Hydrangea

Flattened heads of beautiful, blue flowers from June to September and pointed, mid-green leaves. On alkaline soils the flowers of this compact, deciduous hydrangea may turn pink. Ideal for the middle of a small, moist, well-drained border in sun or partial shade, the foliage turns a marvellous shade of red in autumn.Position: full sun or partial shadeSoil: moist, well-drained, moderately fertile, humus-rich soilRate of growth: average Flowering period: June to September Flower colour: pale-blue (or pink on alkaline soils)Other features: the flower-heads make excellent dried flower arrangementsHardiness: fully hardyGarden care:To enhance flowering prune in spring, cutting back the flowered stems to a strong pair of buds below each flower-head. Once established, remove a quarter to a third of the old shoots to the base of the plantHydrangeas give their best blue flowers on acidic soil of pH 5.5. When grown on neutral soil, with a pH of 7, flowers will predominantly be pink, although blue or mauve blooms can also be produced. To produce blue blooms, make sure your soil is acidic with a pH of at most 6.5. To make a neutral soil acidic you can treat it annually with aluminium salts. However it's much harder to alter the pH of limey soil (alkaline), so it's easier to grow white or pink hydrangeas
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