Hydrangea is a colorful flower, easy to care for and pleasing to the eye with its multifaceted colors. From a distance, its inflorescences resemble small but very lush flower clouds. Due to its tendency to change color, this garden beauty is called a chameleon flower.
For the same property, the Japanese more poetically call the beautiful plant a fashionista, changing clothes according to her mood. Hydrangea was brought to Europe in the mid-18th century and was originally called the Japanese rose - after its homeland and the enchanting beauty in which it is in no way inferior to the queen of flowers.
Species diversity
There are many varieties of this plant in the world, most of which grow in Japan and China. Fluffy spherical or paniculate inflorescences are most often white, but there are varieties with a wider color spectrum. Hydrangea bigleaf impresses with a range of colors from cream and pink shades to red.
The color is significantly affected by the pH value. In alkaline soil, hydrangea blooms with impressive pink or lilac colors. A neutral pH promotes the appearance of white or cream flowers. In acidic soil, blue and blue hydrangeas appear. By changing the acidity of the soil, you can get the desired shade.
Below are the main species and their varieties with photos and names, which are most common in gardens and impress with an incredible kaleidoscope of colors.
How to choose the right bouquet of hydrangeas for a gift
Hydrangea is a flower that can last in a vase for more than a month, and if dried
, up to six months. But the time frame is correct provided you bought freshly cut flowers. Recommendations from Semitsvetik florists will help you determine the freshness of hydrangeas and choose the best ones for a gift:
- There should be no cracks or broken branches on the stem;
- A cut flower, which is properly cared for, has an even, light cut, without dark, heterogeneous spots.
- The leaves should be a uniform, rich green color, without breaks, yellow or dried areas.
- It is usually advised to buy half-bloomed flowers, but the hydrangea inflorescence can be fully bloomed. Underdeveloped buds will not open.
When choosing a bouquet of hydrangeas, consider the occasion, age and status of the recipient. For a romantic occasion, give a girl, girlfriend or lover flowers in light colors: white
, soft blue or pastel pink.
mixes
are suitable for a birthday .
To the woman with whom you have a business relationship, present a composition of hydrangeas in noble blue
, purple, burgundy, lime or indigo shades.
Paniculata
It grows in the form of tall trees and extensive shrubs up to 2-5 m high. It is a winter-hardy variety and is often used to decorate gardens. With timely pruning, the bushes can be given any desired shape, which has made these hydrangeas true leaders among their “relatives” in landscape design.
There are dozens of varieties and many hybrids have been bred that allow you to admire the most amazing shades. Here are the most popular among them.
Bobo
This is an early hybrid variety obtained by Belgian breeders. The height of the bushes reaches 70 cm. Bobo blooms in May with pink flowers that look beautiful against the background of numerous emerald leaves.
How to care?
The durability of the flower in the composition will largely depend on the creation of conditions:
- provide the necessary amount of moisture - place the flowers in clean water more often during the ceremony (the water level in the vase can reach the inflorescences) or order the composition on a porta bouquet so that it looks fresh and attractive;
- in the future, every 1-2 days, trim the stem a little , spray with cool water from time to time;
- the optimal room temperature for the plant is 6-10 °C , and the water should be ice-cold;
- to avoid direct sunlight if possible .
Vanilla Fraze
This shrub attracts with dense pyramidal two-colored inflorescences. The top part is white and the bottom part is light pink, making the buds look like an ice cream cone.
Weems Red
The shrub is one of the frost-resistant varieties. Among others, it is the most attractive due to the original coloring of the petals. When they bloom, they change color from white to red and bright burgundy.
Grandiflora
This beautiful variety is a late bloomer and grows mainly in the southern regions. What makes it especially attractive is the change in shades of flowers several times during the flowering season. Initially the buds are white. As they bloom, they acquire a creamy hue, and at the end they become red-greenish. Even with the capriciousness of cultivation, paniculata Grandiflora is especially loved by gardeners.
Diamond Rouge
Impressive with colorful flowering with petals changing from snow-white to pink. The emerald leaves, which acquire orange shades with the onset of autumn, also add decorative value.
Pinky Winky (Pinke Winke)
This is a very beautiful variety, delighting with two-color flowering from mid-summer to autumn. The cone-shaped inflorescences are white at the top and purple at the bottom. In autumn, the leaves turn yellow.
