FLOWERING SHRUBS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20620, 19 July 1930, Page 5 (Supplement)

FLOWERING SHRUBS.

CULTURE OF HYDRANGEAS.

Owing to their great beauty, hardiness and easy culture and also to wonderful new creations which combine <1 great diversity of colour, size and form, hydrangeas are among the most soughtafter of ornamental flowering shrubs. They are suitable for a variety of purposes—as flowering shrubs for the lawn, for skirting the edges of the drive and (ho edges of the mixed shrubbery, and for distribution here and there in prominent places. In large pots or tubs placed on the lawn and approaches to the residence, hydrangeas, when in full flower, are gorgeously attractive. Hydrangeas succeed best in a moist, rnodorately-heavy soil and are suitable for planting on tho edges of creeks. At the saino time thoy are known to grow well in light volcanic soils, but should bo liberally watered during tho flowering season. SECURING TRUE COLOUR. There is considerable difficulty in getting tho plants to produce true to colour. Tho blues run into pinks and vico versa, but tho whites reproduce true. If the pink and red shades are to retain their colour, lime must bo freely incorporated in tho soil. For tho bluo shades, roquiring an acid soil, sulphate of iron about a handful or more to tho square yard, must bo thoroughly incorporated with tho soil around each plant or about 31b. of powdered alum should bo well worked into the soil whero each is to bo planted. Plants in pots should be watered with a weak solution of alum or sulphate of iron may bo added to tho soil. The newer varieties and latest noveltics embracing a host of named sorts, are, with few exceptions, of dwarf, compact growth. There are single, double, semi-doublo and primula-like forms ranging in colours from delicate pink to bluo and red shades. Tho general rulo in pruning hydrangeas is to cut them hard back annually, but this does riot always apply, especially with tho strong-growing old varieties, as sonic growers profer them as large bushes. However, all tho dead flower heads must be cut off as also must any dead wood and some of tho shoots that crowd the centre. Cut back to tho base to admit air and light. With tho dwarfgrowing kinds, shorten tho shoots bard back, cutting out any dead wood and keeping the centres fairly open. Those that are cultivated in pots, should lm pruned hard back and liberally fed. The dwarf new kinds delight in rich cultivation.