Hydrangea & Orchid Flowers

Hydrangea General Information

• The hydrangea's wide variety of colors and types makes it a suitable for plant for different landscape uses. Different types of hydrangea include clinging vines, small trees, multiple-stemmed shrubs and single-stemmed shrubs. Most other woody plants flower in the spring, while the hydrangea flowers in during the summer months. There are also various colors of hydrangea -- the color greatly depends on the pH of the soil. Different pH levels and nutrients will produce pink, blue or white flowers on the hydrangea.

Orchid General Information

• There are approximately 30,000 species of orchids, not including the many hybrids. The many species and varieties include wide ranges of colors, different flower shapes and sizes, and different fragrances. Most orchids are tropical plants, typically found in trees in their native habitat, although some are native to more temperate climates. Orchids are epiphytic -- they grow up and attach to trees and let their roots hang down and loose to get moisture and rain from the air.

Hydrangea Care

• Because of the variety of hydrangea types, there are different care requirements for each. Fertilize your hydrangeas in late winter or early spring at a rate of 2 lb. per 100-square-feet. Water them thoroughly in prolonged periods of drought.

  Hills-of-Snow hydrangeas are 3- to 5-feet tall globe-shaped shrubs that you need to prune to the ground line after frost has destroyed the blooms.

  The bigleaf hydrangea is an upright shrub that grows 3- to 4-feet tall. Most of these hydrangeas, with the exception of Nikko Blue, will produce pink blooms by keeping your soil's pH around 6.5. All varieties, with the exception of Mariesii, can produce blue flowers if you keep your soil pH between 5 and 5.5. When you plant hydrangeas of this variety, be warned that most will not flower regularly if you plant them outdoors. Prune these varieties close to the ground after the flowers wilt and remove thin, weak stems in spring.

  Peegee hydrangeas generally grow as a 10- to 20-foot tall, single-stemmed shrub, or as a small tree in a landscape. The flowers of the peegee hydrangea are a creamy-white color and grow to almost 1-foot long. Mature flowers turn a yellow-brown color, ideal for dried arrangements. Prune slender stems near the supporting branches to help maintain the desired shape and height.

  Oakleaf hydrangeas are dense, 3- to 6-feet tall upright shrubs with leaves similar to those of the red oak. The flowers start in late summer as white to pink, then mature into purple flowers. Oakleaf hydrangeas grow best in partial shade, while most other species grow well in either full sun or partial shade.

  The climbing hydrangea can grow up to 50-feet tall on trees or masonry walls. Large clusters of flowers appear in midsummer, and lateral branches of the vine can reach out up to 3-feet. Trim the lateral branches in the fall to reduce the chance of snow or ice pulling the vine down by making the lateral branches too heavy.

Orchid Care

• The orchid's indoor environment should mimic its natural habitat. You should keep the humidity levels between 40 and 80 percent. Warm-growing orchids, including Doritis and Phalaenopsis, prefer temperatures of 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Cool-growing orchids, including Odontoglossum and Miltonias, prefer growing temperatures of 55 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

  When caring for your orchids, you will need to keep in mind the sizes of the plant and pot, the growing medium, and the pot type. Most orchids prefer drying out well between waterings, and roots that stay wet for more than a few days may rot. Potting mixes or fir bark mediums require more fertilizer than those grown in osmunda fiber. In places with warm summers like the Midwest, you can put your orchids outside during the warm months.