Things are pretty quiet around here; we're closed to walk-in business today and most of the phone orders have been for decidedly more modest Easter gifts. Easter's on Sunday, by the way, so keep that in mind.
We sold a lot of hydrangea plants this holiday. Hydrangeas are a popular offering at this time of year, due to their bright colors, substantial size and overall springy look. But spring after spring, we get a lot of returns from customers who claim that their plants have "died". Allow me to take advantage of this public forum to set the record straight on hydrangea care.
Hydrangeas are thirsty - exceptionally thirsty, in fact. Giving them a cup of water a day generally isn't enough to sustain them. When a hydrangea is thirsty, the blooms will keel over as the plant's way of alerting its owner. When the plant is in this state, it is far from dead, and can be revived by placing the plant in a saucer containing about an inch of water, and letting it drink to its heart's content. As a rule of thumb, a hydrangea should be fed about two big glasses of water a day to keep it thriving and satisfied.
Hydrangeas are actually the only plants we still grow ourselves in the greenhouse, and my grandfather (or Sir, as he will hereafter be known) is very protective of them. One year, a rather frantic lady hurried in with a hydrangea that she'd pretty much dried out and started raving that it was a piece of crap and had died the day after she received it. Sir, in his typically Sir way, got quite upset and informed the lady, in no uncertain terms, that she didn't know how to take care of the plant and had killed it herself. He was pretty pissed off, which is perfectly understandable given how much he invests in their growth and care. And they are absolutely precious when they're little. Cuter than I was, anyway.
In any case, it's a good thing to know. And they worry about the seal hunt. Just think about how many hydrangea plants are thoughtlessly slaughtered each and every spring by those who neglect to read the care card. The lesson here - with apologies to Blue Oyster Cult - is don't fear the watering can.
