Hydrangeas

Interesting Sparklefizz. Thanks.

Thank you everyone, I will restrain myself from pruning. Just take the heads off in the spring.

My grandmother had several lovely large blue hydrangeas.
Indeed most of her neighbours displayed large blue hydrangeas in their front gardens.

I have several hydrangeas all of which are in various

Oops posted to soon!!
....various shades.

I have recently purchased a blue and also a white hydrangea.

The nursery owner advised me to use one tablespoon vinegar to a gallon of water and use to water the bushes weekly.
Hopefully this and ericasious soil would stop the flowers reverting to pink.

We shall see

Should read...
in various shades of pink!

One of the hydrangeas I admire just along the road is a lovely deep purple. For a superb collection of hydrangeas it's hard to beat the garden of Dunham Massey, a NT property south of Manchester,

Agree annodomini re Dunham Massey?

Cuttings are easy although it's worth making more than than you think you'll want in case of casualties. Just take a cutting from any shot which doesn't have a flower on it and remove some of the leaves.

The clue is in the name -hydra = water. Lots of it and a good pruning every year and they should bloom wonderfully, mine do in various colours. I've also set four climbing hydrangea's going and they are doing really well, both in coverage and bloom.

I love Hydrangea they flower at a time in my border when I have little colour there.
One came in a pot from our previous home and I bought 2 in pots at a very good price. All are doing very well but they do need plenty of water and will show they do by drooping if they don't get it.
We also have a large climbing hydrangea which we inherited with the house which is beautiful.

I have a climbing hydrangea which has never flowered! It was given to me as a small cutting eight years ago, lived in a pot for a year as I was living in rented accommodation then planted in a sunny spot next to a fence.

It then struggled for several years, almost dying completely but resurged into life again four years ago. It is now climbing the fence and is about five foot tall, lovely and green but not a flower to be seen!

What am I doing wrong?

I had somewhere on my gardening photos
Pictures of a white Hydrangea. With big blossoms.

Can't remember what it was, but it looked like lace. I tried everything to stop bugs eating it but it was just was completely ragged.
(Talking about big white blossoms sounds like a musical hall joke.)
I have in the past said I was not keen on Hydrangea . Perhaps that's my fault.

Hydrangeas did not do well in my new garden, too warm, dry and sunny. My fault, even though constantly watering them. They were too high maintenance and one flowered slightly but both plants looked poor. I could not be doing with tending them every day so they have gone, to be replaced with 6 x variegated hebe from sainsbury at just £2 each. These are thriving, in fact look bright and lovely. Hydrangea annabelle was the wrong plant and in the wrong place. Sadly I will not be growing hydrangeas again