Hydrangeas

When it comes to gardening I'm definitely a perennial expert. Shrubs are a foreign language to me. I've worked hard over the last few years to add a large variety of shrubs to my garden so I would gain experience with them but still have lots of learning to go!

I took the photos of these Hydrangeas at Planting Fields Arboretum this past Sunday. Unfortunately I couldn't find the names of the specific varieties. I liked the blue and white combination on these blooms.

Hydrangeas come in blues, pinks, whites and purples. If there are other colors, I haven't seen them yet.


When it comes to growing Hydrangeas, their name says it all. They need to be hydrated, that means lots of watering. Since we just went through one of the rainiest springs on record, the Hydrangeas here should be fantastic this season.

Up close against the house they had pink Hydrangeas. You can change the color of your Hydrangeas by changing your soil. If you have acidic soil like we do, you could add lime. One word of caution though, many other shrubs like acidic soil. If you have Rhododendrons or Azaleas next to your Hydrangeas, you should be prepared to keep your Hydrangeas blue because those other shrubs do not want to have lime near them at all.

Melanie