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Hydrangea border planting


Four-Season Hydrangea Border | Garden Gate

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By: Susan Martin
Looking for a hydrangea-filled flower border that will look great year-round? Try our four-season garden border plan. Includes a plant list and how-to tips!

Low-maintenance hydrangea border

Do you want a low-maintenance border for part shade that looks good all year? Plant the four species of hydrangeas you see here along with a few favorite perennials. You’ll need a space about 25 feet long and 15 feet deep to grow this border.

The oakleaf hydrangea kicks off the show in late spring, followed by ‘Annabelle’ smooth hydrangea and everblooming bleeding hearts. Bright pinks and purples join the fun in midsummer with BloomStruck bigleaf hydrangeas and ‘Stargazer’ lilies. Citron yellow hostas and white astilbes cool the palette during the hottest summer months. Finally, a magnificent ‘Limelight’ panicle hydrangea provides the grand finale with its prolific white flower panicles that blush pink as the foliage glows gold in fall. After the blooms fade, dried hydrangeas and astilbes give you something interesting to look at out the window all winter long.

Maintenance tips

See 9 plants with multiseason interest for your garden

How to change the color of your hydrangea blooms

Most bigleaf hydrangeas’ flower color varies depending on the pH of the soil. Flowers are bluer in acid soil and pinker in alkaline soil. (White flowers won’t change color.) Want to change pink to blue or blue to pink? Here’s how:

  1. Test your soil with a pH meter or kit. A pH reading of 7 or lower is acid; a pH reading above 7 is alkaline.
  2. For blue flowers, incorporate aluminum sulfate into the soil to make it more acid.
  3. For pink flowers, add garden lime to make it more alkaline.
  4. Soil type and moisture levels affect how quickly plants take up these additives so it can take anywhere from a few months to a season to see results.

Love hydrangeas? So do we! You might also like:
Five panicle hydrangeas for your garden
Seven bigleaf hydrangeas for your garden
How to care for bigleaf hydrangeas
Your handy shrub pruning guide
Flowery foundation garden plan

Meet the plants in this four-season hydrangea border

See more details about the plants used in this garden plan in the slideshow below.

A

Hosta (Hosta ‘Dancing Queen’)

Type Perennial Blooms Purple flowers in mid- to late summer, citron yellow, rippled foliage Light Part to full shade Size 16 to 18 in. tall, 28 in. in bloom, 26 to 30 in. wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9 Number to plant 2

B

Oriental lily (Lilium ‘Star Gazer’)

Type Bulb Blooms Highly fragrant, deep pink, speckled flowers with white edges on tall stems in midsummer Light Full sun to part shade Size 24 to 48 in. tall, 9 to 12 in. wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 10 Number to plant 6

C

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia Jetstream™)

Type Shrub Blooms Tall panicles of white flowers that bloom on old wood and age to rose-pink; Vivid orange to burgundy red fall foliage and exfoliating bark Light Full sun to part shade Size 5 to 6 ft. tall, 4 to 5 ft. wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8 Number to plant 1

D

Smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’)

Type Shrub Blooms Large, white, mophead flowers in early summer through midsummer and turn green as they dry on the stems; may rebloom in fall Light Full sun to part shade Size 3 to 5 ft. tall, 4 to 6 ft. wide Hardiness Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9 Number to plant 1

E

Fernleaf bleeding heart (Dicentra ‘King of Hearts’)

Type Perennial Blooms Heart-shaped pink flowers rebloom from spring to fall, lacy blue-green foliage Light Full sun to full shade Size 9 to 18 in. tall and wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8 Number to plant 6

F

Chinese astilbe (Astilbe chinensis ‘Vision in White’)

Type Perennial Blooms Creamy white plumes in late spring to midsummer, attractive dark green foliage Light Full sun to part shade Size 20 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 24 in. wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 Number to plant 4

G

Panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’)

Type Shrub Blooms Clusters of lime-green buds open to creamy white flowers in late summer, which turn greenish as they age, then blush deep pink Light Full sun to part shade Size 6 to 8 ft. tall and wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9 Number to plant 1

