easter weekend but I coordinated the date with the Wooden Shoe Farm's open date (March 20 - April 20).

Next is GARDENPALOOZA.  This is the sixth year for this wonderful celebration of spring.  We will be there with 40 other nurseries.  Don't miss this event!  It will be held again at Fir Point Farms in Aurora.  See here for more details and directions.  Produced by the Gustin Creative Group.
April 5 (8am - 4pm)

We have set our annual OVERSTOCK SALE to be April 26th-May 10th, everyday, 8am to 5pm

Some very sad news....
Susy Dirr, daughter of Dr. & Mrs. Michael Dirr passed away on January 24th.  Our thoughts and prayers go to the Dirr family.  In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for contributions to the Sweet Melissa Fund for transplant families at the University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill. 
The Sweet Melissa Fund
c/o Becky Cicale, Lung Transplant Coordinator
111 Hogan Ridge Ct
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

SALE SALE SALE SALE - FREE SHIPPING FREE SHIPPING FREE SHIPPING
Sorry, that was a little annoying.  We doing the free shipping again!  For orders over $200 for orders placed before March 31st.  This is only applicable to online orders and cannot be combined with other offers.  We're beginning to run out of some varieties so order as soon as you can.  Just type FREE SHIPPING in the coupon code section on the first page of the order form (scroll down a bit) once your order for plants and amendments exceeds $200.  For those of you in colder zones, this offer applies to orders shipped anytime this spring (June 15th).

If you have trouble using the coupon (I know it's awful - so sorry - I'm working on that) I will amend your order and send you a confirmation for the zero shipping.  Just write me a note in the special shipping instructions and I'll take care of it for you.

This is only available for the plants available now.  No pre orders for hydrangeas that aren't ready yet.

Commonly Asked Questions

TRANSPLANT Q:  I have two hydrangea plants. The larger one used to be shaded by a flowering tree in the afternoon. However, the tree was diseased and we had to have it removed. This plant is on the southwest side of my house. The hydrangea received too much sun and the leaves and flowers curled up. The smaller plant is on the west side of my house and receives a lot of sun and reflection off our siding. It also seems to have leaves curl when it gets too hot. Is there anything I can do to protect my plants from the hot summer afternoons? Will it hurt to transplant them? My backyard (north side of house) gets very little sun and is fairly wet most of the year. Any advice would be appreciated. I love both of my plants and want them to thrive.


A:  Other than a cooler summer, there really isn't much you can do.  Watering in the AM hours may help.  Mulch the plant in the summer to keep more moisture in the ground and allow less to transpire away.  Transplanting may be a great option.

Now is a great time to transplant hydrangeas.  It isn't difficult.  The plant should still be dormant so transplant risk is minimal.  The root system for hydrangea is generally shallow (the reason why they need so much water on hot days) and could be up to the width of the branch system.  Be sure that you mulch them well after transplant to protect from any late frosts we may have before spring. 
Thank you for your question.

VISIT THE NURSERY Q:  I recently moved to Oregon and noticed that you nursery or the contact number is a "503" area code. i was wondering if you could give me the directions to the nursery so that i can visit and purchase plants instead of having to get them ordered through the mail.
A:  We aren't open to the public right now (next date is set for March 22nd).  You are more than welcome to place an order online and we can arrange a time that you can come pickup.  We are here most days.  We will give you 20% off if you come pick up (and obviously, no shipping cost).  Retail prices will be similar.
 
Our address is 6543 S Zimmerman Rd Aurora OR 97002.  

BLOOM Q:  I have a hydrangea that I planted about 4 years ago. It has never bloomed. Any suggestions? Thanks!
A:  The reasons why hydrangeas don't bloom are usually (1) too much pruning (2) improper pruning time (3) weather - too cold or transition to winter/summer too drastic (4) too much shade (5) too much fertilizer.

SIZE Q:  What sizes are the 1, 2 & 3 year old hydrangeas that you ship? Bare root or pot (size?). Many thanks.

A:  Our one year plants are in 3.5" or 4" and they were planted last fall and aren't quite big enough yet.  It's the first year we've offered this 'starter' size and I want them to be perfect - rooted and leafing out.  These will be shipped in the container.  Some are ready now but most will be ready in mid to late April - depending on the weather.  The 2-year plant is growing in a one gallon container.  The 3-year plant is growing in a three gallon.  For the 2- and 3-year hydrangeas, we don't ship the container so we fell it's misleading to say '1 gallon' or '3 gallon'.   These are really the age of these plants so that's what we call them.  

I hope that helps.  There is pictures on the website if you click on 1-year hydrangea, 2-year hydrangea, or 3-year hydrangea.  It's what they look like in May.  Right now, they are bit dormant but pushing nicely.

We do ship most of the potting mix we use to grow the plant and these are well rooted.
Thank you for your question.


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Sincerely,

Kristin VanHoose
Hydrangeas Plus®
http://www.hydrangeasplus.com