Six of the very best to grow

Hydrangea ‘Runaway Bride Snow White’

This new lacecap won the Chelsea Plant of the Year 2018 so it must be good! Producing clusters of blooms at the ends of the shoots and also along the stems, it’s claimed it has six times as many flowers as others. Flowers age pink. Perfect for pots. H/S: 1.2m (4ft).

‘Double Dutch’

Three different colours are available – blue, pink and white. The plants are compact and not as robust as some, so plant where the soil is rich or grow it in a pot. The white is best grown in part shade to maintain purity of colour and avoid reddening. H/S: 90cm (3ft).

‘Ayesha’

Often called the lilac hydrangea because of the flower shape, not the colour, this is a large shrub with delicately curled mopheads. They have the lightest of scents. Too large for all but the biggest pots, it’s best planted in a border or used as a hedge. H/S: 1.5m (5ft).

H. macrophylla ‘Glam Rock’

If you want a hydrangea with flamboyance, this is the one for you. The flowers on this large mophead start vivid lime-green, but gradually change to pink from the centre. Perfect for the garden as well as pots and for cu ing, these are a flower arranger’s dream. H/S: 1m (3¼ft).

‘Selina’

Introduced in 2007 and one of the Dutch Ladies series, this superb lacecap is colourful, robust and ideal for borders or even informal hedges. It has upright, strong growth and a ractive bronzed foliage. The lacecap heads are a rich pinkish-red and age elegantly. H/S: 90cm (3ft).

‘Merveille Sanguine’

The foliage of this richly-coloured, compact variety is dark, flushed with bronze when young. The flowers are deep red, with blue eyes when grown in acid soil. The autumn foliage is also dark purple before it falls. Best colours are produced in full sun. H/S: 1.2m (4ft).