My hydrangeas bloomed with lots of flowers (Image: Sophie Law)
are one of the most popular shrubs grown in British with beautiful flowers that bloom in a range of different colours. With their long-lasting blooms that burst into colour from mid-spring until late summer, they are great value and fairly low maintenance.
What’s more, hydrangeas can be grown in difficult spots, including shade, while some varieties are suitable for pots. Hydrangeas also change colour depending on the soil you plant them in: pink flowers appear in slightly alkaline soil, while a soil pH closer to neutral can result in purple flowers. If you want blue hydrangeas, you need acidic soil. I have four hydrangea shrubs in my garden, grown simply because they are one of the only plants to tolerate the shade that they unfortunately get.
Hydrangeas bloom on old wood (Image: Sophie Law)
For the first time ever last summer, they produced an abundance of beautiful pink and purple blooms – all thanks to the timing of my pruning in spring.
Previously, I would deadhead all the old blooms during winter, wanting to clean up the garden ahead of spring’s arrival. This is apparently the worst thing you can do when pruning hydrangeas as it stops any potential blooms from growing.
After a season of trial and error, I decided to prune and deadhead my hydrangeas in spring just after the last frost at the end of March.
Hydrangeas set their flower buds on old wood, so cutting them back too late in the season meant I was unwittingly hacking away that approaching summer’s flowers.
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Bigleaf hydrangeas and oakleaf hydrangeas both set their flower buds on the previous season’s growth.
This means that if they are pruned too early in the season – in winter, autumn or early spring – those buds may be removed, resulting in little to no blooms for the year.
The best time to prune these hydrangeas is in late March, just after the last frost, when the plant is emerging from dormancy. At this point, any winter-damaged wood can be trimmed away without risking the loss of healthy flower buds, ensuring a vibrant display of blooms in the summer.
The science behind this is simple: by waiting until after the last frost, you ensure that the tender new buds aren’t damaged by unexpected cold snaps.
Trimming at this time also stimulates the plant to produce more robust stems and flowers.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), hydrangeas require little attention, but annual pruning encourages new growth and a better flowering display.
You should remove the dead flowerheads in early spring, cutting back the stem to the first strong, healthy pair of buds down from the faded bloom.