By Natalie Carmolli for Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Shrubs
If you’ve ever been frustrated by hydrangeas that take forever to bloom—or worse, don’t bloom at all—you’re not alone. Sure, it was a boon to gardening when reblooming hydrangeas were introduced. But if you’re anything like me, late frosts, unpredictable weather, and poorly planned pruning meant you were often left staring at a big ball of green leaves, wondering if you’d ever see flowers. Then, when a few blooms finally emerged, it was so late in the season there would hardly be time left to enjoy them!
I have a lot of experience growing hydrangeas, so I was excited when I heard about a new variety that actually delivers on the promise of season-long blooms. That hydrangea is Let’s Dance Sky View® Continuously Blooming Hydrangea. Continuous blooms? That’s a hefty promise. But boy, does it keep that promise. Now, my garden enjoys a steady supply of sky-blue mophead flowers from early summer through fall, even after a late frost. And best of all? They're so easy to grow.
Why Let’s Dance Sky View Hydrangea Works So Well in My Garden
I used to have a huge, bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) planted right at the front corner of my house. It was the old-fashioned kind that sets its buds at the terminal ends, or tips, of last year’s branches. But when those early “old wood” buds got damaged—whether by frost, deer, or an untimely pruning—no flowers. This happened about every third year or so. So when the first remontant hydrangeas were introduced, I ran out and got them. These types of hydrangeas still set buds on old wood, but they also set buds and rebloom on the branches they grow in the current season, or “new wood.” But once again, if the old wood buds didn’t survive, I was left waiting and waiting until the end of the summer to see any blooms at all. It felt like I had to work just as hard to get my “rebloomers” to bloom in spring as I did with my old variety.
But Let’s Dance Sky View hydrangea has changed that. Here’s why: It’s a hybrid of bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) and mountain hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata). Mountain hydrangeas are a lacecap species that enjoy more overall hardiness than their showy bigleaf cousins. By creating a hybrid of the two, we get the hardy qualities of the mountain hydrangeas plus the gorgeous mophead blooms of the bigleaf species. This results in beautiful mophead blooms on a hydrangea that is extra hardy, down to USDA zone 4. Even after my harsh Michigan winters, this hydrangea bounces back with strong growth and an abundance of flowers. So now, even my sister in northern Wisconsin can find hydrangea success!
The Secret Behind Its Continuous Blooms
I know what you’re thinking… Hardiness is fine and dandy, but our weather is becoming more and more unpredictable. Early warmups followed by a late frost or freeze used to happen once every few years – but now it seems to be the new normal. And weather aside, a pruning mishap is a pruning mishap, and it can’t be fixed by hardiness. I got you.
What makes Let’s Dance Sky View hydrangea extra special and different from standard rebloomers is that it sets flower buds at every leaf node along its stems—not just at the tips. Even if the top buds are lost to inclement weather, pruning, or even deer grazing, the lower old wood buds will still bloom. It has backup buds!
Not only that, it produces flowers on new wood much faster than those old rebloomers. The result? A continuous display of blooms, all season long.
The Dreamy Blue Flowers Are Easy to Achieve
I’ve always wanted true blue hydrangeas in my garden, but getting the color right in my alkaline soil was tricky. With Let’s Dance Sky View hydrangea, I've found it easier and faster to shift the blooms to blue by adjusting the soil pH. I used to treat my hydrangeas at the beginning of the season and wait for them to turn blue the next year. But with Let's Dance Sky View hydrangea, I add the soil acidifier/aluminum treatment in the spring, and by mid-summer, my hydrangeas are starting to turn shades of blue!
But honestly, even without any amendments, the flowers are stunning—ranging from icy pink to soft lavender, to sky blue. Sometimes, I even get a mix of colors on one plant, which makes it even more delicious.
Even if the top buds are lost, the lower old wood buds will still flower.
New wood delivers flowers faster - no more waiting until late summer—this hydrangea delivers steady color all season.
Gorgeous, Soft Color
Faster and easier to turn blue with soil amendments, but beautiful in pink or lavender as well.
Sometimes, multiple colors appear on the same plant!
Hardy and Reliable, Neat and Tidy
Trialed across USDA zones 4-9 and proven to thrive in a variety of climates.
A compact size and tight, rounded shape makes it perfect for garden beds and containers.
Tips for Growing Let’s Dance Sky View Continuously Blooming Hydrangea
Light: Thrives in part sun to full sun. Generally prefers morning sun.
Size: It fits almost anywhere at just 2-3 feet tall and 2-4 feet wide.
Hardiness: Survives and thrives in USDA zones 4-9.
Soil: Prefers moist, well-draining soil.
Water: Water deeply 2-3 times a week, adjust for heat and drought.
Color Control: For blue blooms, treat soil with an acidifier and/or aluminum sulfate; for pink, keep it more alkaline. A soil test is recommended to determine your soil's starting pH.
If You Want More Blooms, Sooner—This Is the Hydrangea for You
I know how disappointing it can be to wait for hydrangea blooms that never arrive. That's why I love Let’s Dance Sky View—it’s the first hydrangea I’ve grown that truly delivers nonstop color from early summer all the way to fall. Whether you’re dreaming of sky-blue flowers or a mix of pastel hues, this hydrangea will make you look like a gardening rock star with almost no effort on your part.
Because, let’s face it, for most of us, summer is not endless - so why waste another minute of it waiting for your hydrangea to bloom? Get Let’s Dance Sky View Continuously Blooming Hydrangea and enjoy more beautiful blue blooms, sooner. You can find them at any garden center that carries Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Shrubs, or online at ProvenWinners.com.
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