Garden Tip 86:

Hydrangea season will soon be upon us and flowers of blue, pink, purple and white will abound in shapes of globes, cones, and lace caps. While flowers are their most important attribute, some hydrangeas have colorful foliage that can add interest to your garden.

Hydrangea Fire Island and Hydrangea Hamptons, two varieties from the Seaside Serenade Collection, have burgundy foliage in the spring that turns dark green in summer. Hydrangea Lady in Red has red stems and red-veined dark green leaves that turn a rich purple hue come fall.

By far, my favorite hydrangea with colorful foliage is Miss Saori. Bred and developed in Kyoto Japan by horticulturist Ryoji Irie, this plant was named after his fiancé. It is a compact plant with beautiful dark maroon foliage with green veins. Flowers are double with a cream center and red margins. Miss Saori is part of the new generation of macrophyllas, so some flowering can be expected on new wood, even after a harsh winter. If you seek this plant out, you are going to want to take it home!