Pink Diamond
This variety has gained particular popularity among gardeners due to the height of the bushes, reaching 2 m. They are suitable for planting in a large garden area. Paniculata Diamond blooms with beautiful cream flowers, which later turn pink and red.
Sunday Frize
The bushes of this variety of paniculate hydrangeas are distinguished by a spreading crown, which is difficult to give a specific shape. But they are still popular among gardeners because of the special beauty of the inflorescences. Paniculata Fries can change color from pale emerald to soft pink.
Silver Dollar
One of the few varieties of hydrangeas that pleases the eye with pale yellow colors. But as they bloom, the buds change color, eventually becoming almost white or silver-pink. The oval-shaped bright green leaves also give the plant a special attractiveness.
Paniculata Phantom
This variety is one of the late-blooming varieties, delighting with its colorful pale lilac blooms from late August to October. A beautiful lush shrub with a spreading crown, Phantom can reach a height of 2 m.
Frize Melba
This relatively young hybrid variety was first introduced to gardeners in 2014. But thanks to its ease of care and lush inflorescences, it quickly became popular. The bushes grow slowly, but can reach 2 meters. Fraze impresses with interesting transformations in the shades of flowers. At first they have a milky tint, which turns into light pink and then into wine red. Sometimes on one inflorescence there are flowers of different colors, which gives the plant a bewitchingly beautiful appearance.
Limelight
The shrubs reach up to 2 m and bloom with large white inflorescences, which at first have a greenish tint. When grown in the shade, they never turn white.
Kyushu
The shrub, up to 2 m high, blooms with beautiful white flowers that have a pleasant aroma. Attracts with long flowering until October.
Magical fire
Many people are attracted to this variety by its colorful range of inflorescences. In most cases, the flowers are fiery red in color, which is what gave the varietal name.
Magical Sweet Summer
This beautiful ornamental variety has reddish shoots and blooms with greenish-white and subsequently pink flowers from July to September.
polar bear
The large flowers received such an interesting name not only for their snow-white color, like the fur of this polar animal, but also for their excellent resistance to frost. This blooming hydrangea delights the eye with its enchanting lush inflorescences.
Airlie Sensation
This unpretentious and cold-resistant extensive shrub resembles a miniature lilac, which has won the special sympathy of gardeners. Its lush flowering is especially long-lasting. The flowers are initially cream, then acquire a pink tint, and then become burgundy.
Additional decor
Flowers on a porta bouquet are often decorated with lace, satin ribbon to match the color of the wedding dress, or beads. Thanks to the large spherical shape of the flower, it is often used in mono-bouquets - a voluminous branch is enough to create one wedding accessory.
The wide semicircular carved leaves of the flower practically do not require additional decoration with greenery as decoration, however, for monochromatic cascading compositions with white-greenish hydrangea, you can use eucalyptus or salal .
Tree-like
This species is especially popular among gardeners and is most often used in landscape design. It grows in large shrubs 1-3 m high. Only the blossoming buds have a light green tint, but as they open they become cream or snow-white.
The most popular varieties include "Grandiflora" and "Annabelle", which bloom in large inflorescences with snow-white flowers. No less in demand is “Invisible Spirit”, the flowers of which are painted in delicate pink shades.
Bella Anna
This beautiful ornamental hydrangea blooms with beautiful bright pink flowers, which as they bloom acquire a rich crimson hue.
Incredible
The variety represents shrubs with especially lush white inflorescences. But in Russia this capricious beauty is rarely grown.
Florist tips for caring for bouquets
If you want lush inflorescences to please you for as long as possible, provide them with plenty of moisture. This advice applies not only to living plants - they need to be watered often - but also to cut branches.
Make sure there is enough water in the vase. At the same time, it does not need to be topped up, but changed completely to prevent rotting of the stems. The buds quickly absorb moisture - it is advisable that the water be fresh and cold.
Cut the ends of the branches with a sharp knife at an angle so as to maximize the area of contact of the stem with moisture. You can add special fertilizer to the vase.
large-leaved
The second name for this variety is garden, since it is most common in gardens. The color of its leaves strongly depends on the pH of the soil. Particularly popular are the varieties “Endless Summer” and “Renata Stanger”, which bloom with blue and blue flowers in acidic soil. The French poet Montesquiou was so fascinated by blue hydrangeas that he called them “kings of magical worlds” in his poems.
Nikko Blue
A winter-hardy variety that can be grown both in the garden and in a pot. Large spherical inflorescences are attractive due to the wide range of colors: from snow-white to azure shades. At a neutral pH, the lightest petals appear.
