Natsu, Thank you so much for your post on diamont rouge! Although I'm in zone 5,(5b) per the new zone map, I love hydrangeas and am not adverse to taking risks putting something in that won't come back. So I will be on a HUNT for this new hydrangea in the US. If it shows up in MO I can probably get one as my son is in school there. L. Ann, I bought 1 vs from my nursery and loved the pink paniculata bloooms so much, I moved things around in my yard to accommodate a 2nd. I'm not sure anything will ever get large in my yard as I keep moving things around til I find a good spot that it likes or so I can accommodate something else I just have to have. (It's easier bringing home plants than dogs - lol). Anyway, my vs seemed to bloom midsummer when I found them til mid fall. Only 1 or 2 blooms turned somewhat magenta, but the light pink colors were really worth it. Good luck! And Luis, thank you, thank you, thank you for all your knowledge and advise you give all us rookies!

ES is a macrophylla, same as Penny Mac and blooms on old wood. Any pruning past mod-late summer and you may remove next years flower buds. ES was a slow starter for me. I planted 2 in early fall, one from 3gal., one from 1 gal. The following year, the larger one had 3 blooms, none on the 1 gal. 2nd year, about a dozen on the large one, still none on the small. Third year was charm! The large one produced 75-80 flowers and a few on the small one. Each year since, the larger plant has produced in excess of 100 flowers and the smaller one is trying to catch up. They usually begin blooming by Easter each year, but not so this year. I still don't have a flower bud on either. This past winter was very hard on macrophyllas and serratas. For the first time ever, I am having to remove dead canes on the majority of them, some have required the removal of all of the old canes. I don't expect to see many flowers on any of them this year. So goes the luck of a gardener! Rb

Ok, I live in Maine, and my endless summers bloom every year since I planted them three years ago. I agree Annabelles are almost fool proof in growing hydrangeas. I also have Nikko Blues too, but have to cover both the Endless Summers, and Nikko blues for the winter. Yeah, I know that ES bloom on old and new wood, but protect the old wood from frost, and you will be rewarded. ES has more blooms then Nikko Blues but the mopheads are smaller, but Nikko Blues are still my favorite hydrangea. People drive for miles to see my pretty blue flowers, and I love it too. But it's a chore to cover them for the winter. I use Pvc pipes for a frame, and mill felt from the local paper mill, which I attach the felt to the pvc frame with wire ties. Endless Summers are a great hydrangea, just take care of them. Phil in Maine

My peach torte with peach gelato turned out to be a huge hit. It was so successful, I decided to go ahead and see if a savory version would turn out for me. It's in the oven right now, so I have to wait 45 minutes to discover if it will be a ''hit'', or I ''missed''! Here is what I did: I substituted the sugar for parmesan cheese I ground in the food processor, and added about 3 T. of chopped chives to the softened butter. After adding the eggs, flour, salt and baking powder, I spread the batter into a greased tart pan, evening it out with an offset spatula. I covered the batter with a thin layer of some French onion sour cream I made yesterday (by carmelizing the onions until they were deeply browned, and stirring them into the sour cream). To that I added a 1/4 lb. of browned sausage (Des Moines finest, Graziano's!), and about 1 Tablespoon of parmesan, which I reserved for the top. I hope it tastes good... Even if it doesn't, the French Onion dip is to die for. I may just have to console myself with that!