Growing Colourful Hydrangea In My Garden

I have always like Hydrangea flowers and I was very happy to receive some stem cuttings from a friend many years ago. Initially, I started with one pot of Hydrangea. Now I have 3 pots of Hydrangea plants in my garden.

Hydrangea or Hortensia Macrophylla is an evergreen, flowering shrub.

Hydrangea thrives in fertile garden soil. The soil has to be moist and well-drained so as not to cause root rot, which will cause the plant to die. If the soil is too dry, the plant will wilt and die.

I first planted my first plant in a pot. At that time, I have very little knowledge about gardening. I remembered my first potted Hydrangea plant hardly bloom and even when it did bloom, the bloom were very small.

I then transferred my Hydrangea plant from the pot to the ground. It grew bushy and were full of leaves but hardly bloom. I was disappointed but refused to give up on the plant. Later, when I wanted to rearrange my potted plants, I dug out my Hydrangea plant and potted them into 3 pots.

I placed the pots under the shade of my side window awning. They still have the morning sun on them. I started to pay more attention on them and I watered and fertilize them regularly. One morning, I noticed sign of flowering on my plants. I was so encouraged and every day, I would go and take a look at the new bloom.

The colour of the Hydrangea flowers depends on the acidity of the soil. If the soil is more on the acidic side, the flowers would be more on the blue to purple side. If the soil is on the alkaline side, then the flowers would be more on the pink to deep pink side.

The 3 pots of Hydrangea were from the same mother plant and grown from stem cuttings taken from the same plant. Now the flowers from the 3 pots are of different colours and they are shown here in the photos.

The flowers are very closely clustered together like a bouquet and the flowers cluster are formed at the end of the stems. Every single flower has 4 petals.

Hydrangea plants can be grown as ornamental plants as well as for landscaping. Hydrangea are grown for its showy flowers. The flowers can last many weeks.

In the plant nurseries, I have seen small Hydrangea plants with big flower clusters and the flower petals are also very big ones compared to those in my garden.

There were times I was so tempted to buy one of those bigger petals, but somehow I did not buy because my 3 potted Hydrangea are now blooming well.

Preferably, the plants be placed in semi shady place, away from direct sunlight for them to flourish.

My Hydrangea plants need regular watering. If they were not watered in the morning before the morning sun shine on them, the leaves and flowers will wilt and droop. If the plants are watered in time, the leaves and flowers will be restored. But if it is not watered in time, the leaves and flowers will dry up. The leaves would then have burnt tips and the flowers would no longer be fresh and pretty.

My Hydrangea plants just love lots of water, as long as the soil is well drained.

After the flower clustered had dried up, the stem can be cut back for new stems to grow and to encourage new blooms. Or else, the plants will look untidy and leggy stems since my plants are potted ones and the flower clusters would be too heavy for the leggy stems.

Sometimes, I need to tie and support the stems so that they will not sag under the weight of the flower clusters.

I have just found out that all parts of the Hydrangea plant are toxic/poisonous if ingested. The leaves are actually being processed and used in some parts of the world as herbal drink for treatment, etc. A word of caution, those who do so, do so at their own risk.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea

are being tamed and have been tamed by man,

but no man can tame the tongue.

It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With the tongue we praise our LORD and Father,

and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.

My brothers, this should not be.

(James 3:7-10, New International Version-NIV)