Hydrangeas

There are gardens for every hydrangea, and hydrangeas for virtually every garden in a temperate climate. This book shows the enormous possibilities offered by hydrangeas as garden shrubs, and helps with the identification of around 80 of the most readily available cultivars. The book is in two sections. In the first chapter the history and natural distribution of hydrangeas are outlined, and the general characteristics described. The 13 species most commonly grown in cultivation are described in detail, with special attention to the naming problems of H. macrophylla cultivars. The chapter on cultivation covers all aspects of care in relation to sun/shade, wind, frost and moisture, and examines colour changes related to soil type. Propagation is fully explained, and there are suggestions for inclusion of the shrubs in gardens of various sizes. This section's final chapter covers other uses for hydrangeas. The second section describes over 80 cultivars in detail. Each has at least one colour photograph, photocopies of actual leaves and sepals, a list of salient characteristics and a general description. This unique combination of all the available information is full enough to facilitate identification.