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
Watering
Hydrangeas like moist soil so are really well suited to wetter spot in your garden. They will need a bit more watering during hot and dry weather.
Find out about pruning a hydrangea -
Sunlight
Hydrangeas like part shade. When gardener talk about part shade we are referring to the amount of sunlight per day during the growing season. Between 3 - 6 hours of sun and no more.
Mulching
Applying mulch in the spring will add nutrients to the soil and help retain water.
The best secateurs and loppers recommended by GardenWild.
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
Known as Big-leaf Hydrangeas, these are our cottage garden style plants, boasting large globes of pink or blue blooms throughout Summer and Autumn.
Hydrangea paniculata
Known as Big-leaf Hydrangeas, these are our cottage garden style plants, boasting large globes of pink or blue blooms throughout Summer and Autumn.
Hydrangea arborescens
It’s common name is Smooth Hydrangeas. A large, bushy shrub, having a mixture of large and small florets (the large are in fact bracts, not petals)
Hydrangea quercifolia
Commonly known as the Oakleaf Hydrangeas. The quercitolia is a deciduous shrub, with oak-shaped leaves, producing creamy-white flowers in late-Spring and Summer.
Hydrangea petiolaris
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.