Hydrangeas bring a touch of romance to the garden and, with their large balls of flowers in different colours, make the hearts of hobby gardeners beat faster. But what can you combine hydrangeas with in the bed? We list the most beautiful grasses, ground cover and flowers that make good planting partners.
Combining hydrangeas in the bed: the principles
Hydrangeas are beautiful flowering shrubs that form numerous flower balls in summer. They thrive best in sunny to semi-shady locations and like slightly acidic, humus-rich and lime-poor soils. The water requirement is great, the hydrangeas need extensive and regular watering. The perfect companion plants should have similar requirements. As far as direct sunlight is concerned, the following planting combinations are possible:
- Tall flowering shrubs that do well in full sun.
- Flowers and perennials for partially shaded areas
- Ornamental grasses and foliage plants for shaded to sunny locations
- Ground cover for shade
In the following we list different plant combinations and start with the probably most popular companion plants. Surprisingly, some of them do not go well with hydrangeas, although they are often planted next to each other in the bed.
3 popular plant partners that should actually not be combined with hydrangeas
There are some plants that go well with hydrangeas. Actually, they have completely different demands on soil and location, which makes them poor planting partners.
Combining hydrangeas with lavender – is that possible?
Hydrangeas do best in moist, humus-rich soil. Lavender, on the other hand, prefers barren, well-drained and sandy soil. If you plant them together, either the hydrangeas will yellow or the lavender will rot – depending on whether they keep the soil dry or moist.
Do lilacs and hydrangeas go together?
Of course, the different types of lilac have different requirements in terms of soil and location. However, the plants have one thing in common: they can tolerate almost any soil as long as it is permeable. Whether lilacs and hydrangeas can be combined depends primarily on the species in question. Buddleia and hydrangea “Annabelle” usually get along well. A good plant partner for many types of lilac is the panicle hydrangea “Limelight”.
Can you combine hydrangeas and rhododendrons?
Azaleas and hydrangeas are the perfect plant partners. They have similar soil and location requirements. However, the flowering time of the two flowering shrubs is different: most azaleas flower in spring and most hydrangeas – in summer. A bed full of flowers would therefore be a rare sight and if at all, only for a short time.
Combine hydrangeas and grasses
Ornamental grasses are the perfect companion plants to hydrangeas. The filigree blades of grass emphasize the beautiful flower balls. The following grasses form a harmonious ensemble with the following hydrangea species:
- Feather grass combines well with viburnum hydrangeas
- Japanese dwarf reed goes well with panicle hydrangeas
- Sedges go well with all types of hydrangeas
- Pampas grass looks especially beautiful with climbing hydrangeas, shrub hydrangeas and oakleaf hydrangeas.
- Chinese reed is a popular companion plant to all hydrangea species.
- Pennisetum is an attractive sight when paired with panicle hydrangeas.
Combine hydrangeas with other flowers and flowering shrubs
Hydrangeas can also be combined with other flowers, flowering perennials and flowering shrubs. For example:
- peonies
- Anemones
- Taglilien
- Gardenien
- coneflower
- Of camels
- high phlox
- Purplebells
- Iris
- Rittersporn
Hydrangeas and roses: The perfect plant partners in the bed
Hydrangeas and roses are real eye-catchers in every flower bed. In order for the two plants to really thrive, the flower bed should be in partial shade. The hydrangeas are traditionally planted behind the roses (preferably a small variety). If you want to be on the safe side, plant panicle hydrangeas (they tolerate direct sunlight without any problems) together with compact bed roses such as the “Kosmos” variety, for example.
What ground cover can you plant under hydrangeas?
There are several groundcovers that you can use to underplant hydrangeas. Such are among others:
- Bergenia
- rote Renewal
- lady’s mantle
- memorial
- Dwarf strap flower
- Purplebells
- Polsterphlox
- Certain varieties of groundcover roses
Which ground cover is best depends on the location. If the hydrangea grows under a tree, then bergenia, red barberry and commemorative are offered. If the hydrangea is a soloist in the sun or in a partially shaded place, then dwarf weeping flowers, purple bells and cushion phlox come into question.
Bed with hydrangeas and hostas
The beautiful plate hydrangeas look particularly attractive when they are planted together with hostas. The two form an attractive ensemble.
Hydrangeas are among the most beautiful and popular flowering shrubs in the home garden. Put them in the limelight with flowers, grasses and ground cover and transform the flower bed into a blooming oasis in the garden. Of course, there are a few things to consider when planting. For example, choosing plants with similar soil requirements. As for the location – tall grasses. Shrubs and perennials should prefer a partially shaded to sunny location. The ground cover, on the other hand, should be able to thrive well in shaded areas.