As autumn gets underway, this gardening expert has shared their top tips gardeners should follow this October to ensure hydrangeas flower next spring
As autumn arrives, countless gardeners are inadvertently setting their hydrangeas up for disaster. From excessive pruning to poorly-timed trimming, these seasonal blunders can quietly undermine next year’s blooms – resulting in once-flourishing plants appearing rather lacklustre come spring.
Wickes’ Garden Category Manager, Clair Albone, is setting the record straight, debunking the most widespread myths surrounding autumn garden maintenance and sharing crucial, expert-endorsed tips to safeguard plants, maintain their well-being, and ensure a spectacular garden once the winter frost has disappeared.
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Hydrangeas have dominated summer gardens this year and are cropping up throughout social media, as well as on the silver screen. Influencers showcase their mopheads to millions of followers, and the blooms feature in the hit TV series ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’. However, for them to flower season after season, keen gardeners must steer clear of two frequent autumn errors: excessive deadheading and overlooking soil maintenance.
Expert Clair explains, “Leave dried blooms on hydrangeas over winter – they shield buds from frost. Deadhead in early spring, just before new growth. Protect roots by covering the base with natural material like Wickes Bark Chips (£12) or fallen leaves. This locks in moisture, feeds the soil as it breaks down, and prevents winter damage.”
If you’re on the hunt for some of the summer’s must-have blooms and want to get ahead of next year’s gardening early, Gardening Express is offering these Giant Blue Mophead Hydrangeas for the reduced price of £24.99, down from £39.99, saving shoppers £15.
Described as monsters, these hydrangeas can be expected to throw out up to 30 strong flower heads during their first flowering season. A jaw-dropping Hydrangea variety with huge blue flowers, often featured in high-end florist bouquets, it boasts massive blooms up to the size of a football.
Cut to near ground level over winter each year, and they will then produce masses of strong new stems and large blooms each summer. These plants are very strong and ready to grow vigorously upon arrival.
Gardening Express are also offering these Amazing Powder Blue Hydrangeas for £19.99, down from £39.99, or these Large Pink Mophead Hydrangeas, which are now £12.99, down from £22.99.
Meanwhile, at Dobies, you can find this Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Blue Danube’ for £29.99, or Gardener’s Dream is offering these ‘Soft Pink Salsa’ Hydrangeas for £34.99.