Houseplant of the Month, April - Hydrangea

Hydrangea: April 2018 Houseplant of the Month

The story of the hydrangea 
Almost everyone associates the light and sweetly fragranced hydrangea with the long, light days of spring. It’s a very popular houseplant with large round umbels bursting with star-shaped flowers in fabulous colours that bloom profusely for a long time. The plant offers a decorative, cheerful and rich appearance thanks to their green leaves and is an indoor foretaste of summer, when garden hydrangeas flower. When the frosts have passed, the hydrangea can also be placed on the patio or in the garden for a second life as a garden plant. 

Origin 
The plant is native to South and East Asia and North and South America. Some species have developed into large trees, whilst others remain small compact shrubs. In Europe hydrangeas have traditionally often been grown near farms, where long rows grow alongside the water. The name Hydrangea refers to its most important requirement - it regularly needs water (hydra). 

What to look for when buying hydrangeas

• Check that the plant’s structure is compact: a somewhat bare, stretched base indicates old growth.
• How ripe are the flowers? Ideally they should already be showing a bit of colour. Check this when buying or ask for a photo. 
• It’s important that the plant is in a sleeve and the soil is sufficiently damp at the time of purchase, so that drooping and damage during shipping or storage are prevented. 
• If too much moisture (condensation) remains between the leaves or under the flower for a long time, this can cause the fungus Botrytis.

Range 
As a houseplant hydrangeas are available in white, green, blue, lilac, purple and various shades of pink. Notable varieties are those that change colour during flowering. A distinction is made within the hydrangea houseplant range according to the form of flowering:  in globes or on the edges, the ‘lacecaps’. The plant shape can also be differentiated: standard, in hanging pots, in a pyramid shape or plants with 15 or more umbels. The smaller pot sizes are most popular indoors. Many hydrangeas are also available with about three flowers which are very suitable for small spaces in the home.  

Care tips for consumers 

• Hydrangeas cannot cope with drought. Avoid drooping, ensure that the plant always has slightly damp soil. 
• The plant prefers a light spot, but not in direct sunlight or near a source of heat. A position that is too warm can have negative effect on flowering. 
• Because the hydrangea uses a lot of energy on growing and flowering, it’s a good idea to feed with some plant food once a fortnight. 

Thank you to Flower Council of Holland for the information and Joy of plants for the images.

A few varieties available as cut flowers. Blue, pink and white are available just about through the year but some of the other colours are seasonal dependant as the flower matures.

This is a brilliant flower for your wedding, especially in summer or through autumn when the greatest colour range is available. It may be more expensive than some flowers but you get excellent coverage per bloom and in some cases it can work out more budget friendly.

From large WOW factor table centrepieces teamed with roses,

to a flower ring of blooms en mass

or a single bloom for your bridesmaid to carry, they make an excellent choice for your special day.

If you are wanting hydrangeas as plants or cut flowers talk to us about your requirements and we can source the prefect blooms for you.

Sandra xx

Hydrangea - Flower of the Month - August

The Hydrangea - in the Flower agenda thoughout August

We're firmly hanging onto that summer feeling with the hydrangea. This natural mood booster can bring the sunshine inside, all year round. With its robust appearance, the hydrangea is like a holiday in a vase. 

Consumers can read all about this seasonal beauty in the Flower Agenda courtesy of our friends at The Flower Council of Holland, find more information on their consumer website Funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk.

Origin of the hydrangea

The no-nonsense hydrangea’s name comes from ‘hydro' (water) and ‘angeion’ (pitcher) because the hydrangea’s shape is reminiscent of an old water pitcher… although you need quite a lot of imagination to see it! The flower, which originates from Asia and South America, came to Europe on the first Dutch East Indies Company ships.

The hydrangea’s colours and shapes

In the first half of the year you see red, pink, purple, white, green and blue hydrangeas, as well as hydrangeas which combine several colours. In the second half of the year there are the ‘colour-changed’ flowers. These hydrangeas have a green/dark red/brown tone and are good for drying. These are actually flowers that the grower has left to develop in the greenhouse. There’s also plenty of choice when it comes to shape. You can choose single or double flowered varieties, globe-shaped hydrangeas, hydrangeas with small flowers in the middle and large petals on the edge (edge bloomers) or hydrangeas with a plume shape.

Care tips for customers

•    Select a clean vase and fill it with tap water at room temperature.
•    Add cut flower food to the water for a longer vase life.
•    Cut or trim the stems diagonally by 3 to 5 cm with a sharp and clean knife or secateurs.
•    Make sure there are no leaves hanging in the water.
•    Do not place hydrangeas in a draught, in full sun or near central heating.
•    Regularly top the vase up with tap water; hydrangea flowers drink a lot because they have thin leaves and thin petals, as a result of which they evaporate a lot of moisture.
•    Don’t place hydrangeas near a fruit bowl. Fruit emits ethylene gas which will cause the flowers to age more rapidly.

A fabulous bouquet with hydrangeas

Bouquet recipe with hydrangeas The hydrangea is a flower you can’t get enough of. Its globe shape, the tiny flowers that all bloom idiosyncratically, the sometimes almost unnatural colours that vary with the seasons: the hydrangea keeps us under its spell. Combined with the right colours and supporting cast it creates a wonderful spectacle that looks like it’s come straight from a fairy story. 

You will need:

• Hydrangea
• Delphinium
• Rose
• Carnation
• Dahlia

Hydrangea symbolism

Alongside the flower’s magnificence, there’s another good reason to buy hydrangeas: they symbolise gratitude, grace and beauty. They also project abundance because of the lavish number of flowers and the generous round shape. The hydrangea’s colours symbolise love, harmony and peace so it’s perfect for use in floral work for weddings, funerals or birthdays.

Inspiration and information

Inspiring images of every flower in the Flower Agenda have been produced in line with the Horticulture Sector Trends 2017 (Groenbranche Trends 2017). These trends are a translation of what our consumers are interested in at the moment and are specifically aimed at the horticulture sector for use both indoors and outdoors.

If you would like to find out more about the Flower Agenda click here.

Hydrangeas are fabulous flowers for weddings!! They may be expensive per head but boy do those heads go a long way. Whether thats as a single head with sprigs of gyp for a bridesmaid bouquet

As smaller sections to go into a fabulous flower crown

To fill these gorgeous candelabra table centrepieces

Or to fill out a large design fit for a stunning mantlepiece

or to frame your ceremony space.

We love working with hydrangea and can work with all colours as and when available. 

If you want to include this stunning flower in your designs come and speak to us about your dreams and style and we can make that happen

Sandra X