Mophead summer glory

Plant hydrangeas to add colour to a street, says Peter

- Peter Seabrook

SUMMER gardens would be a lot less colourful without hydrangeas. There are lots of different colours and types available, all of which are easy to grow if given water in dry conditions. I love to see the standard pink-flowering mophead kinds in front gardens.

A good plant can colour a street and needs no more than dead flowerheads removed in early spring, plus a few old branches cut hard back after flowering. These hydrangeas respond well to the secateurs and you can rejuvenate an old shrub as it will regrow from stumps.

Summer is a good time to take softwood cuttings, when they root easily and get well established before autumn. Young, non-flowering shoots, 3in (7cm) or so long, with large leaves halved to reduce transpiration and make them easier to handle, root easily now on windowsills. The young plants may need protection in their first winter and during very cold temperatures.