Hydrangea “Montgomery” is a striking, compact mophead hydrangea cultivar known for its vibrant deep red to maroon blooms, depending on soil pH. These blooms are particularly beautiful against the lush green foliage, making it a versatile choice for various New Zealand gardens. “Montgomery” is a relatively low-maintenance shrub that thrives in part-shade and well-drained soil.
Flower Color: Blooms exhibit a range of colors depending on the soil’s pH, from a rich ruby-red in lime soils to a beet-purple or maroon in acid soils.
Bloom Time: Typically blooms through summer.
Size: A compact variety that reaches around 1 meter in height and spread.
Hardiness: Suitable for most New Zealand gardens, thriving in part-shade with moist, well-drained soil.
Uses: Ideal for borders, mixed plantings, containers, and even flowering hedges.
Maintenance: Easy to care for, with pruning needed only to remove spent blooms at the end of winter.
Flower Shape: Form impressive 15cm diameter globes.
The Montgomery Hydrangea is best grown in a location with full sun or partial shade, preferring a well-drained, slightly acidic soil. It is tolerant of frost, cool climates, coastal environments, and humid conditions. The plant benefits from wind protection to ensure branches don’t snap and to encourage more prolific flowering.
Detailed Cultivation:
Location: Full sun or partial shade.
Soil: Well-drained, slightly acidic.
Climate: Tolerant of frost, cool climates, coastal environments, and humid climates.
Wind Protection: Essential for preventing branch breakage and promoting better flowering.
Planting: Spring or autumn is the best time to plant. Dig a hole three times the size of the root ball, half-fill with a mixture of acid compost and garden soil, and place the plant at the same depth as it was in its container.
Maintenance:
Fertilize in spring with a specialized fertilizer.
Prune back limbs that flowered the previous season at the end of winter.
Water frequently while plants are blooming.
Consider adding aluminum sulfate to make blue flowers bluer, or garden lime to make pink flowers pinker, but do so gradually and monitor the plant closely.
Spacing: 1.50m (4′ 11″) each way, or 1.50m row gap, depending on whether planting as single plants or in rows.
Growing in Pots: Hydrangeas can be grown in pots, but use a large pot with good drainage and quality potting mix.
Bloom Color: The bloom color of Montgomery Hydrangeas can be affected by soil pH, with pink blooms in alkaline soil and blue blooms in acidic soil.
Size: Montgomery Hydrangeas are compact varieties, typically reaching a low to semi-upright, bushy growth.
