How to Grow and Care for Hydrangeas in the Garden
May 23rd, 2025 | Categories
When you think of popular plants in a typical British garden, few come to mind quite as readily as the magnificent hydrangea. It’s no wonder; it’s a beautiful plant with striking flower heads and is particularly tolerant of most soil types and light conditions from sun to shade. Hydrangeas themselves are wonderfully diverse, ranging from the classic mounded shrubs to elegant climbers, perfect for softening walls and fences, and dwarf types that are more compact for smaller gardens and balconies.
Whether you’re just getting started in the garden or adding to an already flourishing display, hydrangeas are the perfect choice for creating lush, long-lasting impact lining a border or garden path, climbing a walled garden, or bursting from terracotta pots on a patio. Hydrangeas will offer colour, structure, and romance in abundance.
Hydrangea Factsheet
- Plant types: Deciduous shrubs, climbing varieties, dwarf cultivars, and small trees.
- Flower colours: Pink, blue, purple, white, green, and even deep red.
- Flowering season: Mid to late summer (typically June to September).
- Pruning time: Late winter to early spring, depending on the variety.
- Sun exposure: Prefer partial shade but can tolerate full sun with enough moisture.
- Hardiness: Most are fully hardy across the UK.
- Soil needs: Moist, well-drained soil; certain varieties need specific soil pH to achieve desired flower colour.
- Pollinator friendly: Some varieties are more beneficial than others, with lacecap types particularly favoured by bees and butterflies.
Most Popular Hydrangea Varieties
With billowing blooms in glorious shades of pink, blue, purple, and white, combined with its light and shade tolerance, versatile soil preferences (which is quite something in the varying conditions of UK gardens), and general ease of growing makes all hydrangeas extremely popular plants.
However, they are also wonderfully diverse. Within the world of hydrangeas there are quite a few different types to choose from with their own characteristics. These range from the classic mounded shrubs to elegant climbers perfect for softening walls and fences. Shrubby hydrangeas such as Hydrangea macrophylla, Hydrangea paniculata, and Hydrangea arborescens are the most common garden favourites. Climbers, notably Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris, bring vertical charm with their trailing, self-clinging stems and abundant clouds of frothy white flowers.
For gardeners working with patios, courtyards, or smaller spaces, dwarf hydrangeas offer all the beauty of their larger cousins but in a more compact, manageable size. These are ideal for pots, containers, and front-of-border planting where space is at a premium.
Flower heads vary too; mophead hydrangeas (big, round balls of flowers) are probably the most recognised, while lacecap types have delicate, flat-topped flowers that are particularly loved by pollinators. Panicle hydrangeas boast the cone-shaped flower heads that start creamy white and often turn a pinkish red as the season progresses.
Among the beloved cultivars are Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Endless Summer’, famed for its repeat blooms; Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’, with its spectacular snowy domes; Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’, celebrated for its luminous greenish-white panicles; Hydrangea petiolaris, the essential climbing hydrangea; and charming dwarfs like Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Little Lime’, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Bobo’, and Hydrangea ‘Mini Penny’ are all superb choices for small gardens and container displays.
Planting Ideas for Hydrangeas: How to Use Them Best
Hydrangeas are fantastically versatile and can be used in a multitude of ways across the garden.
In classic borders, larger varieties like Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ make stunning structural plants. Plant them towards the back where their impressive stature will frame the scene. Weave in late-flowering perennials such as rudbeckia and echinacea for a bright, late-season show.
Dwarf hydrangeas, such as Little Lime and Bobo, are perfect for small gardens or front-of-border planting. Their more restrained growth makes them easy to fit into tighter spaces without losing any of the hydrangea magic.
For patios and terraces, pot up a selection of mophead and dwarf hydrangeas in generous terracotta containers. Try mixing shades of pink and blue for a lovely contrasting effect or stick to a single colour theme for a smart, cohesive look. Dwarf types like Mini Penny are particularly well suited to life in pots, where their naturally compact habit thrives.
Climbing hydrangeas excel when given a shady wall or fence to scramble over. Their self-clinging roots make them easy-care, and their lacy white flowers light up even the darkest corners.
In woodland-style settings, lacecap hydrangeas tucked beneath mature trees create a natural, romantic atmosphere. Adding ferns and hostas will complete the look.
How to Grow Hydrangeas in Your Garden
If you’re going to add a hydrangea or two to your garden, then this section will help you to plant for success with care tips to ensure wonderful summer blooms for years to come.
Tools Needed
- A sturdy hand trowel.
- Garden fork.
- Secateurs for pruning.
- Mulch for moisture retention.
- Good quality peat-free compost or ericaceous (acidic) compost if adjusting soil pH.
