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The Hydrangea Care Secrets Behind Those Massive Summer Blooms: Best of Growing Joy Replay

The Hydrangea Care Secrets Behind Those Massive Summer Blooms: Best of Growing Joy Replay

Author: Maria Failla- Happy Plant Lady and Author of Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness May 14, 2026 Duration: 43:59
Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care
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To me, a hedge of hydrangea is one of the most iconic things you can do for your garden. They're epic, gorgeous, and yes, they have a reputation for being a little high maintenance. But once you set them up for success, hydrangeas can be one of the easiest flowering shrubs to grow.

In this Best of Growing Joy replay, I'm sitting down with Ryan McEnaney aka @ryanplantsplants a fifth-generation member of Bailey Nurseries and the face behind the best-selling Endless Summer Hydrangeas collection. Ryan breaks down everything from the 4 main hydrangea varieties and the number one pruning mistake killing your blooms, to soil pH secrets for changing your flower color, fertilizing tips, and how reblooming varieties can flower every month.

If you already have a hydrangea in your garden, it's going to be so much happier this year. And if you don't have one yet? You just might be inspired to bring one home!

 

In this episode, we learn:

  • [06:13] What has Ryan’s plant parent journey looked like?
  • [09:54] What are the 4 main species of hydrangea?
  • [13:42] Understanding bloom cycles for pruning
  • [16:56] Say goodbye to balcony watering stress this summer with self-watering planters!
  • [17:23] Learn how to create the perfect cutting garden for bouquets with The Cut Flower Handbook
  • [18:25] What is the blooming cycle of hydrangeas?
  • [20:09] When should you prune hydrangeas?
  • [22:40] How does soil affect the color of Hydrangea macrophylla blooms?
  • [28:58] What should you know about planting hydrangeas in the ground?
  • [30:12] What’s the general light guideline?
  • [30:42] Common mistakes people make with planting hydrangea
  • [31:23] Get everything you need, from containers to raised beds, with Gardener's Supply Company
  • [32:40] Check your hydrangeas’ soil acidity with Espoma Organics
  • [34:30] Why is it important to choose hydrangeas with flower buds?
  • [42:42] How to extend the length of hydrangea blooms
  • [48:26] Where can you find Ryan on social media?
  • [48:43] Where can you get Ryan’s book ‘Field Guide to Outside Style’?

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

 

Have you been struggling to get your hydrangeas to bloom?

Check out the full show notes and blog for everything you need to know about hydrangea care, pruning, and soil!

 

Follow Ryan

Website

Instagram

Book

 

 

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!

Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)

Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!

Instagram: @growingjoywithmaria

Tiktok: @growingjoywithmaria

Subscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmaria

Website: www.growingjoywithmaria.com

Pinterest: @growingjoywithmaria


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There’s a quiet, accessible kind of wellness waiting for you on a windowsill or in a patch of soil. Growing Joy with Plants explores that very idea, moving beyond basic tips to examine how our relationship with the natural world directly nurtures our mental and emotional health. Hosted by Maria Failla, a self-proclaimed Happy Plant Lady and author of "Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness," this podcast feels like a warm conversation with a knowledgeable friend. Maria guides you through the practicalities of keeping your houseplants alive and thriving, but the discussion always circles back to the deeper connection-how the simple acts of watering, repotting, or simply observing growth can become anchors of calm in a hectic day. Each episode digs into how gardening and engaging with nature, even in small urban spaces, offer tangible tools to manage feelings of anxiety and overwhelm. This isn't about achieving a perfect indoor jungle; it's about finding moments of peace and genuine happiness through the process of care. The underlying message throughout the podcast is a powerful and gentle reminder: tending to your plants is fundamentally an act of tending to yourself. You’ll come away with not just better plant care knowledge, but a refreshed perspective on cultivating joy in your daily routine, learning that the serenity you might seek on vacation can be rooted right in your own home.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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Growing Joy with Plants - Wellness Rooted in Nature, Houseplants, Gardening and Plant Care
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