hi any one heard of this shrub.label says plant march in sun,pictures lilac flowers looked in books and asked around nobody seems 2 no.thanks
probably a hydrangea - French name is Hortensia.. http://images.google.com/images?q=hortensia&hl=en-GB&sourceid=gd&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2006-49,GGLD:en-GB&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi
Hi Carolb. A bit vague .Have to agree with dendrobium on this one.any chance of putting the pic of lilac flowers on thread.
Hi carolb, I imagine that you refers to the plant which in Italian is called "ortensia". It is a lovely plant with both nice foliage and flowers. The flower present themselves in bunches which are scattered throughout the plant. The flowers can be white, pink, red, violet and blue. They tend to be blue where the soil is acid. But genetical characteristics as well decide the colour. The ortensia prefers a sunny spot - although not direct sun - and well humid soil. As fertilizer, potassium is very appreciated. The plant can be reproduced by cuttings. Trimming of the plant is better undertaken at the end of the winter in order for the young branches to be protected.
Looks like we agree on this one, Miraflores! :D Only thing is, I'd prune late April - early May, after frost damage is likely.
They are beautiful, miraflores. I have a deep blue one and keep it in the shade here. At the moment mine has all it's new shoots but I have not removed the old blooms yet, even here, but I will be doing so shortly.
Forgot to say, they are called Hortensia here (but h's are NEVER pronounced). In the Azores, where I have had the great pleasure to have spent my 25th wedding anniversary along with Portugal, we stayed on Faial Island where all the yachts an cruise liners stop off halfway across the Atlantic. It is called the Blue Island because in the Summer the few roads (like one around the island and about three criss-crossing it ... you wouldn't like it, pete, if you are reading this!) are actually lined with Hydrangeas (Hortensias) and Fucshia hedges and in June-July the island is just blue ... we were there in April, but it was beautiful then as well. I recommend this as an ideal place to go ...
Oh, dendro, you would be in heaven there ... that was 15 years ago :eek: and I remember it so vividly and we would like to buy there but haven't discussed it recently ... maybe now that the IoW is gone ... I recommend that anyone who doesn't come to Portugal for their holidays checks out the Azores!
