Hydrangeas

[Plocket]

I've never really been a fan of hydrangeas but on holiday we got talking to the holder of a National Collection, and his passion must have rubbed off a little bit. He had a beautiful sheltered clay/loam garden and spent much of his time trying to breed new hydrangeas. He proudly showed off his new baby, called Bellevue (also the name of his garden), and it's a whopper. Unfortunately the babies weren't in flower when we visited, but in one year the babies grew 1 metre! He also spent a long time carefully explaining to LP how the "flowers" aren't really flowers, but they are there to attract the bees, and when the pollen has gone the "flowers" turn upside down because they aren't needed any more. She was fascinated, and took far more notice of him than me!

Here are a few photos of some of the flowers we saw - I personally liked the multi-petalled ones.

[Amo]

I think they're great 'little dooers'! Or sometimes not alwasy so little. I'm having fun here as we're now on alkaline I get to see a pinker range for a change and there are so many that are not surgical pink any more. I think I have your top one, Love You Kiss (the name of the plant that is!!) And I have Fireworks on my wish list but that can wait until spring now.

And yes, those multi petals look great! Now where's that wish list.....

[Ruthie]

Hi Plocket. Glad to "see" you back. I do like Hydrangeas but haven't grown them for years (except Petiolaris which is rampant up my side wall!). They don't like my thin soil and the moment it doesn't rain for 1/2 an hour they wilt. Couldn't be doing with it so hoiked 'em out many years ago. Guess what a friend gave me the other day though......a cutting of her lovely large pink Hydrangea! I've potted it up and hope I can find someone to give it to if it survives!

[Plocket]

Hia Amo and Supa! I hadn't realised what fussy plants they were. Mr Lemonnier was fairly laid back about them but we could see that he looked after his hydrangeas, and was very proud that his plants made up part of a national collection in France, along with three other gardens. He also had national collections of meconopsis and hellebores but of course we were too late to see them.

[snowowl]

I have never grown them before last year when i saw my MIL lovely pink one in flower.
I took a couple of cuttings of expecting nothing to come of them and they are both in flower this year and the same shade as the MIL plant.
I do like those multi petal ones to P

[Plocket]

Perhaps I should make some space outside the garden wall and bung one in! ;D