Miss Saori
The most cold-resistant variety, but unlike most others, it does not respond to changes in soil acidity. Matte white flowers with a pink border are already the most attractive and delight the eye with beautiful blooms all summer long.
Endless summer
The variety attracts gardeners with its increased resistance to cold and repeated flowering. Every 6 weeks the bushes completely shed their previous flowers and produce new buds. Their color can be pink or blue. It blooms all summer, until the end of September.
Romance Pink
Large pink flowers look especially attractive. The variety is frost-resistant, but its only drawback is the short-term opportunity to admire the blooming beauty. The petals fade quickly.
Tugese
Compact bushes delight with incredibly colorful flowering. Double flowers of different colors (for example, pink and yellow) can coexist perfectly on one bush. The riot of colors makes it look like real fireworks.
Flower meaning
It is believed that the language of flowers was invented in the countries of the Middle East. With the help of various combinations of plants, each of which had its own meaning, a couple in love could communicate with each other without violating Muslim traditions. Knights who fought with the Saracens brought this custom to medieval Europe. The “Language of Flowers” took root on European soil and has not lost its popularity today.
The symbolic meaning of hydrangea cannot be interpreted unambiguously. In Japan, where this flower comes from, it is believed that it symbolizes coldness and indifference. In European tradition, hydrangea symbolizes modesty, hope, faith and honesty. But according to the flower horoscope, people born under the sign of this flower (April 11-20) are endowed with generosity, generosity and a cheerful disposition. However, no matter what symbolic meanings are attributed to hydrangea, they do not in any way affect the perfect exquisite beauty of its flowers.
Luxurious bouquets of “Japanese roses”
Hydrangeas are versatile flowers that do not have a strong scent and look beautiful in any composition. Bouquets of them are usually given as a sign of expressing sincere and heartfelt feelings. The Japanese believe that these flowers bring joy and harmony and can protect a young family from grief and troubles. Therefore, hydrangea is especially relevant in wedding decor and bridal bouquets.
In the photo: a basket of peonies and hydrangeas
Peonies and hydrangeas look most charming in one lush composition with the same color scheme. Original combinations are obtained with tulips, orchids and lilies. A bouquet of roses in combination with a snow-white beauty from Japan looks truly luxurious.
Pink hydrangeas harmoniously coexist with hyacinths and roses. The bouquets turn out to be truly romantic, capable of expressing all the sincerity of the donor’s tender feelings. Interesting lush compositions with a unique aroma are obtained when combined with lavender and hosta leaves.
These flowers are often used to make a wedding bouquet for the bride. The most popular hydrangeas for such special occasions are blue, pink and pastel shades, creating the image of a romantic dreamer.
Delicate colors give the lush bouquet the illusion of airy lightness. But snow-white compositions, which can be supplemented with peonies or lilies of a similar color, are still considered classics. The bride will be especially beautiful with them.
Decisive and courageous ladies can choose a bouquet of violet-lilac tones, diluting it with flowers in beige tones. Such compositions would be most appropriate for an autumn wedding.
An example of creating a bouquet
This is a composition that is placed indoors in a round vase. The diameter of the bowl should be about 80 cm. In addition, you will need:
- 4 light-colored hydrangeas;
- 3 willow branches (or any other branches);
- several light green branches with inflorescences (for example, viburnum);
- 5 light pink peonies;
- 10 buttercups (pink).
First of all, you need to fill the vase with water. If you are interested in this topic, then here you can find out more about hydrangea flowers https://xn—-7sbhald4a0afh7b6b.com/catalog/prochie/gortenzii. Add it to the middle of the container. Twist the willow branches into a circle several times, then place them in the vase. They should be distributed along the walls and also fill the space inside the container. This will be the basis for fixing the plants (instead of a sponge).
Next, add a little more water to fill the vase to ¾ full. Start assembling the composition with large flowers, gradually moving to the smallest ones. Hydrangeas must be placed diagonally. To do this, you will need to trim the stems a little and trim them so that the inflorescences cover the top of the vase.
Use sharp scissors or a knife to make a sharp cut. All stems should be completely submerged in water. After the hydrangeas, arrange viburnum branches, peonies and buttercups (or other similar flowers) in the vase. The stems of each plant must be trimmed so that the composition has an even, semicircular shape. Touch up flowers where necessary. Group 2 - 3 inflorescences of the same plant.
