Friday, June 16, 2017

Garden Help Needed



I've been obsessed with other people's gardens lately. I love to look at their beautiful hydrangeas. Most hydrangeas I see on other blogs are so beautifully blue or darkly pink, I can't take my eyes off their plants!

 Maybe that's why my poor hydrangea plant seems so sad. The flowers on the plant when I bought it were so dark blue, almost purple. I fell for it instantly.
Now they seem to be really a washed out and greenish blue. 

 Can anyone tell me exactly what I need to do to turn them blue or pink?

 I got quite a few suggestions on other things, but no direct information on correcting the color.

 Diana of Nana Diana Takes A Break left a comment that the acid level was wrong when the color fades...uh, Di, I need more info than that! 

 Lisa, of Pink Tee Shirt, commented that hydrangeas are water hogs and to give them a shot of coffee grounds now and then...I tend to over water my plants anyway, so this gave me the confidence to let that hose rip! 

 Truthfully, once in a while I forget to water my plants a day too long...so no more of that either.
Jann, at Have A Cup Of Mrs. Olson, said to cut the spent flowers to keep them producing. As you can see in the photo above, I cut the plant back to just three of the best flowers. After I took the picture, I cut off that ugly tag too!

 Art And Sand out in California said she finds the best plants at Trader Joe's, and she agreed with Lisa that lots of watering is the key! I bought my plant at Costco for $19.99 the day they got them in. They were lovely when I bought them, but I will be stopping by Trader Joe's when I'm near there today.

 Probably the most money-saving comment I got was left by Amalia from Handmade By Amalia. Amalia seemed to insinuate that I need to avoid them when she said garden centers were a grown woman's candy shop! Uh...you got that right Amalia!

Sharing today at Foodie Friday And Everything Else. Hope you'll stop by and join the party. 
Thanks for dropping by!



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10 comments:

  1. mamasmercantileJune 16, 2017 at 12:56 PM

    Add some garden lime to the soil, it should help change the colour.

    ReplyDelete
  2. CeciliaJune 16, 2017 at 12:58 PM

    Here's an article that should help: http://www.southernliving.com/garden/flowers/hydrangea-care#white-french-mountain-hydrangea

    ReplyDelete
  3. happyoneJune 16, 2017 at 3:29 PM

    I have three of them in my garden, they were here when we moved in. So far I've only seen three blooms per year.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Henny PennyJune 16, 2017 at 4:12 PM

    Wish I could help. I've had a hydrangea planted for at least three years and it has never done anything...nothing! Not even a pale washed out bloom. I will check back and maybe learn what to do too. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mac n' JanetJune 16, 2017 at 6:04 PM

    Put a nail down in the pot.

    ReplyDelete
  6. La Vie QuotidienneJune 16, 2017 at 7:21 PM

    Hydrangeas need lots of water, ala the "hydra" in their name. The color of the flowers depend on the acidity levels in the soil. You can alter this somewhat by adding acid amendments - coffee grounds which are mildly acidic could be helpful but you can buy special additives just for turning them blue.

    The hydrangea plants sold at Trader Joe's are not really for planting in the garden - you can do so, they just take longer to settle in and perform.

    I find them a challenge to grow because it is so hot here, but I continue to try. I do have really good luck with Oak Leaf Hydrangeas but that's another story. LOL

    Hope this helps.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Mary@mydogsmygardenandmaryJune 17, 2017 at 5:03 PM

    The one I purchased at Traders Joe's did not do well at all. Only purchase at a good nursery.

    Ask at the nursery for the plant food for Hydrangeas and the one to make them stay blue. That should work out very well for you. But, they d need lots of water.

    Mary

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  8. ConnieJune 17, 2017 at 11:28 PM

    It does have to do with the acid level. One trick for raising soil acidity and increasing the plant's aluminum intake is to bury a rusty iron nail in the ground near the hydrangea.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Liz@ HomeandGardeningWithLizJune 19, 2017 at 7:04 PM

    The more acidic you can make the soil the better the chances for the blue color. Fertilizers do the trick. Aluminum Sulfate can be bought or you can try the brand I use called Holly Tone or Soil Acidifier by Espoma. Miracid by Miracle Gro is another product you can use. Pick one and go for it. The leaves will be deeper green too. One the flowers look papery you can snip them and use them for dried flowers if you like.

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  10. Celestina MarieJune 19, 2017 at 8:19 PM

    I have found with my hydrangeas that they do well with lots of water too, but also a good amount of afternoon shade. The color seems to change with mine as well. They go from pink to greenish blue. Someone last year told me to put a few rusty nails in the dirt around the plant to help the bloom turn blue. I tried it but not seeing an improvement yet. Still the best is to add acid like Miracle Gro. I need to add it to mine again this season. Hope you have good luck with your's soon.

    ReplyDelete

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