I don't live anywhere nearby-I'm in Texas...but would you be interested in trading a few cuttings of your Nikko ????? I have 'florence vaughan' canna, unnamed yellow canna, e. ear, staghorn fern, green butterfly philodendron, andpossibly others. LMK if you would like to trade..

I usually saturate the soil and then use around two tablespoons per gallon of aluminum sulphate, adding as much as you want basically. I've seen various recommendations about the amount and timing. But with this amount I apply it every couple of weeks or so in the very early part of their growth. Yes, I'm in the northern part of CT. That makes a big difference in comparison to those of you closer to the Sound. If we don't start getting more snow around here, I'm going to start looking to head North. I'm always suggesting Blue Billow. For me, it blooms reliably every year. Blue Wave would never bloom for me if I didn't take some overwintering precautions. I'm still waiting for the verdict on Endless Summer. With PG you can cut back the new growth pretty much as far as you want and use it as an opportunity to encougage the plant not to be so wispy. It will still flower. Good luck to you. Hay

I am very interested and live in the area. Today would be great if that works for you. You can email me directly at steelerchris07@hotmail.com

"can the blooms be saved by covering the hydrangeas for the winter?" Depending on location, may not be just as simple as 'covering' the hydrangea. Successful winter protection generally involves a bit more then mere covering :-) There have been many, many discussions on this forum over the years on methods of winter protection and here is a link that will connect you to many of them: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/hydra/query/winter-protection/nqrw I can't tell you which works best, as there is no need for this in my climate. But I do suggest winter protection for anyone living in zone 6 or below but zone 7's may benefit as well, as it is often the wide fluctuations in spring temperatures that cause the most bud damage. I'd also recommend this for new wood bloomers as well, as the less dieback from cold weather involved, the more vigorous the new growth will be and the greater the chances for flowering. This protection only involves Hydrangea macrophylla cultivars (and closely related serratas), as the other commonly grown species are more cold tolerant and bloom reliably on new growth.