I have always fed my Hydrangeas with a few rusty iron nails pushed into the root base every winter, and im rewarded with the most wonderful deep rose pink colour every Summer. This was a tip that l read in Jeff Hamiltons book when we first moved into our house around 25years ago. I have never had any luck at growing the deep blue shades though, and neither have any of my neighbours, despite buying young Blue flowering plants from the local nursery.
My late Dad could never grow any good Hydrangeas in his garden, and they always looked very pale and has a poor show of heads on them, his soil was always very rich and well drained, where as mine is quite wet and clay based giving these rather thirsty plants plenty to drink all year round.