• Home
  • Meet Kelly
  • My House
  • Contact

Kelly Elko

Love where you live - inspired decorating ideas

  • Eclectic Homes
  • Projects
    • My Projects
    • FREE Printables
    • Garden
    • Recipes
    • Tips & Tricks
    • Organization
  • Decorate
    • My House
    • Decorating
    • Outdoors
    • Christmas
    • Fall
    • Summer
    • Spring
    • Tablescapes
  • Life
    • Travel
    • Musings
  • Shop

Why Every Garden Needs a Summer Crush Hydrangea – Planting & Care Tips

July 14, 2020  Garden | Uncategorized

I never met a hydrangea I didn’t love but I’m especially partial to Summer Crush hydrangea. Their vibrant raspberry red color is so unique that complete strangers stop and gawk as they stroll past my house (or maybe they are judging the gnome on my porch steps). These are dwarf hydrangeas and will max out at just three feet tall and wide which means it’s easy to find a spot for one in any garden. I’m sharing all of my growing and care tips for this stunning hydrangea.

Summer Crush Hydrangea Planting and Care Tips - these raspberry red hydrangeas are spectacular! kellyelko.com #hydrangea #hydrangeas #summercrush #summercrushhydrangeas #endlesssummer #endlesssummerhydrangea #perennial #landscaping #gardening #gardener

We all know and love the typical light blue and pink hydrangeas but if you are looking for something different, Summer Crush is your answer.

Is this a show stopper or what? Raspberry red blooms and deep green leaves make Summer Crush a stand out in the garden. This perennial blooms from June through September and depending on the acidity of the soil, flowers can even be a rich shade of neon purple.

Summer Crush Hydrangea Planting and Care Tips - these hydrangeas are spectacular! kellyelko.com #hydrangea #hydrangeas #summercrush #summercrushhydrangeas #endlesssummer #endlesssummerhydrangea #perennial #landscaping #gardening #gardener

This has been a banner year for hydrangeas and my Summer Crush is no exception!

If your hydrangeas are not blooming, make sure to read this post …

Why Aren’t My Hydrangeas Blooming

Summer Crush Hydrangea Planting and Care Tips

Find Your Zone

Summer Crush does well in zones 4 – 9 but for zones 4 and 5, plant in a sheltered location and make sure to mulch in the winter.

Check this plant hardiness zone map to make sure your plants thrive in your location

This post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Where to Plant

Hydrangeas prefer morning sun and partial afternoon shade but the farther south you live, the less sun these plants can handle. Late afternoon sun may fry the blooms.

Buy Summer Crush Hydrangeas Here.

How to Plant

Dig a hole as deep as the pot and about 1 1/2 the width of the pot.
Add fertilizer to the hole. Acid loving hydrangeas love this fertilizer.
Put hydrangea in hole making sure the place where the stem meets the top of the dirt of the plant is even with the ground.
Add quality planting mix and pack tightly.
Add mulch.

Water

Hydra means water and your hydrangeas need lots of it so water every day, especially during summer. Flowers might wilt in the afternoon sun but should perk back up when it cools down.

When to Prune 

Although these hydrangeas bloom on both old and new wood, which means you can prune any time of the year, it’s best to prune in the fall to ensure you get the maximum amount of flowers. It’s ok to remove dead branches any time of the year.

Summer Crush Hydrangea Planting and Care Tips - these hydrangeas are spectacular! kellyelko.com #hydrangea #hydrangeas #summercrush #summercrushhydrangeas #endlesssummer #endlesssummerhydrangea #perennial #landscaping #gardening #gardener

If you’re looking for a unique hydrangea, I highly recommend Summer Crush. The two that flank my front walkway were planted over 10 years ago and they have rewarded me with gorgeous blooms every summer.

Can’t get enough hydrangeas?

Hydrangeas 101 – Everything You Need to Know

Hydrangeas 101 - the complete guide! kellyelko.com #hydrangeas #perennials #gardening #gardeningtips #gardener #flowers #plants #kellyelko

When to Prune Hydrangeas

When to Prune Hydrangeas - everything you need to know to get spectacular blooms! kellyelko.com #hydrangea #hydrangeas #perennials #gardening #gardener #tipsandtricks

Limelight Hydrangeas

Limelight Hydrangeas planting and care tips kellyelko.com #hydrangea #hydrangeas #limelight #limelighthydrangeas #perennials #hedge #gardening #gardener

Endless Summer Hydrangeas

Endless Summer Hydrangea planting and care tips kellyelko.com #hydrangea #hydrangeas #endlesssummer #endlesssummerhydrangea #perennials #tipsandtricks #gardens #gardener

More Gardening Posts Here

Sign up to get Kelly Elko's latest posts delivered right to your inbox
Your information will never be shared or sold to a 3rd party.

