Hydrangea

Hetty, I'm in Lincolnshire and our soil is quite sandy and quick-draining. I can't grow azaleas in it so I think that means it's quite acid.

Scribbles, I'm on London clay but still the ph of the soil must be different at the far end of the garden - where there's a brilliant blue hydrangea. The other cutting I grew (from the same plant) is pink. I like them both.

I have three in different parts of the garden. One of them is always pink; another has a few blue flowers when they first bloom but then they all turn pink. The one at the back of the house starts out pink but gradually turns deep blue. I love watching the changes.

Sparklefizz

My blue hydrangea turned pink and my pink hydrangea is now half pink and half mauve. They have made these changes with no input from me My soil is clay.

I'm tempted to ask if this is a metaphor for something else

My blue hydrangea turned pink and my pink hydrangea is now half pink and half mauve. They have made these changes with no input from me My soil is clay.

I like my pink hydrangea! I live on chalky soil and there's no point in stressing the poor little plant out.

I'll try the coffee method - thanks for the tip !

A pale cream hydrangea I have was beginning to turn pale pink and I read on the Internet to add coffee to the soil, its all to do with acid/alkaline soil. So I did and instead of reverting to pale cream it turned blue. It's returned to pale pink now. Still love it.

I don't do anything to my hydrangeas and they are blue!

To remain blue, your plant needs aluminium. Alkaline soils inhibit plants taking aluminium from the soil so to keep the plant blue, try to keep soil acidic with ph of about 5.5.

Hydrangeas don't change colour from not being look after properly .
They do need a lot of water .
You need some
" blueing " powder .
Vitax make an excellent colourant .
Unless I apply some my Hydrangeas turn from blue to mauve to pink .
Lovely as they are , I prefer blue .

You can buy some stuff at a garden centre that will keep it blue. Dissolves in water and you water the hydrangea with it.