Hydrangeas: Magnificent, but not showy

That summer feeling all year round with hydrangeas

That summer feeling all year round with hydrangeas

Looking for a natural mood creator for your home? With its robust flower which can have a diameter of 25 centimetres, the hydrangea is an excellent choice. You can enjoy a holiday in a vase with these big balls of petals. A name like Hydrangea give you an instant five star summer feeling.

COLOURS AND SHAPES

In the first half of the year you can see red, pink, purple, white, green and blue hydrangeas, as well as hydrangeas which combine several colours. In the second half of the year there are the ‘colour-changed’ flowers. These hydrangeas have a green, red, brown tone – perfect for autumn and winter – and are good for drying. There’s also plenty of choice when it comes to shape. You can choose single or double flowered varieties, globe-shaped hydrangeas, hydrangeas with small flowers in the middle and large petals on the edge (edge bloomers) or hydrangeas with a plume shape. What a range to choose from!

SYMBOLISM

The hydrangea is bursting with symbolism. The flower represents gratitude, grace and beauty. It also radiates abundance because of the lavish number of flowers and the generous round shape. The hydrangea’s colours symbolise love, harmony and peace. So it’s perfect for use in a luxurious floral arrangement for weddings and birthdays, but equally suitable for an outstanding memorial bouquet.

ORIGIN

The hydrangea that you find in flower shops has Asian and South American roots. This mood creator was brought to Europe on the first Dutch East Indies Company ships. Interesting fact: the name hydrangea comes from ‘hydro’ (water) and ‘angeion’ (pitcher), because the hydrangea’s shape is reminiscent of an old water pitcher. Although you need quite a lot of imagination to see it.

CARE

• Cut a piece of the stem off diagonally.
• Select a clean vase and fill it with tap water at room temperature.
  
• Do not place hydrangeas in a draught, in full sun, near a heater or next to the fruit bowl.
  
• Add cut flower food to the water for a longer lifespan and regularly top the vase up with tap water.
  
• Make sure there are no leaves hanging in the water.