42 
House & Garden 
Hydrangea Hortensis var. Otaksa is especially adaptable jor tub use. The two views here show them 
in a garden at South Bend, hid. Ralph M. Weinrichter was the landscape architect 
GROWING HYDRANGEAS 
IN TUBS 
With Proper Care They Can Be Made 
To Thrive in Any Part of the Country 
RALPH M. WEINRICHTER 
F AMILIAR to nearly everyone as a 
showy and conspicuous shrub in the gar¬ 
den during July, August, September and 
October are the hydrangeas with their mas¬ 
sive heads of white and pink flowers which 
later turn to bronze. 
Hydrangeas are classified 
in two distinct groups. 
Under the first group are 
the hardy varieties, both 
single and double flowering, 
which grow in shrub and tree 
form. Some are native and 
found from Pennsylvania to 
Florida. They are general¬ 
ly planted along the edge 
of borders or in beds. The 
corymbs can be used for 
decorative purposes weeks 
after they have been cut. 
They grow best in rich, por¬ 
ous and somewhat moist 
soil and in partly shaded 
places, but they flower more 
profusely in full sun if they 
only have enough moisture. 
The pruning should be 
done in the early spring 
before the buds develop, 
leaving from two to four 
buds of the growth from 
the preceding year. 
In the second group are 
the tender varieties, that is, 
the varieties which are not 
hardy north of Pennsylvania unless well pro¬ 
tected and cared for, and these are usually 
grown in pots and tubs for indoor and out¬ 
door use. In this group are a number of 
varieties that were originally introduced from 
China and Japan. Since then several hybrids 
have been introduced in colors of pure white 
and apple blossom to reddish carmine. 
It is the Hydrangea Hortensis var. Otaksa 
that is commonly used in this country in pots 
and tubs for outdoors. 
Whether grown in earthern 
or stone pots or tubs, they 
can be used effectively for 
several treatments, as for 
accentuating terminal fea¬ 
tures in gardens, on ter¬ 
races, garden walks and 
steps, or at entrance door¬ 
ways, at pools, water treat¬ 
ments, etc., where they form 
an essential part of the 
unit. 
The size of the plants 
will depend upon the mass 
required. For a medium 
conservatory, 8" to 15" 
earthern or stone pots are 
generally used. For out¬ 
door terraces and garden 
treatments, etc., a larger 
size is better, pots from 12" 
to 22" in diameter, and 
wooden tubs from one- 
quarter to one-half barrel 
size. 
Where the tubs are to be 
used to conform with the 
design and be in keeping 
(Continued on page 66) 
The first year these hydrangeas were planted they bore an average of thirty-two 
blooms per plant. Four years later they reached the amazing average of 115 blooms. 
The culture was responsible for this abundance 
