PROTECTED BY GENTLE BEAUTY

A cottage garden favourite, hydrangeas produce showy flowers in shades of strawberry pink, sapphire blue and creamy-white, which last all summer long. As the flowers begin to fade, removing spent blooms throughout the flowering season will help to divert the plant’s energies from seed production, encouraging new growth and keeping the plant healthy. In late autumn, however, it is best to leave the flower heads as they are until the following spring. New emerging buds appear just below the fading blossoms, and leaving blooms in place will help to provide frost protection for the tender growth. Delicate, fading blooms will not only protect the plant, but also bring winter interest throughout the colder seasons. The stem is cut back to the first healthy pair of buds in early spring.