It is my pleasure to introduce you today to Julie Singer, Horticulturist and Master Gardener at the Cincinnati Horticultural Society and for today guest blogger at Beyond Blossoms. Here is her take on hydrangea flowers.
There are two basic types of hydrangea, which are garden and greenhouse. Garden hydrangeas are hardy and can be grown outdoors in the ground and in containers. Greenhouse hydrangeas are typically grown for the gift market and are sold in floral shops and grocery stores.
Greenhouse hydrangeas are prized plants to display in temporary show gardens. They are grown to produce blooms quickly, often with spectacular results. You should never expect these plants to live forever, but it is possible to transplant them outdoors for future enjoyment. Plant in a protected area and they might possibly survive. It can be your own garden experiment!
”Antony and Cleopatra: All Consuming Love” by Maeve Schulz at the 2007 Cincinnati Flower Show. Blue hydrangeas were used to symbolize the Nile. The richness of color increased color spectrum for the exhibit. During the after show sale, hydrangeas were the first to be sold out.
Among the garden hydrangeas, Oakleaf, PeeGee, and ‘Annabelle’ grow best in a range of climates. Oakleaf is an upright shrub growing to 8’ tall with glorious exfoliating bark. The leaves resemble oak leaves (hence the name), and the flowers are panicle shaped and quite showy. Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ has glorious ball shaped flowers that look fantastic grown in mass. This variety of hydrangea is also a good choice if you plan to dry the flowers for wreath making or crafts. PeeGee is considered a tree form hydrangea with white, cone-shaped flowers that develop a blush as they age.
”Beyond the Gate” by Merkle Landscape. Changing color hydrangeas that give the volume to the garden. 2007 Cincinnati Flower Show.
One of the most frequently asked questions about hydrangeas is how to change the flower color. It is easier to change a pink bloomer to blue than it is to change blue to pink. To gain the blue color, add aluminum sulfate to the soil throughout the growing season. Follow directions carefully because over application can damage your plant. Changing a hydrangea from blue to pink can be difficult. You must try to lower the aluminum in the soil. Something easy to try is to fertilize the plant with a fertilizer that has a high phosphorous ratio (middle number). This will help raise the pH, restricting the plant from taking up aluminum in the soil. Another good way to achieve the color you want is to grow hydrangeas in containers. This will give you more control of the soil.
There are so many varieties of hydrangeas on the market, with new varieties being introduced yearly. They are glorious plants with uses beyond the landscape. They are fun to grow and very addictive!
