Hi, Have always wondered what makes a pink or blue flower. Was always told it was pink and acid soil and blue and alkali soil. Is this an old wives tail?

Claire

Hi Claire,

To keep a blue hydrangea blue, you need to plant with erracious compost, and in the growing season when your watering regular you need to feed with erracacious feed, available at all garden centres.

If you buy a blue one and dont feed correctly, the flowers will fade with the lack of correct nutrients and ph.

To turn a pink hydrangea blue, do the same process with the soil and feeding.

As a grower i have tried this on white, and nothing realy happens apart from the plant not being very happy.

There is a new variety from america called endless summer, there are the 3 colours white pink and blue with a long flowering period, what make this plant special is that it will flower on the new and old stems, there for you can cut these back at the end of the season and dont have to worry about leaving the spent flower stems on until spring.

i hope this helps

Mike Easom

Thanks Dan and Mike.

 Have always wondered and now I know!! Have bought a new pink one from the Hampton Court flower show and not planted it out yet. I already have a small blue one in the garden I planted last year and thought it would be nice to have one of each colour.

Thanks again, Claire