Hydrangea

We have a climbing hydrangea - :)))))) They fail to flower for me a lot

Have just bought a climbing one Paul - I have 4 mop heads in the garden - I love these too!!

sounds great Scottish!!!

Mu hydrangea didn't do too well last year. So hopefully they do better this year. Good growth already.

The are all looking superb John....nice to see you back :)

All my hydrangeas do well. I wonder if you are pruning at the wrong time Paul. I know it is said you should push off the old flower stem but I cut mine with secaturs because when I pushed off rhodo spent flowers years ago I had the same problem with non flowering.

Funny you should say that S. for the first time ever I dead headed a rhoddie last year and there are very few big juicy buds on it. I will leave them to fall this year!

I don't do the rhodos at all now unless they are blocking an opening flower. Most of mine are in north facing beds. I'm wondering if the 2010 dry summer down south had anything to do with the lack of flowers. We get plenty of rain so I never need to water mine but maybe they can't get the nutrients needed to produce flowers if they are too dry.

Some of my rhods used to be shaded by a shed and now the shed has been removed they get too much sun. I am in the process of trying to arrange a planting of some decidious shrubs to help but I don't know if this will work! We will see :)

Rhodos don't like sun on them first thing especially if it has been frosty as the sun boils the buds and kills them. Dappled shade from a birch tree might be enough but I'm not sure if a shrub would be enough. Pity our neighbours do things in their garden to change the aspect in ours.

The are not large ones S. so am hoping the shrubs will be enough! They have been without the shade for 2 years. The trouble is I have no where else to put them!!
If I have to get rid then that's what I'll have to do!!
Thank you for the advice :?