Hydrangeas are great when you want color and impact. We planted different varieties of the “Forever” series. Hydrangeas are easy to prune and shape, and in rich soil, they thrive, developing vigorous growth habits and quickly dominating their corner of the garden. Hydrangeas aren’t just your grandmother’s flowers. There are several types besides the fluffy pink or blue balls you may be familiar with.
Hydrangeas are popular ornamental plants , grown for their large flowerheads, with hydrangea macrophylla being by far the most widely grown with over 600 named cultivars , many selected to have only large sterile flowers in the flowerheads. Some are best pruned on an annual basis when the new leaf buds begin to appear.
Hydrangeas are one of my favorite deciduous shrubs to use for summer flower color. The combination of large decorative flowers and bold, dark green leaves provides a pleasing contrast with other garden shrubs. Hydrangeas are beautiful, and it’s possible to enjoy their beauty all year long by preserving hydrangea flowers. The preserved flowers can be used in bouquets, wreaths, centerpieces and other floral arrangements.
Hydrangeas are easy to grow. Most flower in mid summer and many bloom for two to three months. Hydrangeas are very sensitive to their immediate surroundings, particularly to soil.
The root systems of the Macrophyllas and some Serratas are constructed like those of some spreading perennial plants such as Phlox; each stem will have a semi-independent set of roots which will absorb the available water, nutrients, aluminum etc., making the plant capable of producing some blue and some pink flowers if the acidity and aluminum are not evenly distributed.
Hydrangeas are full sun to partial shade plants that appreciate moist, well-drained soil. Lots of organic matter will help here, although the nicest hydrangeas I’ve seen were all on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard in virtually pure sand; I suspect it’s simply the moist part that’s important; water copiously.
Hydrangeas are popular for its wide variety of colors and numerous uses. Hydrangea varieties can be found that will do well in zones 3 through 9. Hydrangeas are easy to propagate from semi-hardwood cuttings in winter, tip cuttings in summer or by layering, suckering or division.
Place the cuttings in propagation mix and keep them in a closed frame, or sealed plastic bag until roots develop. Hydrangeas are propagated mainly from stem cuttings.
Plant them with other shade-loving plants like hosta and impatiens. One caution: be aware of the PH of the soil that your hydrangeas are enjoying. Planting in a sheltered location plus covering the plant with burlap will offer some protection.
If you wish to improve the probability of flower bud survival, you may wish to try this. Plants grown in soil with a pH level higher than 7 (alkaline) can also become chlorotic because of a lack of iron and must be treated accordingly. Pruning should be done in late winter or early spring.
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