Hydrangea arborescens "Ruby Annabelle", 3 l pods

• Type: smooth hydrangea, deciduous shrub
• Botanical name: Hydrangea arborescens 'Ruby Annabelle' — Ruby Annabelle® ('NCHA3')
• Breeding: T. Ranney, NC State University, USA
• Height and spread: 0.8–1.2 m / 0.8–1.2 m
• Flowering: mid-June–July, repeating into autumn; rounded heads 12–17 cm, ruby pink
• 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 3–4 (−34 to −40 °C); no winter cover needed in Estonia
• Use: mixed borders, part-shade corners, edging, groups, cutting
• 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: 1–1.2 m.

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.

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. For a second flush, cut off the spent heads with part of the stem right after the first bloom and feed the shrub.