H

Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla BloomStruck®)

Type Shrub Blooms 4- to 5-inch rounded clusters of vivid pink in early summer to periwinkle blue flowers as it reblooms all summer into early fall Light Full sun to part shade Size 3 to 4 ft. tall, 4 to 5 ft. wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 Number to plant 3

I

Coral bells (Heuchera ‘Wild Rose’)

Type Perennial Blooms Glowing rose-purple foliage all season, pink flowers in midsummer Light Part to full shade Size 8 in. tall, 18 in. wide Hardiness Cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 Number to plant 3

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  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. F
  7. G
  8. H
  9. I

Published: July 9, 2019

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Shrub Rake

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How to Plant Hydrangea Borders | Home Guides

By Elizabeth Perry Updated July 16, 2021

If you’re looking for low-maintenance outdoor plants to fill your home landscape with color and beauty, look no further than hydrangeas. Hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.) grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9. They are relatively easy to take care of, and by using proper hydrangea spacing when planting, they make good border plants.

Low-Maintenance Outdoor Plants

Hydrangeas are flowering shrubs that produce flowers in summer and sometimes fall. The Old Farmer’s Almanac notes that they bloom in a variety of shades, including blue, pink, purple, red, green and white. Hydrangea species grow differently and to a variety of sizes when mature. Hydrangea flowers should come back year after year on healthy plants, and the blossoms attract pollinators. Once your hydrangea bushes are established, you’ll have low-maintenance outdoor plants that routinely bring colorful blossoms and bees and butterflies to your yard.

As Fine Gardening highlights, hydrangeas are versatile in terms of landscaping, which makes them good plants for borders. They can be used as focal points, they work well in the middle of a border, and they can even grow in containers. Multiple outdoor plants pair well with hydrangeas. Plant Addicts suggests planting hydrangea bushes along with other flowering shrubs, such as azaleas (Rhododendron spp.). They also pair well with ornamental grasses and flowering ground cover, and hostas (Hosta spp.) usually thrive in the shade of upright hydrangeas.

Growth Requirements and Hydrangea Spacing

Hydrangea bushes prefer partial sun, particularly morning sun and afternoon shade, although some hydrangea bush types can tolerate full sun. They grow best in fertile, well-draining soil, and they benefit from the addition of compost. Garden Design notes that hydrangeas like to be moist but not overly wet, and you shouldn’t let them dry out completely. Planting hydrangeas in borders, for example, along a fence or by a structure, can help protect them from very strong winds. Hydrangeas don’t require significant pruning, but you can prune them to maintain their shape as well as to keep air circulating around the plant.

Proper hydrangea spacing depends on the type of hydrangeas you're planting. Spacing hydrangea plants 3 to 10 feet apart is a good rule of thumb. Some hydrangea bush types grow to be 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide, while some can grow to be 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide. Consider the expected mature size of the varieties you're planting to determine the best hydrangea spacing for your hydrangea borders. Larger hydrangea varieties, for example, will need to be spaced more than 3 feet apart.

Planting Hydrangea Borders

Once you’ve determined the best planting site to meet hydrangea’s growth requirements as well as the proper hydrangea spacing, it’s time to plant your hydrangea borders. The best time to plant hydrangeas, as HGTV describes, is late spring, after the danger of frost in your area is past and before summer’s heat sets in. Early fall also is an option for planting hydrangeas. You should get the plants in the ground at least six weeks before the winter's first hard frost.

Hydrangeas are typically dormant in late spring and early fall, which is one reason to transplant them then. To plant a hydrangea bush, dig a hole that's the depth of the plant’s root ball and two to three times its width. Place the plant in the hole and fill it halfway with soil; then water it. When the water has soaked in, fill the rest of the hole with soil amended with organic compost. Water a newly planted hydrangea thoroughly.

References

Tips

Writer Bio

Elizabeth Perry is a writer and editor. She graduated with honors from Vassar College in 2013, earning her BA in English and specializing in literature and literary theory. She is a lover of sustainable agriculture and self-reliance, and has experience gardening and farming, including on a flower farm. She has contributed creative writing, arts journalism, and literary criticism to a variety of publications, both in print and online.

