Hydrangeas and Walls

Lushness and Solidity

‘Nikko Blue’ hydrangeas billow out atop a stone wall. The blue is a cooling color in summer, Johnsen Landscapes & Pools

Hydrangeas, with their large pink, white, purple or blue blooms, are stars of a summer garden (as long as you keep them well-watered). But where to place them? I suggest placing them atop or in front of any kind of wall as I did in some lovely landscapes here.

Solid walls and hydrangeas - yes.

Mopheads and Walls

Naturally blue flowers are an irresistible draw to garden lovers. Mophead or lace cap hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) sport large heads of blue (or pink) flowers in summer and autumn. They are native to Japan.

A ‘Blue Enchantress’ hydrangea sits under a taller Limelight hydrangea here. Both are striking in front of a stone retaining wall.

Mophead and lacecap hydrangeas change flower color depending on the acidity of the soil. Acidic soil yields blue or lavender blooms so, for blue, add a fertilizer with aluminum sulfate to the soil such as ‘Blueing Formula’ or similar. It will make your soil more acid. Note - new varieties of hydrangeas shift to blue more easily than older ones.

Below, I planted ‘Nikko Blue’ mophead hydrangeas and slug-resistant ‘Patriot’ hosta in a raised plant bed formed by a dry laid stone wall. I love the loose rustic look of dry laid stone walls that have no mortar.

The large green and white leaves of ‘Patriot’ hosta and round blue flowers of ‘Nikko Blue’ hydrangeas are a perfect foil for a rustic stone wall.

Smooth hydrangeas and Walls

Smooth hydrangeas ((H. arborescens) have round, mophead type flowers and are native to North America. The big fluffy blooms - white or lime-green- look so intriguing in a garden! The green foliage and green blooms are my fave combination. Makes a fantastic cut flower, both fresh and dried.

This is at the New York Botanical Garden. Smooth hydrangeas tend to flop so they benefit from being by a fence or wall.

‘Annabelle’ smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle') has showy, pristine white flowers that are enormous mopheads. ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea was discovered in 1910 and remains one of the most popular landscape plants grown.

Plant ‘Annabelle’ smooth hydrangeas for a bright white display. Here, the boxwood holds up the floppy plant nicely. Plant atop a wall and let them droop.

Panicle Hydrangeas and Walls

Panicle hydrangeas are the easiest hydrangea variety to grow. They are hardy to Zone 3 and thrive in full sun or partial shade. I love 'Limelight' Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'). It has reliable white/lime green flowers that turn a pinkish hue in the fall.

‘Limelight’ hydrangea is the star atop a low stone wall. It is flanked by Christmas ferns, impatiens and rhododendrons. Half shade conditions.

You can train the tall-growing ‘Limelight’ hydrangea as a small tree. It is a perfect floral accent in the summer.

Newly planted Limelight hydrangea trees in front of a stone wall. They will flower every year and look great with snowdrift roses, boxwood and low grasses.

Or try the compact form called 'Little Lime'. Its final height is 3-5’ tall and wide, about half as big as Limelight. Like its bigger sibling, Little Lime’s flowers gradually change from lime-green to pink and make wonderful bouquets, fresh or dried.

Little Lime hydrangea is a great addition to a pool area - Johnsen Landscapes Pools

Climbing Hydrangeas on Walls

And don’t forget climbing hydrangeas (Hydrangea anomala petiolaris)! They climb up a wall via aerial rootlets. So if space is tight, plant this climber and you can enjoy white, lacecap hydrangea blooms. It starts out slow then becomes vigorous, producing long stems. Lush green foliage is blanketed with magnificent blooms in summer.

Looking down on a climbing hydrangea in a gorgeous landscape. It is beautifully trained along a stone wall.

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