Soil Requirements
Hydrangeas thrive best in fertile, moist, but well-draining soil. They appreciate slightly acidic to neutral conditions, though some types will tolerate alkaline soils. Adding organic matter such as garden compost or well-rotted manure when planting will pay dividends.
Where to Plant
Choose a sheltered spot protected from harsh winds. While hydrangeas enjoy some sun, they prefer dappled light or morning sun with afternoon shade, especially in hotter regions of the UK.
Dwarf hydrangeas are particularly well suited for pot planting on patios, balconies, or any sunny to lightly shaded outdoor spot. Planting in pots also means you have the advantage that they can be moved around if needed.
How to Plant in the Ground
Dig a hole twice the width of the rootball and the same depth. Remove the plant from its pot, tease out the roots gently, and place it in the hole so that the top of the rootball sits level with the surrounding soil. Backfill with soil mixed with compost, firm gently, and water in thoroughly.
How to Plant in Pots and Containers
Choose a generous-sized container with good drainage. For dwarfs and smaller varieties, a 30–40cm wide pot is ideal. Fill with a mixture of peat-free multipurpose compost and John Innes No.3 compost for stability and moisture retention. Water well and position in a lightly shaded to sunny spot. Top dress annually with compost and repot every few years to refresh the soil.
Watering and Feeding
Hydrangeas are thirsty plants, especially when newly planted and during dry spells. Water deeply once or twice a week rather than little and often. Feed with a balanced, slow-release fertiliser in spring, switching to a high-potash feed if you want to encourage abundant blooms.
Ongoing Care and Pruning
For shrub hydrangeas, deadhead spent flowers in early spring by cutting back to a strong bud. Larger pruning tasks depend on the type: mopheads and lacecaps generally need minimal pruning, while paniculatas and arborescens benefit from a harder prune to encourage stronger, bushier growth.
Dwarf varieties being smaller and slow growing may need only a very light tidy-up in early spring to maintain their neat shape.
Climbing hydrangeas need light pruning after flowering to remove any wayward or damaged stems.
Mulching annually will help in spring. This can be a mulch of composted bark, leaf mould, or well-rotted manure around the base of plants in spring to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. A good 5cm (2in) layer is just right.
Blue, Pink, or White? What Affects Hydrangea Colours?
One of the most fascinating quirks of some hydrangeas is their ability to change flower colour depending on soil pH. However, it’s important to note that not all hydrangeas are affected in this way.
It is mainly Hydrangea macrophylla (mopheads and lacecaps) and Hydrangea serrata that show this colour-changing trait. In these types, acidic soils (pH below 6) encourage blue or purple flowers, while alkaline soils (pH above 7) turn the blooms pink or red. Neutral soils often produce charming shades of mauve or violet.
Gardeners can influence colour by adjusting soil conditions: for blue blooms, use ericaceous compost; for pink tones, add a little garden lime to raise the pH. Using rainwater (rather than tap water) in hard water areas can also help maintain soil acidity and keep blue blooms vibrant.
Other hydrangeas, such as Hydrangea paniculata and Hydrangea arborescens, do not change colour based on soil pH. Their flowers will naturally fade from creamy white to soft pinks or greens over time as part of their normal ageing process, but this happens independently of the soil’s pH.
Companion Plants for Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas bring bold beauty to the garden and pairing them with the right companions only enhances their charm.
In shady borders, try weaving in elegant hostas with their broad leaves, or the airy spires of foxgloves, which add height and a touch of drama. Ferns provide delicate texture, while Japanese anemones extend flowering well into autumn.
Hardy geraniums, astilbes, and heucheras make excellent companions for hydrangeas in sunnier spots, offering beautiful contrast in foliage and flower.
In pots, create eye-catching displays by pairing dwarf hydrangeas like Mini Penny or Bobo with trailing ivy, lobelia, or bacopa. Group several containers together at different heights for a relaxed, abundant look.
In borders, mix hydrangeas with summer-flowering bulbs like alliums, or intersperse with salvia and echinacea for a garden that buzzes with bees and butterflies all season long.
A Garden Classic, Always in Fashion
There’s no doubt about it; hydrangeas are the darlings of the British garden for good reason. Few plants offer such reliable, long-lasting beauty as the hydrangea. Whether you’re nurturing a shady corner with a climbing hydrangea, dressing a sun-drenched patio with a dwarf variety, or brightening a summer border with vibrant mopheads, these garden stalwarts are hard to beat. With a little thoughtful planting, watering, and care, hydrangeas will reward you year after year with glorious displays that never fail to captivate. So, grab your tools, choose your favourites, and let your garden put on a truly bloomin’ good show that only gets better as the years go by. Happy planting!
