Hydrangea is a wonderful decoration of the garden. In combination with other plants, it can create amazing compositions. Hydrangea Anabel, planting and caring for which are not difficult, but have their own secrets, is considered a bright representative of this family. This plant is used both singly and in combination with other representatives of the flora. These are very unusual shrubs, having many varieties and color inflorescences. Gardeners appreciate them for the shape of leaves, flowers, unpretentiousness and beauty during flowering.
Foreword
What is hydrangea? The plant belongs to the hydrangea family. This genus has about 100 species. It is impossible to list everything. There are curly, upright, evergreen, thermophilic, frost-resistant, deciduous, dwarf and tree-like shrubs. The latter include hydrangea Anabel.
Planting and caring for this representative of the flora are not very different from the rest of the varieties. In the natural environment, this plant lives in the Himalayas, East Asia, South and North America. Hydrangea got its name for the unusual shape of the seed box.
Features
Amazingly beautiful plant has many features for which gardeners love it. Hydrangea leaves have a beautiful green color. They are large, slightly oval, with uneven edges. In autumn, hydrangea looks especially attractive. At this point, the bush may contain flowers, buds, and seed boxes. Leaves by autumn also differ in tone from each other. Hydrangea is a shrub. It can be formed at your discretion, slightly pruning the branches.
Inflorescences
Especially worth noting the flowers of the plant. The shape of the inflorescence depends on the species. They can be in the form of an umbrella, panicle, cone or ball. Inside, the flowers are smaller, and along the edges are large, having only four petals. But it is small flowers that are fruitful, and large ones that are sterile. The color of inflorescences is the most diverse. It depends on both the species and the quality of the soil.
Hydrangea with pinkish flowers is found on alkaline soil in the bowl, and blue on acid soil . Hydrangea Anabel (tree-like), the planting and care of which is interesting to many gardeners, has beautiful white inflorescences. The composition of the soil does not affect only varieties with cream and white flowers. The palette of this plant is so diverse that it is impossible to list all species. The color of the flower may contain several shades that will smoothly transition into each other.
Types of Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are divided into indoor and garden varieties. It should be noted that these are completely different plants. Panicled species differ in the form of inflorescences. Among them can be distinguished variety Hydrangea Vanilla Freyz. It is a frost-resistant shrub that reaches a height of 2 meters. Its white inflorescences gradually acquire a pink hue. They resemble clusters of lilacs.
Among the tree-like varieties, Anabel hydrangea stands out, the planting and care of which are described in this article. Ground cover varieties are low shrubs. Garden hydrangeas reach a height of one meter. They have very large spherical inflorescences with different colors and bright leaves. It should also be noted rough, large-leaved, serrate, petiolate, ashy and radiant hydrangeas.
Anabel
Hydrangea Anabel is especially popular among gardeners, the planting and care of which is not very difficult. This is a tree-like shrub, ornamental, with amazing flowers. Its height is about one and a half meters. Inflorescences of this variety are very large. They reach about 30 centimeters in diameter. Hydrangea Anabel, the description of the variety, planting and care of which allows you to decorate the garden with a magnificent plant, pleases you with its beauty from June to September.
It requires minimal shelter in the winter, as it is a frost-resistant shrub. To place this variety, you can choose slightly shaded areas. Anabel hydrangea bushes are easy to cut. This variety is resistant to diseases and pests. A plant is used to design plots both in the form of a single planting, and in combination with other plants.
Strong Anabel
Variety Anabel has its subspecies. For example, hydrangea Strong Anabel. Planting and care of this plant does not differ from the main varieties. This is a tree-shaped garden shrub that can reach a height of 1.5 meters. Its distinguishing feature is a very large number of inflorescences. This figure is four times higher than that of Anabel. Large spherical flowers impress with their beauty throughout the summer period and the beginning of autumn. This species is resistant to disease and tolerates frost well.
Pink Anabel
The popularity of hydrangea Anabel encourages breeders to develop its new varieties that have excellent characteristics. These include hydrangea Pink Anabel. Planting and caring for this plant include standard agricultural practices. This is a new improved variety, which, unlike its predecessors, has not traditional white inflorescences, but pink ones.
Pink Anabel reaches a height of 1.2 meters. Large pink flowers surprise with their beauty and majesty. The flowering period lasts from July to the first frosts. The shrub has strong shoots that do not bend to the ground. This variety is also not afraid of frost and is resistant to disease.
Soil requirements
Each plant requires its own soil composition. Hydrangea Anabel takes root anywhere in the garden. The main condition for its landing is high acidity. For good growth requires an acid reaction of the soil. Therefore, special soil for azaleas or peat is added to the planting pit. A mixture of peat and leaf land, with potassium sulfate and superphosphate, is also acceptable. You can mix and use for planting hydrangea a mixture of leaf humus or compost.
Landing
The landing pit has a depth of about 50 centimeters. But here it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of a particular seedling. The width and length of the landing pit is about 60 centimeters. The root system of the plant needs enough air. Hydrangea Anabel or any other variety loves loose soil and good moisture access.
Before placing the seedling in the pit, its roots are shortened. Young shoots cut to 3-4 buds. In the future, such a manipulation will allow you to get a beautifully formed lush bush. The seedling is placed in a pit and covered with soil. Then it is abundantly watered. To preserve moisture in the root system, mulching is performed. Peat mulch is well suited for this. You can also use needles, compost, expanded clay, paper, straw, film or sawdust. The main thing is that the top layer breathes, and moisture regularly flows to the roots.
Landing time
The most optimal planting dates are early spring or autumn. In the spring, planting is carried out after the end of the frost, when the earth is warm enough. It is necessary to do this procedure before the plant begins rapid growth and the formation of inflorescences.
Well planted plants planted in the fall. However, for better rooting in the first year, hydrangea must be covered from the moment of frost until early spring. You can plant a shrub in the summer, but provided that it is in a container with a closed root system.
Seasonal Care
Many gardeners cannot achieve abundant hydrangea blooms. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, this is the wrong choice of landing site. Shrub does not tolerate extreme heat. Therefore, it is better to plant it in those places where there is partial shade during the day. He will have enough sunlight in the morning and evening. Secondly, soil quality plays a large role in the formation of inflorescences. Hydrangea garden Anabel, planting and care of which will bear fruit in the future, loves acidic soils. Even the shade of flowers depends on this. It is possible to feed hydrangea with fertilizers with potassium, iron, phosphorus and nitrogen during the season. As a top dressing, even sour milk is used. But if you get carried away with the process, it will badly affect the quality of the flowers. Hydrangea Anabel has snow-white large inflorescences. If you overdo it with fertilizers, they will acquire a greenish tint. Shrub loves moisture. Therefore, moderate and regular watering is recommended. The soil around hydrangea must be loosened. In spring, pruning should be done. As a result, the shrub will respond with more abundant flowering.
Winter preparations
Treelike Anabel does not tolerate severe frosts. Therefore, it is better to prepare it for the winter period. To do this, the bush is tied to a peg, which must be carefully driven in without damaging the roots. Under the bush, lay coniferous branches. So the root system will be reliably protected. On average, a plant can live up to 50 years. Planting and subsequent care of hydrangea is not so difficult. This shrub will delight and decorate the garden for a very long time.