Pinky Winky Makes A Colorful Display
It seems like hydrangeas are all the rage in gardening lately. It used to be a gardener could grow the basic mophead – blue or pink depending on your soil pH – or if you were lucky you might be able to find a lacecap hydrangea in your local nursery but that was about it.
Now it seems like there are so many new hydrangeas on the market that it can be difficult to figure out which ones are actually worthwhile additions to your garden. I love hydrangeas and I grow about half a dozen different varieties even though I am constantly protecting them from browsing by deer. Hydrangeas are one of the only plants that I will bend my ‘buy only deer-resistant plants’ rule for.
My latest acquisition is a little beauty with a cutesy name seemingly designed to appeal to the pre-school set, not the serious gardener. Pinky Winky (Hydrangea paniculata ‘DVPinky’) is a peegee hydrangea without all the droopy, floppy stems characteristic of typical peegees. It’s red stems are upright and they support the massive blooms all season long.
Flowers Are Over One Foot Long
Blooms are about 12″ long and start out white but slowly fade to varying shades of pink regardless of soil pH. Since the flowers continue to grow during the season the flower panicles change color from white to pink from the bottom up, giving Pinky Winky a unique two-toned look. Pinky Winky blooms in midsummer, a few weeks earlier than many other peegees (hydrangea paniculata) and at a time when many other flowering shrubs are finished.
Pinky Winky is a cold-hardy hydrangea so she can be grown in zones 3 – 9. She prefers a location in full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil. Unlike many hydrangeas, Pinky Winky is not a water hog. This hydrangea can grow to about 6′ – 8′ tall but can easily be kept in check with annual pruning. Because Pinky Winky blooms on new wood she can be pruned in late winter or early spring without the fear of losing future buds.
What’s the best way to use Pinky Winky in your garden? You can plant a single Pinky Winky for use as a specimen or you could plant multiple plants for use as a flowering hedge or even a privacy screen, just keep in mind that Pinky Winky is deciduous so she will drop her leaves in the fall. Pinky Winky would also make a wonderful addition to a mixed border since her rough texture will complement many other shrubs and perennials.
I’d love to hear all about any of the new hydrangea cultivars you are growing in your garden, even if you wouldn’t necessarily recommend to a friend!
Note: Photos from www.provenwinners.com.
I may have to consider a Pinky Winky for the front of my house when I get around to replacing an ailing ret twig dogwood. I too love hydrangeas, and found that once the peegees get big enough, the deer tend to leave them alone … at least at my house.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the deer here in Stamford leave my peegees alone too!
Wow, is that beautiful. So far, I haven’t planted any hydrangeas but seeing yours makes me want to.
Cheryl,
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you’ll visit again soon. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you plant a hydrangea, the only problem (but also the fun part) will be deciding between all the wonderful options!
[...] – the leaves on my dogwoods (Cornus florida) are turning yellow, the flowers spikes on my Pinky Winky (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pinky Winky’) are a beautiful shade of pink and many of my [...]
[...] – the leaves on my dogwoods (Cornus florida) are turning yellow, the flowers spikes on my Pinky Winky (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pinky Winky’) are a beautiful shade of pink and many of my [...]
Hi Debbie,
I just purchased four pinky winky hydrangeas for a hedge on my property line.
How far apart should I plant them to make a dense hedge but still get enough air flow so as not to get fungal problems? I have been hearing that LL would be a better choice (bloomwise and growth rate) – but I chose PW because the bloom color is great. I am patient if the hedge will be filled out in 5 years – I will be happy.
Gail,
I think either LL or PW would make a wonderful hedge. I have both plants in my garden and each one has its unique style. But I do think I’d chose PW for a hedge because it holds it flowers more upright so the hedge will have a ‘hedgy’ feel but at the same time be less formal (hope that makes sense).
PW grows to be 5′ – 6′ wide so if you want a tight hedge (to screen an unsightly view for instance) I would plant them about 5 feet apart, on center. If you don’t mind a bit of space in between each PW, then I’d plant them 6 feet apart on center to allow for extra growth and air circulation.
I believe PW is fairly disease resistant so planting them close should not be a problem but remember at 5′ apart, you may need to do more pruning to keep them in bounds. That may not be such a bad prospect because you’ll be able to bring those incredible flowers inside to enjoy!
Good luck.
I have and love my PW but they are beginning to need pruning. Is there a better time than another to prune? And, Debbie, you cut the blooms and bring them inside? I’ve been afraid to cut the blooms for some reason – this does not thwart the next year’s blooms?
Thanks for anyone’s input.