Garden hydrangea - 5 basic rules of agricultural technology

Garden hydrangea - a plant that blooms for a long time and profusely, has beautiful, healthy foliage and is unpretentious in care. In garden compositions, hydrangeas are indispensable. They are suitable for the formation of mixborders and group plantings both in the sun and in soft partial shade.

The height of the bush of different types of hydrangea is from 30 cm to 1.5-2 m. Flowering is abundant and long. Large inflorescences up to 25-30 cm, have a variety of colors - from white and slightly pinkish to maroon and azure blue. Hydrangea seedlings - easily take root in the garden, they are easy to care for, and flowering occurs 1-2 years after planting.

In order to choose the right hydrangea for planting in your garden compositions, you need to clearly determine which type of hydrangea is suitable for your garden plot:

You can get acquainted in detail with the types of hydrangeas and the best varieties in our article: Peerless hydrangea: characteristics of the main types and tips for using in garden design.

Briefly about planting and care: 5 basic rules of hydrangea farming

And now, let's talk about growing hydrangea seedlings, planting, pruning and care in spring and summer, methods of autumn preparation of plants for winter. For experienced gardeners - we recall the main points:

  1. The color of the Hydrangea macrophylla inflorescence depends on the pH (acidity) of the soil on which the seedlings will grow. Inflorescences of seedlings of the same variety are colored as follows: on neutral soil - creamy white, on acid soil - bluish or even blue. Therefore, you can adjust the intensity and shades of color - changing the acidity of the soil.
  2. Hydrangea seedlings need abundant watering. They need to be watered regularly and plentifully, 2-3 buckets for an adult plant in 1-1.5 weeks when there is no rain.
  3. Hydrangea loves good light, but not the midday sun, where the inflorescences quickly burn out. The ideal place for planting seedlings is in soft partial shade.
  4. Hydrangea seedlings need regular fertilizing. But do not overfeed the bushes with organic fertilizers. Otherwise, you will get rapid growth of seedlings and lush foliage, but you will not wait for flowering.
  5. Hydrangea pruning is the key to abundant flowering. Be sure to find out when buying seedlings which species the variety you have chosen belongs to (see description). Some varieties are pruned short every year, others are slightly shortened in the fall.

For beginners and amateur gardeners who have little growing experience yet, let's talk about features of agricultural technology in more detail :

How to successfully care for hydrangeas

The basic care for growing hydrangeas is quite simple. Any gardener can handle it. And we will share some secrets with you. Be careful with weeding, try not to loosen the ground around the seedlings deeper than 5-7 cm, the plant has superficial roots.

Hydrangea pruning depends on which species your seedling belongs to. But the cutting process itself is very simple. Panicle hydrangea shoots are cut to 1/3 of the height in spring, flowering occurs on young shoots. Tree-like hydrangea is pruned in early spring, it wakes up first, earlier than others. On each shoot leave at least 3-5 buds from the ground. Inflorescences appear on last year's branches. Large-leaved hydrangea is only slightly rejuvenated, the shoots that grow inside the bush are removed. Please note that hydrangea bushes are pruned from seedlings that are have reached 3-4 years of age. Remove faded flowers regularly.

Hydrangea nutrition. In the spring, all species are fed with fertilizers with a predominant nitrogen content, a universal mix is ​​suitable. In summer, during flowering, we recommend Bright Flowerbed fertilizer. Organic top dressing with compost or peat is conveniently done in the form of mulching seedlings.

Preparing hydrangeas for winter. Closer to autumn, plants begin to fertilize with preparations with a predominance of potassium and phosphorus. This helps the shoots to ripen, and the root system to prepare for the winter cold. In mild winters, all species can overwinter without shelter. Hydrangea tree-like and paniculate hydrangeas most reliably endure winter. It is better to cover large-leaved and serrate hydrangea with agrofiber for the winter and spud it well. All young seedlings in the year of planting spud and cover in the fall. But if the bushes are still frozen, do not worry - they will quickly grow back.

