Experienced grower's notes on Hydrangea

I've been growing plants seriously for over fifteen years and Hydrangea remains a reliable favourite. For anyone starting out: the most critical thing is pruning at the right time of year for the specific species. Everything else follows from that.

failure to flower when pruned at the wrong time is the challenge that trips up most beginners and some experienced growers too. I've been growing mine in a low-maintenance foundation planting around a house for three seasons now and the results are consistently good. generally low maintenance once established is what makes it worth coming back to year after year. early spring flowering on bare branches before leaves appear is when I show it off — it earns its place fully then.