My goldenrods are budding now. Kinda strange. I would hesitate before cutting buds back because the plant has already expended the energy necessary to prepare flowers and depending on the plant, it may not be able to generate enough energy to make another attempt by fall.

What about Chicago Apache? It's really a standout in my garden. It's still flowering right now. I have a bad habit of taking the picture from above the plant. Marg Another red I have is Doug's Red Mercedes, not as vibrant red but still beautiful.

Timing is everything when it comes to cutting hydrangea blossoms for arrangements. Cutting early in the day is best, when temperatures are still cool and the plant fully hydrated. Evening/dusk is second best but earlier is better. Never, ever in midday or in full sun - that will guarantee wilting. Once the blossoms have been cut, submerge the entire stem, flower and all, in room temp water for a minute or two. Remove from the water, gently shake it off and make a new cut at the stem base at a 45 degree angle. Use a flower preservative or a touch of lemon-lime soda as suggested in the vase water. Change the water daily and misting the flowers won't hurt either. Hydrangea blossoms treated this way should last for about a week to 10 days. I used to do wedding bouquets/floral arrangements and used this method with great results.

I have had the same luck with Endless Summer Hydrangea as Jackz41!! Endless Summer is rated as Zone 4. In northern Wisconsin, I saw that many people did not have good luck with Endless Summer blooming before mid-July up here, this could be a problem elsewhere in the country too. I have over 65 roses so I took a wintering trick from my roses to get Endless Summer to bloom early! I bend the plants completly over and hold them down with bricks or larger rocks, in early November after a hard freeze(this can be hard as the shrubs get bigger, but you can do it carefully) I then cover them lightly with oak leaves and let snow fall on them! As we get lots of snow up here it has worked well for winter protection so the tips do not freeze! I have not had any mold problems with this trick! I have been growing Endless Summer since they first came out on the market, I have seven of them some just planted 1.5 ago. The older plants are around 3.5-4'high-4' wide. They get 4-5 hours of direct sunlight and filtered for several more hours, I also fetilize them with the same fertilizer I use for roses in lesser amounts. They start blooming in the middle of June with lots of blooms in all colors depending on your soil. I just add nail filings to make some of them more blue and leave the rest of the plants alone so I get colors from blue to lavender, purple and pink! Later in summer the mature blooms turn more green, then in fall they take on a burgandy hue with the green. They are really pretty, hardy and long blooming and great cut flowers when dryed as they mature in the Fall. Along with my pee-gee and several annabelle's (my hydrangea work horse) I love my Endless summer hydrangea's just as much as my roses!!