Runaway brides and hot lips!
Margaret Griffin
Hydrangeas are one of the most beautiful flowering shrubs that can be found throughout rural and urban gardens. If you want carefree shrubs that bring delight and beauty, then you want hydrangeas in your cottage garden.
Hydrangeas are a very popular shrub that thrive in our climate. From mid-summer until autumn, they produce a glorious show in gardens. When we think of hydrangeas, we usually think of big leaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) and these can be divided into two types by the shape of their flowers.
Mop-head types have large, ball-shaped flower clusters, while lace-cap types have flat, delicate clusters.
But if you want a wow hydrangea then Runaway Bride is for you. This plant has just arrived to Griffins and is getting a great response from all of our team and customers. It’s no wonder that Runaway Bride clinched the title of Plant of the Year at Chelsea.
Why? Well it’s the very first hydrangea to produce flowers from every leaf joint, not just at the tips! Plants become laden with blooms, and hence have a wider range of uses in the garden, as the laden stems produce blooms just like confetti a wedding dress.
It can even be grown anywhere from containers, pots, borders and tumbling over walls. The lace-cap blossoms are pure white, gently tinged with pink as they age. There are six times as many blooms as a usual hydrangea, and they just keep on coming from May to September.
Unlike blue and pink hydrangeas, Runaway Bride is always the same colour too, so differences in soil pH will not affect the colouring. These plants are problem-free and will grow in sun or partial shade. For best results, make sure your hydrangea is well-watered.
After all, hydrangea comes from the Greek 'hydor', meaning water. These plants need to be kept moist. Mulching with bark mulch if planted in a border will help retain moisture in your borders. These shrubs will grow to about four foot high and four foot wide and is fully hardy.
Another proven winner for your garden is the salvia.
Salvia Hot Lips displays the Cork colours with pride! This variety flowers from June right through to November. It's a very easy salvia to grow and if we get a 'normal' Irish winter, it should flourish again next year.
Hot Lips is a wonderful for patios and its striking red flowers really stand out in a container. It has won numerous awards in UK flower shows and are well worth having as an outstanding addition to your patio garden.
A good pruning after flowering will ensure strong bushy regrowth for the next season. It is suitable for a full sun to part shade position and requires little water once established.