Follow the rules of agricultural technology, then your beauty will neither get sick nor be damaged by pests. This is a naturally healthy and unpretentious plant.

Paniculata hydrangea - planting in autumn and preparing for winter

Paniculata hydrangea is unpretentious and frost-resistant, but very grateful - it blooms profusely and spectacularly. It is this species that is found in gardens more often than others. In autumn, the meek beauty needs to be given a little attention - in preparation for the winter.

At the beginning of autumn, adult paniculate hydrangeas need to be fed, and young ones should be covered for the winter. If you don’t have this wonderful plant in your country house yet, find time for planting in September - you won’t regret it!

Planting hydrangeas outdoors in autumn

Planting hydrangeas in autumn starts with choosing a suitable location. Hydrangeas do not like clay soil and do not tolerate stagnant water. They bloom more magnificently if they receive the sun only in the morning or in the evening, so semi-shady places are chosen for them.


Planting paniculata outdoors:

  1. Make a hole 30-50 cm deep and 30-50 cm in diameter.
  2. Mix the excavated soil with sand and peat.
  3. Sprinkle half a packet of Organic Mix for acidic soils on the bottom to fertilize the soil.
  4. Take the seedling out of the package, taking care not to break the clod of earth.
  5. Make a mound of the prepared mixture at the bottom of the pit, place the seedling on it and cover with the remaining mixture.
  6. Compact the ground with your foot to remove voids inside the hole.
  7. Water, mulch with peat or humus.

Important . After planting, the root neck should be at ground level.

Paniculata hydrangea - outdoor care

Hydrangea loves water. If the autumn is dry, you need to water the bushes twice a week. At least 3 buckets are poured under an adult plant. It is enough to water a newly planted seedling so as to wet the soil to a depth of 20 cm.


If all the necessary elements have been added to the pit, the plants planted in autumn are not fertilized. The next year, when the first shoots appear, the bush needs to be fertilized. The complex composition of Green Boom is suitable - it has everything you need for rapid growth.

Two more top dressings are carried out during the season - in mid-June and August. Mullein infusion is used:

  1. Pour one part of manure with three parts of water.
  2. Insist for a week.
  3. Dilute 10 times before watering.

Important . Hydrangea paniculata blooms very profusely, so it is necessary to fertilize adult bushes with organic matter with caution - shoots can break off under the weight of inflorescences.

Instead of mullein, you can use Organic Mix - every 40-45 days, scatter 100-300 g of granules under each adult bush and loosen the soil with a rake. The fertilizer contains all the elements necessary for hydrangeas and maintains the acidity of the soil at the right level.

Hydrangea paniculata - winter pruning

Paniculata hydrangea pruning starts at 4 years of age. Without pruning, it will not bloom magnificently, the inflorescences are crushed. In addition, pruning allows you to rejuvenate old bushes and shape them into miniature trees.


Panicle hydrangea is cut in early spring, when the buds are swollen, but not yet open:

  1. Cut thin branches into the ring, directed towards the inside of the bush.
  2. Shorten the thickest shoots by making a cross cut over the second or third bud.
  3. Remove any diseased, frost-damaged branches by trimming down to healthy areas.

Are hydrangeas pruned for the winter? How to prune paniculate hydrangea in autumn? Do not cut branches - this will weaken the plant, prevent it from preparing for wintering. It is enough to remove all faded inflorescences so that they do not retain snow and the shoots do not break.

Preparing panicled hydrangea for winter

A bush planted in autumn should be covered before the first wintering. It is still weak, tender, poorly rooted and not actively preparing for the winter, so it can freeze slightly. Shelter must be placed before the night temperature begins to drop below 0 degrees.


We offer a simple and reliable way to shelter hydrangeas for the winter:

  1. Remove all leaves with a pruner if they are still left.
  2. Rake the soil up to the stem.
  3. Spread a layer of spruce twigs to make a mound, under which the seedling will hide “with its head”.
  4. Throw covering material over the mound and secure the edges with bricks to keep them from being blown away by the wind.

If the heat returns, be sure to raise the edges of the material for ventilation, otherwise the plant will rot.

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