Rita Elliott

By growing pink hydrangeas in a few containers, and blue ones in others, you can achieve a very alluring look. - photos by Rita Elliott

If you think your pink hydrangeas will blend better with the landscape of your garden if it were blue (or vice versa), this can be done. It's a simple procedure but at the same time a bit tricky.

Pointers: One can rarely change the intensity of a colour (how strong or pale the shade is). The intensity develops for a number of reasons: the heredity of a particular hydrangea variety, weather conditions (hot or cold, humid or dry), health of the plant, and possibly other natural factors. Fertilising hydrangeas once or twice a year may result in a little more saturated colour, simply because the health of the plant may be improved.

Note that white hydrangeas cannot be changed to pink or blue by the grower (although ageing blooms sometimes acquire a blush of pink or red.) If you live in Jamaica's hot climate, it is unlikely you will ever see a 'true red' hydrangea. A pity!

So, if you want ...

Pink Blooms

Add dolomic lime, three to eight cups, around the base of a large plant (less around a small one), two or three times between the blooming seasons.

Or try a bit of super phosphate around the base of the plant.

Blue Blooms

Aluminium sulphate, three to four tablespoons per gallon of water, applied two times, two weeks apart, four to six months prior to blooming.

You can also add eggshells, coffee grounds, ground-up orange or grapefruit peels.

Be patient. It sometimes takes a year or two to see the results, and you will need to continue the treatment, or the plant will revert to its original colour!

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