Quick Guide to Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas have long been a much-loved favourite in our gardens, with their large, showy flower heads of tightly clustered florets. If you’re looking for a shrub that will provide show-stopping blooms, to take centre stage in your garden throughout the Summer, then the Hydrangea never fails to impress.
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Is a Hydrangea for me?
When we think of hydrangeas, we often imagine the large, cottage garden style ball-like flower clusters of pink, blue and white flowers of the Bigleaf Hydrangea (or Hydrangea macrophylla, to those among us who want to impress our neighbours). However, you will be pleased to know that with over 75 species, there literally is a hydrangea for every taste and every uk garden, from formal to traditional, making it a really versatile shrub.
Can I grow a Hydrangea in my garden?
If you’re umming and ahhing about which to buy or even whether there is a hydrangea to meet the needs of your garden, don’t worry, there are plenty of different ones available. You can buy both deciduous and evergreen, compact or large varieties or even a climbing variety, which can be trained on a trellis to cover an empty fence or wall.
How to Maintain a Hydrangea
You will need to give your hydrangea a little prune each year, to keep an attractive, even shape and to make sure that your plant continues to produce healthy growth. The method is fairly straightforward, but does vary a little, depending on the type.
Here are some top tips:
Hydrangea macrophylla
You will need to wait until the last frost to deadhead your hydrangea, which will provide you with attractive frost-coated flowers throughout Winter and also ensure that new growth is not damaged by frost. Simply deadhead by cutting down to the first pair of healthy buds downwards from the previous bloom.
Established plants
Once your hydrangea becomes established, which is usually after about three years, remove one or two of the oldest stems, to allow for newer healthier growth. If you need to cut out any other newer stems, just be aware that they will not flower again until the following Summer.
Climbing hydrangeas
Make sure you prune these immediately after they have flowered in the summer, cutting back any overly-long shoots and dead wood. Try not to prune too heavily though, as this will result in a flowerless season or two for the next couple years. You may need to cut out three or four stems each year.
We have listed the main types below, and some or our favourites, to help you choose the right hydrangea for your outdoor space:
Hydrangea macrophylla
Big-leaf Hydrangeas
These are our cottage garden style plants, boasting large globes of pink or blue blooms throughout Summer and Autumn.
Here are some of Gardenwild’s favourites
Hydrangea paniculata
Panicle hydrangeas
Known for their cone-shaped pink and white flower heads throughout late Summer and Autumn, Hydrangea paniculata is a deciduous woody plant with toothed, green leaves in opposite pairs or clusters of 3.
Here are some of Gardenwild’s favourites
Hydrangea arborescens
Smooth Hydrangeas
A large, bushy shrub, having a mixture of large and small florets (the large are in fact bracts, not petals)
Here are some of Gardenwild’s favourites
Hydrangea quercifolia
Oakleaf Hydrangeas
A deciduous shrub, with oak-shaped leaves, producing creamy-white flowers in late-Spring and Summer.
Here are some of Gardenwild’s favourites
Hydrangea petiolaris
Climbing Hydrangeas
A deciduous climber with self-clinging, broad oval leaves, which turn yellow in autumn. Flower-heads can reach up to 20cm in width, having small flowers surrounded by showy, white sterile flowers.
Here’s Gardenwild’s favourites
Check out our Gardenwild’s tool recommendations
