Hydrangea arborescens "BellaRagazza Mauvette", 3 l pods

• Type: smooth hydrangea, deciduous shrub
• Botanical name: Hydrangea arborescens 'BellaRagazza Mauvette' — BellaRagazza® Mauvette ('NCHA7')
• Breeding: T. Ranney, NC State University, USA; BellaRagazza series
• Height and spread: 70–90 cm / 60–90 cm
• Flowering: early summer–autumn, repeating; domed heads 14–16 cm, pinkish mauve
• Light: part shade, or sun if the soil stays moist
• Soil: fertile, moist, slightly acidic, free-draining
• Pruning: flowers on current-year shoots; cut back by two-thirds in spring
• Hardiness: USDA 3 (−30 °C and below); no winter cover needed in Estonia
• Use: pots and containers, edging, flower beds, small gardens
• Size: potted plant

Planting. Plant in spring or early autumn in part shade, or in sun where the soil stays moist, sheltered from strong wind. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and use fertile, slightly acidic soil (pH 5–6.5); add acidic peat or conifer compost. Do not bury the root collar. Spacing: 60–80 cm.

Watering and feeding. Hydrangeas love moisture: in hot weather water 1–2 times a week with 10–15 L per plant and mulch the root area with bark or pine needles. Feed with a nitrogen fertiliser in spring and a complete hydrangea fertiliser in June–July; stop nitrogen from August so the shoots can ripen. In containers water more often and feed every 2–3 weeks until midsummer.

Care. Smooth hydrangea flowers on the current year's shoots. In early spring cut all stems back hard to 20–30 cm (about two-thirds) and remove weak ones: the stems will be sturdier and the heads larger. It needs no winter cover; even if the shoots are frosted, the plant regrows quickly and flowers the same summer.

Gardener's tip. The pinkish-mauve 'Mauvette' pairs well with silver foliage and white flowers, such as artemisia, catmint or white phlox.