The hydrangea is easy to grow. Its flowers, either rounded hortensias or flat lacecaps, range from white, pale pink and rosy crimson to lilac to blue.
Hydrangea varieties are divided into hortensias and lacecaps. Hortensias have large, round flower-heads, 12-20cm across, while lacecaps have small, 10-15cm, flat flower-heads. These have a ring of open florets (small flowers) around a mass of tiny florets.
Planting and care
Plant hydrangeas in the autumn or spring. Choose a site near a wall or taller shrubs to protect new growth from damage by wind or frost. Add humus, leaf-mould or manure before planting.
Mulch (cover the surrounding ground) in spring. Give the shrubs plenty of water during spells of dry weather.
Propagating
To propagate hydrangeas, take cuttings in late summer from nonflowering shoots. Put these in a tray of sandy soil or compost in a shaded greenhouse or cold frame. When their root system is established, pot them into single 9cm pots and over-winter in a cold frame. Put them outside in late spring and plant into their final positions in the autumn.
As pot plants
For pot plants, move rooted cuttings into 15cm pots and remove the growing tips to encourage bushy growth. Plant the hydrangeas outdoors after their first season.
BUYING TIP
H. serrata is similar to H. macrophylla. It is a more compact bush than the better known species, reaching only about 90cm, and is excellent for a small garden. The flowers are also smaller, with an outer ring of pink or blue florets around pink, lilac or white florets.