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Hydrangeas are one of the most popular, well-known plants in the garden, and for good reason. Their lush foliage tends to be deep shades of green. The flowers, of course, are iconic. Huge, colorful flowers that can reach the size of your head are unparalleled in their impact in the landscape.
A Garden Classic
I’ve had the pleasure of working with a lot of gardeners in my time at Berns, and many of them have at least some experience with hydrangeas. Some remember hydrangeas in their mom’s or grandma’s garden, and others have grown them in their own gardens.
I’m often surprised by the apprehension many gardeners hold towards hydrangeas. They may have tried before and had little success, or they hear from friends that hydrangeas are difficult to grow.
Hydrangeas tend to have an air of supremacy, or at least they seem to. They’re touted as the princesses of the garden – the star of the show if they’re happy, but hard to please.
I’m surprised by this perception because, in my experience, hydrangeas are on the easier end of garden plants. I do have to remind myself, though, that most people don’t spend as much time around these plants as I do.
Hydrangeas are just like any other garden plant. There are conditions they like, and conditions they don’t. If a hydrangea is planted somewhere it doesn’t like, it’s not likely to thrive. If you select a good site for them, hydrangeas will reward you with both foliage and flower.
Part Sun / Part Shade
With as many kinds of hydrangeas as you can find on the market, there’s a wide range of growing conditions, as well. Most hydrangeas do best in part shade. The quintessential part shade hydrangea is Hydrangea macrophylla, known as French hydrangea, mophead or lace cap hydrangea, or most often bigleaf hydrangea.
Bigleaf hydrangea is popular among florists, and it’s usually what comes to mind when thinking of a hydrangea. They’ve been bred and traded for decades, so there are virtually endless options for size, foliage and flower color, flower type, blooming time, and even fragrance in a few varieties.
Bigleaf hydrangeas prefer protection from both weather extremes here in southwest Ohio. They want to avoid cold, drying winds in winter, and hot, humid sun in summer. They can usually survive these conditions, but they struggle to thrive and bloom.
The best sites for these plants are usually east facing, which gives the plants enough sunlight to grow and bloom, but shade in the hottest part of the day. Under the shade of a high-canopy tree for hot afternoons is even better since the trees help keep the space cooler.
Fantastic Flowers
Bigleaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood, which means this year’s flowers come from last year’s growth. If the growth from last year is pruned or damaged, flowering is greatly diminished.
Many newer varieties are able to bloom not just on old wood, but on new wood as well. This means that they produce new flower buds through the growing season, not just on the growth from last year.
To maximize flowering on bigleaf hydrangeas, even the reblooming varieties, the best practice is to provide as much protection as possible for the overwintering stems. Parts of the plant’s native range have heavy snowfall over the winter, which insulates the stems from freezing wind. We can mimic this (since we rarely get heavy snow anymore) by applying a thick layer of mulch over the roots and covering plants in a loose pile of straw or leaves (such as oak leaves, since they break down slowly).
During the growing season, as the flowers bloom, deadheading (removing spent flowers) not only improves the general appearance of the plant, but also promotes better reblooming. For hydrangeas, we recommend cutting a few leaves below a spent flower, which promotes sturdier stems for the new flowers.
Monrovia’s Seaside Serenade Hydrangeas
In 2017, Monrovia Nursery Company introduced their “Seaside Serenade” collection: a new collection of hydrangeas that aims to solve many of the common issues gardeners meet with hydrangeas. Working with many different growers and breeders, Monrovia’s team selected plants that stand out among others on the market, boasting features like:
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Thick, leathery leaves that hold up well in heat
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Sturdy stems that don’t flop under the weight of the flowers
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Reliably reblooming through the growing season
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Compact size that allows the plants to fit in smaller spaces
In addition to these great physical features, many members of the collection offer outstanding ornamental features. Fire Island (H. macrophylla ‘HORTFIRE’) is my favorite, for its rich, burgundy-tinted foliage and its striking, highly textured bicolor flowers.
Ready to Grow Your Garden Classic?
Hydrangeas might have a royal reputation, but they’re easier to grow than you think—especially when you start with healthy, locally grown plants. Our Seaside Serenade Hydrangeas from Monrovia are available now, just in time for Mother’s Day. These proven performers combine beauty and reliability, making them a perfect gift for a loved one—or for yourself.
👉 Shop our Mother’s Day Hydrangea Collection
Whether you're recreating a memory from Grandma’s garden or starting a new tradition, this is the year to bring hydrangeas home.
Hydrangeas can contribute greatly to the beauty of a landscape, especially when planted in the right conditions. By planting these great performers with other part sun plants, like ferns, Anemone, or begonias, we can create a rich, lush garden with nonstop flowering and show-stopping color.