Hydrangeas are summer stars

Published date03 December 2022
Publication titleWhanganui Chronicle
Their large, full lush blooms carry happy memories of our grandparents who also loved them

They are reproduced as faux flowers, as well as dried and dyed for year-round displays indoors in public places and modern interior decorating around the home.

They also last well when freshly picked in a vase. Growing in the garden, hydrangeas are star performers in the summer months.

The blooms start in late November and carry on through Christmas and into January and February. Some will have blooms that will stay on the plant into the autumn months, changing colour to antique shades as the flowers age.

The most familiar hydrangea are “macrophylla” hybrids, which means long or large leaves. The bold heads bloom in white, pink, red and blue in summer. The macrophylla types include “mop head” and “lace cap” forms.

The mophead is recognised as the “classic” hydrangea with a rounded flower head, and the lace cap has a flatter flower head with florets around the blooms, while the centre has the appearance of an unopened bud.

There is another range of hydrangea which are “paniculata” varieties.

These plants flower later with blooms generally starting in December or January.

The paniculata types then carry on later in the season, with blooms still coming on in March and April.

The blooms of these start off white and then develop varying colours according to their varieties, which are unaffected by soil pH.

Although many hydrangeas can survive well with little or no attention, they do respond positively to extra care. The flower colours can be controlled and intensified and will bloom with greatly enlarged flowers with feeding and annual pruning.

Fortnightly liquid feeding now during the growth period after the flowers have formed will encourage enormous-sized flower heads.

Hydrangeas vary in flower colour according to soil acidity or alkalinity. Blue colours may be retained in acid soil situations, this can be created if not naturally occurring with applications of aluminium sulphate applied at monthly intervals during the winter months and prior to flowering.

Red and pink colours occur in alkaline soil situations. Application of garden lime will make the soil more alkaline to keep these colours vibrant. These pH-adjusting products are available in the garden centre in both liquid and powder forms.

The white flowers stay true to name in both acid and alkaline soil situations.

Some brilliant

hydrangeas include:Hydrangea Bridal Bouquet — This mophead form has pure white...

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