I planted one a few years ago into a planter I made from a scrap fence post and floorboards. It was slow to grow at first and didn’t particularly flower well, but in recent years it’s taken off and flowers really well every year.
Its on an an east facing wall trapped in the corner of my patio between the garage wall and my south facing house wall, so it gets sun in the morning up to around midday.
This is a photo taken a few years ago, you can see the hydrangea in the far left corner in the planter, with a clematis growing alongside it...
Fast forward a few years and the hydrangea is now growing well and is now climbing along the house wall with its suckers gripping onto the brickwork. I put a top layer of compost into the planter each year, mixed with a handful of grow more & blood/fish/bone. The hose pipe leaks and is constantly dripping water into the planter and the soil is always wet, which perhaps it must like?
I planted mine last year, it cost £1.62 from Morrisons, wasn't confident it would do much! It didn't do much last year but then I blinked and it grew about a foot, it looks very healthy so far. Its a wall thats in shade for about 20 hours a day.
The Hydrangea is in the bottom left, ignore the poorly looking climbing rose, I have no idea whats wrong with it but will put that on a separate post.
Must stop buying more plants, repeat, must stop buying....
I'd improve the soil in the bed it's in @samantha.bentley1 It looks very inhospitable. Was the ground properly prepped when it was planted? I'd also take off those green tapes attaching it to the cane, and replace with soft string to guide it back. It doesn't look the greatest specimen though. They do need good food and plenty of water to get them established, and it can take a couple of years for them to do that. A bucket of water every few days - not a sprinkle every day. The shrub nearby is also competition for water and nutrients. I'm not sure your fence will withstand the weight of it when it does start growing though. What are the weird black tubes beside it?
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Fairygirl it’s an arch that it’s growing up (or should be) the tape on the stem is what came with plant so u haven’t removed it as I was going to do that when it began to grow.
You won't be able to grow it on that @samantha.bentley1 They need big solid walls to do their job properly. Even decent fences are really not suitable.
Some of the finest ones I've ever seen are in the Lake District, on those beautiful slate covered houses. They're stunning when used correctly. I planted one at my last house - a large Victorian sandstone property. Sadly, I didn't stay long enough to see it grow, although the last time I was down that way, it had established very well.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
..there's nothing wrong with your Hydrangea, apart from needing a bit of time to mature, like we all do.. ...incidentally, the oft repeated assertions that these plants need something to cling to, or 30 foot walls is incorrect, although they may look more majestic that way... they can be grown free standing and kept as small shrubs... you could remove all those supports and insert just a small stake until it takes shape..
...here's my friend's at the moment... she's had this for years, and just trims off the excess growth every so often... it's not more than 5 foot tall x 5 wide.. and just about to flower...
@LeadFarmer .. yours is superbly done I must say..
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Its on an an east facing wall trapped in the corner of my patio between the garage wall and my south facing house wall, so it gets sun in the morning up to around midday.
This is a photo taken a few years ago, you can see the hydrangea in the far left corner in the planter, with a clematis growing alongside it...
Fast forward a few years and the hydrangea is now growing well and is now climbing along the house wall with its suckers gripping onto the brickwork. I put a top layer of compost into the planter each year, mixed with a handful of grow more & blood/fish/bone. The hose pipe leaks and is constantly dripping water into the planter and the soil is always wet, which perhaps it must like?
It didn't do much last year but then I blinked and it grew about a foot, it looks very healthy so far. Its a wall thats in shade for about 20 hours a day.
The Hydrangea is in the bottom left, ignore the poorly looking climbing rose, I have no idea whats wrong with it but will put that on a separate post.
They do need good food and plenty of water to get them established, and it can take a couple of years for them to do that.
A bucket of water every few days - not a sprinkle every day. The shrub nearby is also competition for water and nutrients.
I'm not sure your fence will withstand the weight of it when it does start growing though. What are the weird black tubes beside it?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
They need big solid walls to do their job properly. Even decent fences are really not suitable.
Some of the finest ones I've ever seen are in the Lake District, on those beautiful slate covered houses. They're stunning when used correctly.
I planted one at my last house - a large Victorian sandstone property. Sadly, I didn't stay long enough to see it grow, although the last time I was down that way, it had established very well.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
...incidentally, the oft repeated assertions that these plants need something to cling to, or 30 foot walls is incorrect, although they may look more majestic that way... they can be grown free standing and kept as small shrubs... you could remove all those supports and insert just a small stake until it takes shape..
...here's my friend's at the moment... she's had this for years, and just trims off the excess growth every so often... it's not more than 5 foot tall x 5 wide.. and just about to flower...
@LeadFarmer .. yours is superbly done I must say..
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...