Hydrangeas tend to flourish when planted in a particular part of the garden, but homeowners need to careful about one thing as temperatures soar, an expert has warned. The flowers, which are native to Asia and the Americas, are known for their stunning bright hue, normally with shades of pink, blue, white, and sometimes even green.
They're a vibrant addition to any outside space, but it's important to ensure newly-bought hydrangeas are planted in a place that gives them the best chance of blooming beautifully. Ann Marie, one of the writers at GrowVeg.com, says the plants benefit from radiated heat.
Speaking to the Express, she said hydrangeas "often grow best next to a building or wall where the radiated heat helps safeguard new growth from frosts in spring".
However, she added that "it's important to make sure the soil doesn't get too dry in summer".
The warning comes as the UK sees its third confirmed heatwave of the summer, with a yellow heat health alert extended to all regions in England.
The mercury is expected to rise to a sweltering 31C today (Thursday, July 10) and rise further in the days ahead, with highest temperatures forecast for Saturday, with England and Wales forecast to face the hottest weather.
Anne Marie also offered an expert tip to help blue hydrangeas retain their vibrant colour, as they can fade if not properly looked after.
"The flower colour of hydrangeas depends strongly on soil pH, so to keep those blooms a lovely vibrant blue it's essential to grow them in acidic soil or compost below pH6.2," the expert advised.
And while there are plenty of products you can find online or at gardening centres for hydrangeas, you may have one item at home that can help keep them well fed and fend off weeds.
The gardening guru says "used coffee grounds make a great moisture-retentive, weed-suppressing mulch that shouldn't raise the pH.3".
Meanwhile, gardening experts also say watering your hydrangeas with a particular type of water can be key for keeping their colour.
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