Hydrangea macrophylla Bouquet Rose

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bouquet Rose' is an unusual, charming, perpetual and particularly cold-resistant variety of hydrangea. It owes its name to the arrangement of its inflorescences, which are made up of tightly packed pompoms in generous bouquets. Their colour depends on the nature of the soil: in neutral garden soil, its flowers range from cream-pink to mauve-pink, while in acidic soil, they will evolve from baby blue to bright lilac. At the end of summer, the thinner stems bend under the weight of the flowers in vintage tones, resting on foliage that has turned bronze, giving the shrub a wonderfully old-fashioned charm. Stunning in a romantic garden, you can also bring it into the home by making dried or fresh bouquets with its beautiful flowers.

'Bouquet Rose' is derived from the species H. macrophylla and H. serrata, among others. All these hardy plants belong to the Hydrangeaceae family and are native to China and Japan. 'Bouquet Rose' has a rounded and flexible habit, reaching about 1.2m (4ft) in all directions by the age of 10. Under good conditions, it can eventually reach a height of 2m (7ft), even 2.5m (8ft). The slightly weak branches tend to bend under the weight of the abundant flowering that begins in July on year-old branches. The flowering renews itself during the summer at the tips of the year's young shoots. Its inflorescences reach 15cm (6in) in diameter and are composed of several small clusters of sterile flowers packed tightly together. In acidic soil, the flowers will have bluer shades, while in neutral soil, they will be a slightly mauve pink. Their colour evolves as the flowers ripen. The flowering period extends over deciduous foliage that is a bright, matte green, which turns bronze as early as September and falls in autumn. The leaves are opposite, reaching a minimum length of about 15cm (6in). They are simple, elliptical, with a pointed tip and coarsely toothed like a saw. Hydrangeas can live for at least 50 years.

'Bouquet Rose', a classic feature of romantic flower beds, is a generous plant that has a strong impact both in the ground and in pots on terraces or balconies. It is well-suited to humid coastal gardens, as it withstands sea spray. Hydrangeas are well-known for brightening the north side of houses. This variety will thrive in an east or west-facing position that is not too hot, both in flower beds and hedges. Although these plants dislike chalky soil, hydrangeas are not strictly speaking acid-loving plants. Pair them with Magellan fuchsias, pieris, annual impatiens, or lilies, or plant spring-flowering bulbs and Omphalodes verna with forget-me-not-like flowers in front of their round silhouette. Enjoy their sumptuous flowering in the garden or in the house for a long time.