Hydrangea Forever - all varieties of the Forever and Ever series

Gardeners often grow Forever and Ever hydrangeas on their property. She has large inflorescences, bright colors, and caring for a flower does not require much effort. In order for the bush to be a decoration of the site, you need to know the rules for planting it and the features of caring for the plant.

The history of the origin of hydrangea Forever & Ever (Forever & Ever)

Hydrangea Forever was introduced to England and France in the 16-17th century from Asia. The flower got its name from a naturalist who saw a plant during a trip around the world. He was surprised at his beauty and named the flower after his beloved Hortense, who was with him on the journey.

Forever & Ever Red and Pink hydrangeas will brighten and brighten your garden

Description of the hydrangea varieties included in the Forever & Ever series

This hydrangea has many varieties, but they differ mainly in color. General description: bushes 80-110 cm in height, spherical inflorescences with a diameter of 30-45 cm, flowers about 5 cm in different colors, large ovoid leaves.

Description of the features of Forever hydrangea varieties:

• Forever & Ever Pink / Blue (Early Sensation). The variety has two shades in the name, because in July the flowers are light pink, and in the fall they are pale blue. Bloom in early June.
• Forever & Ever Expression (Expression). The flower petals are purple at the edges, green or light green in the middle.
• Forever & Ever Red (Red Sensation). Hydrangea Red Forever is red in color, but after 2-3 months its flowers turn purple.
• Forever & Ever Double Pink (Romance). The Forever and Ever Pink hydrangea is pinkish or blue when in acidic soil. Flowers on inflorescences in the form of stars.
• Forever & Ever Peppermint (Peppermint). The flowers of the Peppermint variety are white or light yellow, with pink or blue strokes in the middle (in acidic soil).
• Forever & Ever Blue Heaven (Blue Heaven). In summer, the inflorescences are blue with a purple tint, in autumn they are brighter. The leaves of Forever & Ever Blue hydrangea flowers are rigid and almost straight, without bends.
• Forever & Ever White Out (White Ball). Flowers are white. The color does not change over time, but with a change in soil. If you increase the acidity of the earth, the inflorescences of the White variety will turn light pink.

Peppermint variety: white petals with a pink center

Planting a large-leaved hydrangea Forever & Ever

The plant is demanding on land and moisture. The soil should be composed of humus, river sand and peat, and not contain lime.

It is better to start preparing for planting 2-3 weeks before the beginning of spring. The site needs to be dug up and fertilized, a week before planting, weed and level the soil.

Procedure for planting a flower:

1. Dig a hydrangea hole in the sun or in partial shade.
2. Make the diameter of the hole 40 cm and the same depth, and the distance between the two holes is 1 m.
3. At the bottom of the hole, lay out 15-20 cm of drainage in the form of broken brick and sprinkle it with a mixture of peat, earth and sand in equal amounts.
4. Place the seedling in the soil, spread the roots over the entire hole and sprinkle with earth so that there are no voids around the roots.

Care of Forever & Ever varieties

It is not difficult to take care of the bushes; with proper care, varieties can live for 30-40 years.

Watering and feeding

You need to pour water under the bush, 10 liters once every 1.5-2 weeks.

Watering the bushes to freshen them up

If the plant was properly prepared for planting, and the soil was saturated with organic fertilizers, the first 2 years of feeding will not be required. In the spring of the third year, 3-4 days after watering the bush, you need to fertilize the flower with potassium nitrate (50 g per bush). In the same year, at the beginning of autumn, use Superphosphate (30 g per bush).

Pruning

Hydrangea inflorescences bloom thanks to last year's shoots. If the shoots are cut off, there will be no inflorescences in a year. You need to leave the branches that formed in the spring and bloomed. You should delete:

• broken and damaged branches;
• diseased shoots;
• thin processes;
• branches older than 4-5 years.

After correct pruning, new inflorescences will appear for many more years, and the bush will become lush and brighter.

Preparing for winter

Large-leaved hydrangea is quite frost-hardy: it can winter without shelter at temperatures down to -15 ° C. But it is still necessary to prepare the plant for the cold season. The ground near the bush should be loosened, and the root part should be covered with mulch. The best materials for mulching hydrangeas are spruce leaves and shredded branches. After that, the bush must be covered.

Shrub propagation

Breeding hydrangea by cuttings:

1. In spring or summer, it is necessary to cut off the top of a young shoot without buds with 4-5 leaves.
2. Remove the bottom 2 leaves, and cut the tops of the remaining shoots in half.
3. Plant the cuttings to a depth of 3-4 cm in a mixture of peat and sand.
4. Spray the leaves with water, cover and water 2-3 times a week.
5. When leaves appear on the cuttings in a month, the cap can be removed.

There are other ways, but propagation with green cuttings is the fastest and most effective.

Diseases and pests, ways to deal with them

Hydrangea care can be complicated by diseases and parasites. To avoid the death of plants, you need to constantly inspect the bushes for pathologies.

Hydrangea Forever and Ever can get sick:

• Fusarium is an infectious disease that affects the roots or leaves. Symptom: pink-orange or orange mycelium of the fungus in the form of plaque on the leaves. Treatment: spraying with Bordeaux liquid (copper sulfate with slaked lime) at a concentration of 35 g of substance per 10 liters of water.
• Rust is a fungal disease. Symptom: burgundy or dark orange bulky spots on the leaves. Treatment: spraying with copper sulfate at a concentration of 20-25 g per 10 liters of water.

Use of Forever & Ever hydrangea in landscaping

Hydrangea is popular in landscape design: it is unpretentious, durable, there are varieties of all shades. Bushes are planted away from trees so that they have enough light and can be clearly seen.

Hydrangea bushes in the garden landscape look better if there is a lot of greenery nearby.

In the composition, the hydrangea is planted in the center, and there are small bushes around. For example, the large-leaved hydrangea Forever and Ever of the Pink or Red varieties looks good against a background of green grass. So the flowers are visible even in the evening.

Hydrangea looks beautiful against the backdrop of greenery or next to a pond, so its inflorescences stand out. Bushes can be planted in groups, or singly, but then the shape is of great importance. If planted several in a row, varieties with different shades look good.

It is not difficult to grow bright hydrangea bushes, you just need to follow the rules of planting and care, and then the plant will decorate the garden for decades.