best hydrangeas of now and tomorrow, with dan hinkley

IF SOMEONE SAYS HYDRANGEA, many of us first conjure classic images of big blue moptops, or maybe the paniculata types with their conical white-to-pink-to-tan flowers. So you think you know a hydrangea when you see it? Well, chances are if Daniel Hinkley were asked to describe the genus, his version would be a whole lot more diverse than ours.

Dan Hinkley is a longtime plant explorer (that’s him in the Himalayas, below), nurseryman, teacher and gardener. Above all, he says, he’s committed to “above-average garden plants.” I found out from Dan just what, when the subject is hydrangeas, qualifies as above average and even exceptional, and we took a peek into the future of what traits hydrangeas of tomorrow might show off, too. Sneak peek: red flowers, or foliage that’s evergreen or felted or even purple are just some of the standout features we might see more of in hydrangeas of the future.

Plus: at the bottom of the page, learn about how to visit Dan’s garden undertakings at Heronswood—the former specialty nursery he founded that is now a public garden—and at Windcliff, his home garden, both across Puget Sound from Seattle.

Read along as you listen to our conversation on the August 28, 2017 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).

hydrangea q&a with dan hinkley

Q. I guess a little background first: you’re north of Seattle, in the Kingston area?

A. We’re north and west of Seattle, so we’re in the west Sound country, looking back across Puget Sound to Seattle.

Q. Not a bad view.

I think of you all the time because not a month goes by here in my garden in the growing season when I don’t uncover, in the

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