First Hydrangea Bloom of the Season
I love the coordinating schedules of our hydrangeas. Sweet synchronicity from both sides of the garden. Our potted hydrangea has a soft, pink bloom, while the three sisters are showing a light dusting of blue.
The blue hydrangeas hang out under a pine tree, so will likely keep their hue. I’ve read that you can change a pink hydrangea to blue and vice versa, but the white ones will always be white.
Here is what the Gardener’s Supply Company* has to say about changing the color of the bloom.
“Hydrangeas with bloom colors that range from pink through blue and purple usually belong to the hydrangea cultivars known as mopheads and lacecaps. These types of hydrangeas have the interesting ability to change the color of their blooms based on the chemistry of the soil. When grown in alkaline soil, the bloom colors are pinker. When grown in acidic soil, the bloom colors are bluer.
Because it’s the soil chemistry that determines the bloom color, the variety names given to these types of hydrangeas means very little when it comes to bloom color. For instance, Nikko Blue, Pretty in Pink, Forever Pink and Blue Deckle, all have an almost equal chance of blooming pink or blue, depending on the soil they are planted in.
To manipulate the color of a hydrangea’s blooms, you need to manipulate your soil’s pH level and mineral content. This is not something you do just once. In order to maintain growing conditions that result in a specific bloom color, you may need to apply special soil amendments several times during the growing season.”
Too much work for this gardener! I’m just happy they’re blooming.
Blushing Blue
I’ve got my eye on you!
*One of my favorite catalogs!
Gardening Nirvana 
I love me some hydrangeas, especially blue ones. Unfortunately, the Lake of the Pines deer love them just as much. I know you can color some hydrangeas blue by adding aluminum sulfate to the soil, but back in the olden times, my grandmother “Unnie” kept her hydrangeas blue by adding somthing she could get around the house or from the farm, something more common, less chemical. I wish I could remember what it was.
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I wonder is she used baking powder:
“Aluminum sulfate is usually found in baking powder, where there is controversy over its use due to concern regarding the safety of adding aluminium to the diet.” from Wikipedia
I can see how deers would find them irresistible.
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I read numerous articles on this important topic. There is some evidence that adding baking soda to the soil will, indeed, make the leaves greener and the blossoms blue.
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We have deer for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cover your bush with plastic netting. It comes by the roll. You can’t see it unless you get right over the bush. Once the bush has grown the deer don’t like it much. Also they can’t reach the flowers on top or center. They don’t like the net either so they will stay away from the bush.
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OH man, I wish we could grow the blue and or lavender and pink ones here, but alas I will just have to enjoy yours. The little bee is happy for them too. I can’t wait to hear one come spring. I just spotted the word Hydrangea in your sidebar and had to take a look-see. This must have been posted before I was following, or I missed it. xoK
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Thanks for popping back to an old post. (((Boomdee)))
I’m always excited to see the first bees of the season as well, especially with all the dire news around their survival.
I rented for years and always pined for a hydrangea of my own. Now we have several. I enjoy them so much.
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