Non-blooming Climbing Hydrangeas

Credit: Jupiter Images

It sounds like you are doing everything right. The only thing I can think of is that they may get a bit too much nitrogen fertilizer to have big, green leaves and no flowers. Don’t fertilize them this year and see how they perform. It may also be a matter of age, as they are notoriously show to mature. This may be your lucky summer! In the meantime, consider planting an annual vine to climb into them and give you some color. When I worked at VanDusen Botanical Garden, we used to grow Ipomoea lobata, or Spanish flag, which was really pretty (red and yellow). Black-eyed susan vine (Thunbergia alata) is also pretty, as is Chilean glory vine (Eccremocarpus scaber). You’ll probably have to order seed as these aren’t always easy to find. Black-eyed susan vine may be in the hanging basket plants section of your garden center.