Hydrangeas went out of fashion but are having a bit of a renaissance with a huge variety now available. My plant of the month for July is the mophead hydrangea; a deciduous shrub in a range of sizes. Usually seen in blues or pinks, but there are also white flowered varieties. They provide a long season of interest through the summer especially through the end of July into August when there can be a bit of a lull in flowers in the garden.
The flowers can be dried to be used in arrangements but also make great cut flowers when in bloom.
They don’t like a spot in full-sun, or where they are exposed to the wind, preferring partial shade and a slightly moist soil. Even established shrubs may benefit from a can of water in extended periods of drought. Mulching them well in the Spring can help them through the Summer.
Pruning is best done in mid-Spring. Leaving the old flowers in place until the worst of the frosts have passed helps protect the newly emerging buds from damage. Remove any dead wood and prune lightly to a healthy bud. Hydrangeas can easily be propogated from cuttings although it will be two or three years before any flowers appear.
