July 24, 2026
Hydrangeas Around My Tennis Court
It’s always fun to share the transformation of a garden project with “before” and “after” photos.
My farm includes 150 acres of gardens, pastures, and woodlands. Every year, I work hard to design new spaces and enhance existing ones. I carefully consider each specimen’s growing requirements and mature size before planting. Down at my tennis court, I already had a collection of white hydrangeas on one side. In 2024, I decided the area would look even better with hydrangeas planted all around the court fence. I chose a blend of white and pink flowering shrubs. I watered, fed and groomed them diligently, and now two years later, they’re blooming and thriving magnificently.
Enjoy these photos.
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- My tennis court is tucked away in a far corner of my farm. The court is surrounded by the same type of fencing as my perennial flower garden. And like all the other structures, it is painted Bedford gray.
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- On one side of the court behind and next to the observation pergola, is a selection of beautiful white hydrangeas including Pee Gee hydrangeas. During summer they bloom so beautifully.
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- Right now, the flowers are so big, they can be seen from the carriage road.
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- Two years ago, I decided to plant more hydrangeas around the other three sides of the court. Two foot wide strips of sod were removed for planting. These plants are Little Hottie® Panicle Hydrangeas from First Editions. They’re compact, mid-sized white hydrangeas – perfect for this side of the court.
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- Along both width sides, I added a selection of First Editions Diamond Rouge hydrangeas, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Rendia’ and Berry White hydrangeas, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Renba.’ Plants were positioned about two-and-a-half feet apart, so they would grow close together.
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- The hydrangeas were planted and mulched. I was confident they would all flourish around my tennis court where they would get at least three to four hours of direct sunlight.
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- The plants were in excellent condition. And, while not every perennial takes time to get going, there is some truth to the old gardener’s adage “the first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap.”
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- Look at them now – two years later.
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- All the hydrangea shrubs are just dripping with gorgeous blooms.
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- Diamond Rouge® Panicle Hydrangeas have abundant, long lasting, rounded flower heads that start white and progress to pink, intense raspberry red, and finally wine red.
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- These beautiful heads will get darker as the season progresses.
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- Hydrangeas have four petals in their florets. The petals can be found in a multitude of colors including blue, pink, purple, and white, depending on the species and in some cases, the soil pH. I have other colored hydrangeas elsewhere around my farm and they’re all blooming.
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- I have long grown hydrangeas. Hydrangeas are one of the most popular ornamental garden plants because of their large spherical flower heads.
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- And look at the Little Hottie panicle hydrangeas – also bursting with beautiful flowers.
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- Each low shrub is filled with white to antique white flower clusters.
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- On the opposite side, I planted taller Berry White hydrangea with flowers that also start out white in July then progress to dark pink, beginning at the bottom and developing up to the top of the panicle.
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- Hydrangea leaves are mostly large two to eight inches long, ovate or heart-shaped, with serrated edges, prominent veins, and a rich green color.
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- It’s wonderful to play tennis surrounded by all these gorgeous flowers.
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- And just feet from the hydrangea border is this apple tree – one of the favorites on the farm for green tart fruits.
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- Step under its canopy and there are so many apples growing.
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- They are not ready just yet, but I think it will be a good apple year.
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- What a difference a short time makes in the garden. Plant in the proper spot for the specimen, maintain good nutrient rich soil, and water and feed properly – your gardens will thrive like mine.
This story originally appeared on Martha Stewart Blog