M.A.,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I’m with you – I love my Pinky Winky, too. I have not cut any flowers off this season for a few reasons. 1) My shrub is still little and cutting even one flower head will leave a gapping hole on the shrub and 2) the flower heads continue to grow and change color over the season so I enjoy the show they put on while stll on the shrub. But you can certainly cut a few flowers off and bring them inside to enjoy. Just realize they will not continue to grow once cut and the shrub will not re-bloom.
As far as pruning goes, PW blooms on new wood (meaning flower buds are set in the spring) so you can prune in either late fall or early spring, depending on your climate. I garden in zone 6 and we get a lot of snow and ice during the winter so I will prune my PW in early spring. I like to leave the faded flowers on my hydrangeas for winter interest and protection of buds on those hydrangea that set buds in the fall (like mopheads).
Hope that answers your questions but if not please let me know and I’ll try to clarify further.
Debbie -
Thanks so much. That was exactly what I needed to know.
I planted a Pinky Winky this summer and am wondering about the winter since the western Chicago suburbs are about a zone 4. The plant is on the west side of my house. Since it is deciduous, it seems that I should leave it alone and do any pruning in the early spring. Am I correct?
Chuck,
Thanks for visiting. I agree that you should wait to do any pruning until late winter or early spring. Leaving the spent flowers on Pinky Winky should also give the branches some winter protection.
Since Pinky Winky blooms on new wood you’ll be able to prune out any dead wood next season and still have flowers in the summer. Good luck. I’ll hope you’ll stop back again in the spring (if not before) and let me know how she survived the western Chicago winter.
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What happens if you do not do any pruning? I have four PW’s planted in August ’09. They are about 3ft high. I have them spaced about 5 ft. apart (and hope they will serve as a screen). I live in zone 3. I am a rookie in the garden. Any help would be great. Thank you.
Hi JB,
It sounds like you will have a beautiful and colorful hedge in a few years. Since PW can grow about 7 feet wide, it sounds like the way you planted them with 5 feet between each one should allow each shrub to grow unencumbered by its neighbors which, in my mind, is always the optimal way to plant. Of course, at that spacing, it may take a while to achieve full screening if that’s what you’re looking for. But the wait will be worth it!
As far as pruning is concerned, PW does not NEED to be pruned, except for taking out the occasional dead or injuried branch but, like all paniculata hydrangeas, it does take well to severe pruning. In fact, many people believe paniculata’s flower better if pruned back by 1/3 to 1/2 in the spring.
Since you are in zone 3, the most northern growing zone for PW, you may be forced to prune a bit due to winter dieback. My advice would be to prune as little as possible for the first few years to see how PW will perform for you in your garden. If after a few years, PW is not flowering as you would like, then try a severe pruning in the spring and see if you get more/larger flowers.
Good luck and please stop back and let me know how your PWs flower this summer.
Thank you Debbie……I will take your advice and will be sure to let you know how they flower. Happy New Year and thanks again
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Should these be trimmed back in the early spring like regular hydrangeas?
Thanks.
Mike Jacobs
Mike,
Yes, early spring is an ideal time to prune Pinky Winky and other hydrangeas that bloom on new wood. I just pruned mine yesterday.
However, not all hydrangeas should be pruned now. When you say ‘regular’ hydrangeas I’m not sure exactly which plants you’re referring to but if you mean the big mophead hydrangeas – hydrangea macrophylla -(the one’s our mothers and grandmothers grew that are either blue or pink depending on the pH of your soil) then now it not the time to prune them. They bloom on old wood so pruning now will most likely mean you will cut off the buds that would bloom this summer.
Having said that, there are some new varieties of hydrangea macrophylla, most notably Endless Summer, which are re-blooming. That means they bloom on old wood and new wood. So the timing of pruning is not as critical.
Hope that helps. If not, please let me know.
Hi Debbie.
I LOVE Pinky Winky and want to plant some in my front foundation garden under the bay window. I have 12 feet of space to work with and would like to put in 3 plants. Would that be too close together? I don’t need to put them all in a row either because of the shape of the window.
I just dug up the Annabelles I had there and transplanted them to the back yard. (oh my aching back!) They are beautiful, but sort of boring for the front of the house. I need color!
I also just bought a Center Glow Ninebark. What a beauty! That will be further down but next to the PW’s.
Thanks for this great website!!
Diane,
It sounds like you’re going to have a very colorful foundation once the PWs start to bloom, especially with the ninebark nearby! 12′ may be enough room depending on the depth of the bed. Staggering the PWs is a good idea as it will eventually give you a ‘wall of color’ and will also create some natural pockets right now for flowering groundcovers or annuals. Keep an eye on the PWs to make sure they are not getting too crowded and you should keep in mind that eventually you may need to transplant one to make more room for the other two. The great thing is PWs can be easily pruned to keep them in bounds. Have fun.