The Marmite marvel
Love them or loathe them... nothing divides opinion like big, bold hydrangeas
POP star Madonna is notorious for her forthright opinions, but an adoring fan wasn’t expecting her scathing response on being presented with a freshly cut hydrangea bloom. The Material Girl singer rolled her eyes, dropped the flower to the floor and muttered: ‘I absolutely loathe hydrangeas.’
Unfortunately for Madge, this incident at a film festival in 2011 received more publicity than W.E., the period drama she was promoting. Instead of issuing an apology, a week later she released a tongue-in-cheek video on her YouTube channel called Madonna’s Love Letter To Hydrangeas.
Shot in the style of a black-andwhite silent movie, the star starts by caressing and apologising to a bunch of the flowers. It’s all a sham. She throws them to the ground and stamps on them. An onscreen caption states that she still hates hydrangeas and always will.
The self-styled Queen of Pop is not alone in her dislike of these love-them-or-loathe-them ‘Marmite’ flowers. Many gardeners consider them old-fashioned, bulky shrubs that are only worth considering if you’re trying to recreate the suburban garden look of the 1950s. Their big, blousy flowerheads are often dismissed as being too vulgar for people with good taste. Despite the deep-seated prejudice of some, hydrangeas are enjoying a renaissance with gardeners and designers, and this upsurge in popularity has led to a flurry of new varieties – ‘Runaway Bride’ was even crowned best new plant by tastemakers at the Chelsea Flower Show earlier this year.
There are many types of hydrangea, but the most popular are split into two groups: lacecaps and mopheads. Lacecaps have flattened flowerheads with a central cluster of tiny flowers surrounded by a ring of larger ones, while mopheads have large, ball-like flowerheads.
Both derive from Hydrangea macrophylla, a species native to Japan that was first grown in Britain back in 1788. Since then, plantbreeders have developed more than 300 different mopheads and lacecaps, generally flowering from late July until October. Some even have attractive autumn foliage.
A question I’m often asked is why the flowers of their hydrangeas have changed colour. It’s all down to the pH of the soil. Blue varieties will turn pink if planted in alkaline soils and mauve in neutral conditions. Those with pink flowers start to turn blue in acidic soil.
The foolproof way to ensure a hydrangea retains its original colour is to pick a variety suitable for your soil. However, forking some hydrangea colourant powder into the soil will turn a light pink hydrangea back to blue. This concoction of iron and aluminium salts will also make darker pink ones go mauve.
Hydrangeas are ideal in mixed beds, borders or woodland settings, and can be planted 3ft apart as an informal hedge. They will thrive in fertile, well-drained soil improved with leafmould or garden compost.
Most prefer a semi-shaded spot sheltered from strong winds.
Compact types of 4ft or under make great container specimens. Plant blue varieties in ericaceous compost and pink hydrangeas in John Innes No1. Tap water in some parts of the country has high calcium levels, so water those in acidic compost with rainwater.
Prune lacecaps after flowering, cutting to the second pair of leaves below fading blooms. Allow dead flowers to remain on mopheads over winter, then remove to a healthy pair of buds.
MADONNA STAMPED ON BLOOMS – AND SAID THAT SHE HATED THEM