You know, Murray, I think many people aren't familiar with the paniculatas, the panicled hydrangeas.

You know, they're really very stunning.

But, you know, most of 'em are familiar with, I'll say our very popular one.

But let's talk about that just to start off with, okay?

>>We can do that.

>>Yeah.

>>So paniculadas for Virginia are much better.

As far as the climate, they're much more heat tolerant.

They're cold tolerant all the way into Canada.

They bloom on new wood.

They don't need nearly as much water.

You can change the time when they bloom by the way you prune it, you can keep them small.

There's tiny varieties, there's giant varieties.

So it's just a much heartier plant.

>>It's more versatile too.

>>It is.

>>Yes.

And when you say hardy, we're thinking of, you know, it's June, I'll say in Central Virginia and you brought in a sample of a macrophylla, our big leaf hydrangea, you know, the blue ones as everybody talks about.

And this is in water.

(laughs) >>Right.

And yeah, so the paniculadas just do much better in the heat than the macrophyllas.

And they don't have any of the diseases also, so- >>Which is another big bonus.

>>Right.

>>Yes.

But most people are familiar with them being white and then as the season progresses, they turn to a chartreuse and sometimes even a pretty pink.

So tell me about the hydrangeas that you've been working on over at the farm, what you've come up with.

>>Okay.

Why my hydrangeas are gonna change the hydrangea world is because the blooms start with color.

So if you see this color here, they start like that.

They don't turn like that in the fall.

And I have colors never before seen in a hydrangea.

>>Oh.

>>So I have cherry red.

>>Oh wow.

>>I have peaches, coffee, all different colors, and they all start that way.

They also change in the fall to different colors, but the main thing is that they start with color.

>>Fascinating, so rather than just starting white and changing to chartreuse or I'll say a more of a pink or a magenta, they actually are just going to immediately add color to our garden.

>>Right.

>>That is fantastic.

>>Right.

>>How many have you patented?

>>So I have a patent on one, and then I'm applying for patents on about 10.

So the only issue with me bringing in a lot of my new hydrangeas is that there's restrictions as far as patents.

[Peggy]- Well, we understand that, yes.

Can't let the cat out of the bag too early.

>>And then I have competitors that probably might wanna know what I'm doing.

>>This is exciting.

So when are we gonna be able to buy these plants, you know?

>>Well, I'm hoping at the end of next year.

>>Oh, good.

I'll be waiting.

I'm saving a spot in my garden.

>>Okay.

>>This is exciting.

>>Yeah, so I have some that are miniature, and then I have some that will grow 20 feet tall and every type of bloom in between.

>>Excellent.

So how do you do this?

I mean, how many plants do you grow?

I've got so many questions on the process itself.

So could you explain the process?

>>Okay, so what I do is when I first start, is I throw like the kitchen sink at the plant.

I'll hybridize it with 20 or 30 different plants.

>>Okay.

>>And so one of the ways is just open pollinating.

And so you pick, you have a field of plants, and then you pick the best ones, and then you plant 'em out and see what's good.

The second way to do it is to segregate a couple plants and then still let the insects and the wind pollinate 'em, but you get a tighter variety that way.

But I hand pollinate it because I think I'm just a tiny bit smarter than the insects, so- >>You're intentional.

>>So you have tiny little sepals.

I'm sorry, so these are the sepals.

Most people think that these are the petals of a flower, but these are...

I keep thinking.

Moderated, not moderated.

>>Modified leaves?

>>Modified leaves, right.

>>Yes, bracts.

Uh-huh.

>>But the true flower is in here and it has the- >>Way down deep.

>>stamen and the stigma.

And so what you have to do is take pollen from the stamen and put it on the stigma, and you do it over and over again for three or four days 'cause you don't know exactly the time period when it's right- >>Actually receptive to it.

>>Right, right.

>>Yes.

And then after that, so you let it set for how long?

I mean, it's going to close down, it's been pollinated, so it's going to, you know.

>>Yeah, so it'll form a seed, and one of these seeds will need to mature for about 80 days.

>>Okay.

>>And then from that seed, it'll open up and you'll get about 50 of these tiny little seeds.

>>Oh my.

>>And then each one of those will be planted out in a flat, and then maybe a hundred per flat, and then all those have to be hand transplanted into cell packs.

>>So at what time do you start culling them?

>>So in about six months, they'll bloom.

And after that, like I might grow 5,000, and in six months, I'll have to throw away 4,990. because you only get about maybe 1% that's good.

>>That's amazing.

Well, Murray, this is fantastic information and I thank you for sharing because I don't think people realize the extent of the numbers involved and the detail that goes into it, so I thank you so much for sharing.

>>You're welcome.

Thank you.

>>And I applaud you for the work you're doing, too.

>>Thank you.

>>Yes, thank you.