Hydra may be a monster but Hydrangeas can be stunningly beautiful.
Hydrangea are easy to grow, voluminous shrubs with long lasting flower-heads. They can grow to be handsome 6 foot high and wide shrubs.
Growing Hydrangea Early autumn is the best time to plant new Hydrangeas. If planting in spring take more care with watering and mulch the plants to keep the soil damp. Hydrangeas grow best in semi shade in rich moist soil. Trim off old flower heads and dead stems in spring. Give them a balanced fertilizer in spring.
Choose the Right Variety Mophead or Hortensia hydrangeas are the type that have pompom like heads that open into a globe shape such as ‘Blue Bonnet’ or ‘Forever Pink’. Lacecap varieties have flat heads whose flowers do not open at the same time.
Quercifolias often have pyramid shaped white flowers and oak shaped leaves. Annabelle is the best known and well liked variety of Hydrangea arborescens.
Where to Plant Hydrangeas are good seaside plants tolerating salty air. Grow in shade or full sun but avoid early spring sun after frosts. Hydrangeas resist wind and only request a moist soil. Their characteristics make Hydrangeas good on the edge of woodland or as an informal hedge. Pot grown varieties are popular as house plants that can be planted in the garden when they are finished in the house.
Drying Hydrangeas can provide decoration out of season and tips can be found on the Hydrangea web site.
See Thorp Perrow Hydrangeas
Hydrangea colouring. Alkaline soil produces pink flowers and acidic soil blue flowers. You can add Aluminium sulphate to get blue flowers or lime to change to pink flowers. White varieties will not change colour.
Hydrangea macrophylla produce slightly different colour tones depending on the soil