Share this Post!

897 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
« Previous: My “Crack House” Makeover & New Paint Color Reveal!
Next: Thrifting Diaries – My Swan Song, 7 Years Bad Luck, and an Almost Grisly Murder »

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

  1. Lisa K.

    July 14, 2020 at 9:48 am

    Wow! These are beautiful! I’ve never seen or heard of these before so thank you for sharing and for the growing tips. I admire your green thumb!

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      July 14, 2020 at 10:07 am

      Aren’t they unique Lisa!

      Reply
  2. Kathy

    July 14, 2020 at 9:53 am

    Those are gorgeous. I have never tried Hydrangeas in my garden. Maybe I’ll give it a shot this year. That pink is so pretty!

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      July 14, 2020 at 10:07 am

      You must Kathy! Plant in fall – summer is too hot!

      Reply
  3. Bev

    March 5, 2021 at 3:48 pm

    What do you feed the crush hydrangeas to keep them really pink? I’m planting mine now and don’t want purple!

    Reply
    • Holly

      April 16, 2021 at 10:08 am

      Me too! Surprised it wasn’t mentioned 🤔

      Reply
  4. Susan S

    May 10, 2021 at 8:28 pm

    I’ve read you can plant these in pots as they don’t get real big…thought….

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      May 11, 2021 at 3:58 pm

      Yes you definitely can Susan!

      Reply
  5. Heather Hall

    May 31, 2021 at 2:06 pm

    I have two of these that I planted last fall. The blooms are beautiful, but I was wondering how do you cut them for vases? Will the blooms reproduce after you cut one or two?

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      May 31, 2021 at 2:42 pm

      I don’t think they will rebloom from the place you cut Heather.

      Reply
  6. mindi silich

    June 8, 2021 at 5:41 pm

    I just bought a summer crush hydrangea and I’m afraid to plant it bc I am really wanting the taller end of mature height at 36 inches. What I’m reading says they get from 18-36 inches tall and I’m wondering what can I do to ensure the higher end of that estimate? Does more sun make them grow taller? I have a great spot by my fence but I want this garden bed to look more full with some taller plants and would love having the blooms from this hydrangea but if it only ends up 18″ Id much rather it be somewhere else. Any tips or thoughts on this? I can’t seem to find anything related to how to ensure the higher end of mature height.

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      June 11, 2021 at 8:32 pm

      Hi Mindi! I love my summer crush hydrangea and it’s definitely about 36″ tall. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a hydrangea that is only 18″ tall! I would suggest you try it out and if it doesn’t grow to the desired height, you can always move it.

      Reply
      • Mindi Silich

        June 13, 2021 at 9:08 am

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
  7. Annie

    June 16, 2021 at 10:21 pm

    Wow beautiful flowers!!! I just bought 4 summer crush hydrangea and can’t wait to plant them. The guy at the nursery told me Summer Crush was a new macrophylla species from the Endless Summer collection. I wonder if it’s true since you mentioned that yours were planted 10 years ago. I just hope I got the real deal 😩. Any thoughts?

    Reply
    • Kelly Elko

      June 22, 2021 at 10:58 am

      I just read that Summer Crush came out in 2019!! This is making me second guess everything in my life LOL!

      Reply
      • Annie

        July 1, 2021 at 8:46 am

        🤣🤣🤣🤣

        Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Hydrangeas 101 - Choosing, Planting, Growing, Pruning Tips - Kelly Elko says:
    July 14, 2020 at 9:30 am

    […] Read My Summer Crush Hydrangea Tips […]

    Reply
  2. Winter Kill Hydrangeas Care says:
    July 14, 2020 at 9:31 am

    […] Read my Summer Crush Hydrangea care tips here. […]

    Reply

KELLY

About / Contact / Press
facebook twitter instagram google pinterest snapchat

Join me as I decorate my 100 year old home, scour thrift stores, create pretty things, putter in my peony and hydrangea filled garden, and mix up a mean cocktail all with a touch of sarcasm and a side of bacon - Cheers!



More About Kelly

Love where you live by mixing high and low, new and old to create a home that shows off your personality. My mantra ... simple projects equals more time for cocktails!
Subscribe for Email Updates:

Get in Touch

facebook twitter instagram google pinterest snapchat

I'd love to hear from you:
[email protected]

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · KellyElko All rights reserved. Site by WordPress Barista

Copyright © 2023 · KellyElko - 2016 on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Sign up to get Kelly Elko's latest posts delivered right to your inbox
Your information will never be shared or sold to a 3rd party.
897 shares