Small tropical HARDY plants

[The Codfather]

I am liking this...Ajuga reptans Burgundy Glow

[Nick]

Morning Codfather,here's a little something for you to read
about Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are invaluable garden shrubs as they possess the ability to combine structure, colour and interest within one plant, filling their growing space with bountiful beauty. The Hydrangea is able to thrive in a variety of situations, but prefer a position in full sun or semi-shade, in fertile, moist, but well drained soil, fully to frost hardy.

All hydrangeas are deciduous, and it's a welcome sign of spring when the new green leaves begin to appear. Some varieties maybe grown in the confines of large pots, which gives the advantage of being able to move them to prominent positions around the garden, once the flowers begin to open. The flowers last some considerable time, they look especially spectacular out on the patio. Larger growing species, some of which may become tree-like with age, are best suited to the back of the border, or to light woodland area.

Native to China, Japan, the Himalayas and both North and South America, Hydrangeas have been naturalised in compatible climates around the world. Their luxuriant dark green foliage offers a striking background for other border plants.

The genus hydrangea is divided into about eight subsections, which are further broken down into at least a dozen species and hundreds of cultivars -- there are so many different kinds of hydrangeas that it seems the exact number cannot be agreed upon. However the most common types of Hydrangeas seen in nurseries today belong to only five species: macrophylla, paniculata, quercifolia, anomala, and arborescens.

Flower colours range from white through to pink, red and purple to blue, but the blue flowers are only obtained on acid soil. It is possible to alter the colour of some species by their growing conditions. The blue or pink flower colour in these Hydrangeas is dependent on the amount of aluminium and iron available to the plant, more will result in blue, and less will give pink flowers. The soil acidity determines the plant's ability to take up these two minerals.

Many of the blue Hydrangeas need a pH of 6.5 or lower to achieve their best blue colour and pink varieties need a soil that is neutral (pH 7.0) or higher for their best pink colour. Hydrangea varieties differ in their ability to utilize these chemicals, hence some tend to be pink, others blue. This is only a tendency and depending on soil pH any single variety can have a range of colours. Some have flowers which change as the flowering period progresses, they may appear pink at first, then begin to change colour with some petals even taking on tinges of green, then finally changing to blue.

Plant age also seems to affect flower colour and some varieties may take 2-3 seasons after planting to settle into the final stable colour. Adding aluminium sulphate to the soil prior to budding to produce blue flowers; or by liming or adding quantities of superphospate to the soil to produce pink ones may control the flower colours. However it requires large quantities at frequent intervals to control the colour. Therefore if your soil conditions will not naturally maintain the desired colour, I believe it to be scarcely worth the effort, particularly as they are all so attractive in their own right.

[The Codfather]

your bright and early.....so, I am sort of right....