August – Hydrangeas and Daisies, heatwaves and downpours…. Over the last month we’ve had a quick burst of summer, mixed in between some torrential downpours. As a result of this the garden has grown like mad. Looking back at past photo’s the lawn is usually parched and brown, but this year it is still looking green. Of course this also means the weeds are growing as well, but that is always a great opportunity for getting into the flowerbeds and really looking at what is going on, seeing which plants are thriving, struggling, observing nature and the wildlife.
I can’t decide what has happened to me with regards to hydrangeas. At one stage I thought of them only as reminders of holidays in Sark and Cornwall. Then I spotted an Oakleaf Hydrangea whilst living in Kansas. This caught my attention. Not all mopheads then, so when I redesigned my flowerbeds, an Oakleaf Hydrangea was planted as a memory to my Kansas garden visits with a friend. Next came the Hydrangea Paniculata Limelight, they start off with a green flower, that turns to white and in autumn to pink. The conical shape flower seemed to be a great introduction, not as old fashioned as I thought the mopheads were. Then I met Annabelle! What a stunning shrub she is, bold and blousy and so full of flowers, a wonderful way to lighten a darker part of the garden. Since I saw how stunning she was, I have been lucky enough to have some cuttings from a friend’s garden, which are now getting established after some initial trial and error on placement.
Then I started spotting cerise pink hydrangeas of the mophead variety, dotted in gardens nearby, and a stunning one in a clients garden. Followed by noticing, pink and purple flowers on the same shrub. So much for the pink in alkaline soil and blue in acid soil. No doubt the pink and purple flowers on a hydrangea are dependent on the variety, but now the more I look at them the more intrigued I become. The flowers when they are just about to open can be so different to the flower once open.
Last summer I spotted a hydrangea aspera Villosa at a National Trust property in Cornwall, this was a lacecap variety with florets of flowers surrounded by purple or white sepals, that was absolutely buzzing with bees. One of these was added to my mini collection last year, and although it got hit by the frost it is getting nicely established this year so I’m looking forward to it growing and flowering in a few years time.
With my curiosity peaked, I found the hydrangea section at Longacres, they are amongst the shade loving plants, and I had a lot of fun looking at different varieties including some grown as standards. I have now added a hydrangea Vanilla Fraise to the garden, it is a stunning paniculata variety with a pale pink centre of each flower. I needed to find somewhere to give it space to flourish so it has been planted at the edge of the woodland area to balance out the Annabelle which is to the left of a camellia and I have planted the Vanilla Fraise on the right. Having the variety of white hydrangeas at the end of the garden certainly draws the eye down the end of the garden towards the Annabelle and Oakleaf hydrangea and I can’t wait to see them grow over the next few years. The Annabelle I only moved there last autumn and it seems to love its new place in the garden. West facing with afternoon and evening sun and it is producing huge flowers, so much so I might end up moving all of my Annabelles down there.
Whilst at Longacres, some allium ‘Millennium’ caught my attention, these flower in June and July, so I thought I’d give them a go and see how they do in the garden as it looks like they form a clump over a period of time. My daughter got given a verbena Santos Purple a few months back and whilst at Longacres, I took the opportunity to purchase more to go with it, it has such a vibrant purple it is looking great with the pertunia’s my daughter added into her flowerbed.
Whilst at Longacres, some allium ‘Millennium’ caught my attention, these flower in June and July, so I thought I’d give them a go and see how they do in the garden as it looks like they form a clump over a period of time. My daughter got given a verbena Santos Purple a few months back and whilst at Longacres, I took the opportunity to purchase more to go with it, it has such a vibrant purple it is looking great with the pertunia’s my daughter added into her flowerbed.
What an interesting article. I have never thought of putting hydrangeas in my garden but this is definitely given me food for thought.
Beautiful ❤️