From Japan

[Meadowlark]

Granddaughter is taking a summer course in Japan as part of her college. She sent me some photos which included garden shots of I believe hydrangeas.

@Tetters , what do you think of these?

 

[Tetters]

My opinion of your photo seems to be a very cleverly planned planting on acid soil. The Japanese are very masterful at this kind of scene. I notice that the pink/mauve flowers used appear to be hardy geraniums or similar - and these will grow in acid or alkaline conditions. Although I cannot decipher from the photo what the paler pink flowers are, I feel sure they will not be hydrangeas, and more likely azaleas, often used as planting companions in an acid environment.
One of my many granddaughters has recently returned to Brisbane after spending some time in Thailand. Japanese is taught in schools in Australia, here the kids learn to speak French..... white hydrangeas will be white in any soil.

PS I'm planning on becoming a rocket scientist

 

[Tetters]

@Meadowlark I wonder if you could get your granddaughter to find out just what those pink flowers are? I for one would very much like to know - maybe a closer view if she doesn't know the name?

 

[Meadowlark]

Variety reported to be hydrangeas...the pink, blue, and white all hydrangeas. @Tetters

 

[Tetters]

In that case, I would suggest that they are either in pots with the right soil, or that they are newly planted between the blue ones to give the effect for a season or two, during which time they will undoubtedly turn mauve, and then progress to blue. Even if they were in pots, they would eventually revert back to mauve and then blue. I'd pay a tenner to have a chat with the chief gardener there! If I could, I would first check the ph values of that soil to determine which of the plants felt "at home", and then watch how the colour gradually changes.
The hydrangea is one of the easiest plants to propagate. I had 100% success in several years in the prop houses with them, and so digging up and replacing plants would be a relatively easy task.
This could take place with any of the pinks or blues. White ones, which seem like the majority in the photo, remain white whatever the alkalinity/acid content of the soil is - same with green tinted whites.

 

[Tetters]

The straight facts on hydrangea flower color

Everyone knows the flower color on bigleaf hydrangeas can vary depending on the soil it's growing in, but what exactly does that mean - and how do those growing conditions impact color? Find out in this article.

hydrangea.com

I decided that it would be a good idea to do a bit more finding out, after all we are all learning something new all the time. I found the above link which is very interesting, and includes the ingredient aluminium to the mix. I wonder if there is a connection here
When searching for pictures of Japanese hydrangea gardens, it was clear that they almost all contain these mixed plantings....fascinating and beautiful.

 

[olly-buckle]

Interesting, I remember someone preparing a bed by burying an old bike frame to make them blue, don't think it was aluminium though.

 

[Meadowlark]

The straight facts on hydrangea flower color

Everyone knows the flower color on bigleaf hydrangeas can vary depending on the soil it's growing in, but what exactly does that mean - and how do those growing conditions impact color? Find out in this article.

hydrangea.com

I decided that it would be a good idea to do a bit more finding out, after all we are all learning something new all the time. I found the above link which is very interesting, and includes the ingredient aluminium to the mix. I wonder if there is a connection here
When searching for pictures of Japanese hydrangea gardens, it was clear that they almost all contain these mixed plantings....fascinating and beautiful.

So, if I understand correctly, they get the mixed colors by variety...white always white, red always red (pink) and pink, blue, and purple selections, however, can all vary in color, shade, and intensity depending on soil conditions.

Now Granddaughter's picture is even more intriguing.

 

[Tetters]

So, if I understand correctly, they get the mixed colors by variety...white always white, red always red (pink) and pink, blue, and purple selections, however, can all vary in color, shade, and intensity depending on soil conditions.

Now Granddaughter's picture is even more intriguing.

Yes, the purples are happening as the flowers go from pink to blue, or the other way around.
You can thank your granddaughter for me, for giving us an interesting subject to talk about here.

 

[Meadowlark]

More Hydrangeas in pictures from Japan:

 

[Meadowlark]

Yes, the purples are happening as the flowers go from pink to blue, .

Like this?

 

[Tetters]

Yep!