Adding hardy hydrangeas is a good way to brighten a shady corner. They are very easy to care for and are seldom bothered by insects or disease. Once established, an added bonus is that the blooms last late into the season and dry into beautiful, long-lasting bouquets.
Lovely, low maintenance hydrangeas offer a wide variety of choices. Flower forms vary from large "mopheads" to the more delicate "lace caps." Blooms range from white to deep pink, and lilac to deep blue.
Certain cultivars will even bloom in different colors depending on the acidity of the soil. H. macrophylla, for instance, will set blue flowers in acidic soil and pink in alkaline. In our typically acidic East Texas soils, you could have contrasting blue and pink plants simply by adding lime to one planting area.
Hydrangeas propagate easily from hardwood cuttings taken in late winter or from softwood cuttings in early summer. They are also grown easily from seed but it may take several years for seed-grown plants to blossom.
Hydrangea branches should be thinned out occasionally. They don't need a great deal of pruning but most will appreciate a spring clean-up to remove any winter breakage.
Kathy Fiebig, Smith County Master Gardener
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