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Heavenly Hydrangeas

The cloudlike flowers of hydrangeas are as romantic as ever, but today's plants bloom bigger, brighter and showier than Grandma's favorites. With so many types, you'll find one perfect for your garden.

The bigleaf hydrangea Cityline Berlin reaches 12-36 inches tall.

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More popular than ever

Gardeners love hydrangeas because they're beautiful--with big, soft dollops of blooms in pink, white, chartreuse, purple and blue. Hydrangeas add gauzy yet powerful color to a garden for weeks, starting with bigleaf types that bloom in June, extending through winter if flowers are left to dry on the limbs.

Hydrangeas are more popular today than ever, thanks in part to the recent development of new kinds, especially those that rebloom on new and old stems. "Today, we're seeing many new varieties, and I see no indication of this slowing down," says Jonathan Pedersen, brand and business development manager for Bailey Nurseries near Saint Paul.