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The hydrangea: in the Flower Agenda from weeks 33 - 35

09 August 2016

In week 32 to 35 the spotlight is on a natural and colourful mood maker: the hydrangea. Consumers can read all about these big globes in the Flower Agenda at Funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk. Surprise your customers with the fabulous hydrangea’s many styling possibilities over the coming weeks.

Origin of the hydrangea
The no-nonsense hydrangea’s name comes from ‘hydro' (water) and ‘angeion’ (pitcher) because the hydrangea’s shape is reminiscent of an old water pitcher… although you need quite a lot of imagination to see it! The flower, which originates from Asia and South America, came to Europe on the first Dutch East Indies Company ships.  

The hydrangea’s colours and shapes
In the first half of the year you see red, pink, purple, white, green and blue hydrangeas, as well as hydrangeas which combine several colours. In the second half of the year there are the ‘colour-changed’ flowers. These hydrangeas have a green/dark red/brown tone and are good for drying. These are actually flowers that the grower has left to develop in the greenhouse.
There’s also plenty of choice when it comes to shape. You can choose single or double flowered varieties, globe-shaped hydrangeas, hydrangeas with small flowers in the middle and large petals on the edge (edge bloomers) or hydrangeas with a plume shape.

Care tips for customers
Give your customers the following tips in order to ensure they fully enjoy their hydrangeas.
•    Select a clean vase and fill it with tap water at room temperature.
•    Add cut flower food to the water for a longer vase life.
•    Cut or trim the stems diagonally by 3 to 5 cm with a sharp and clean knife or secateurs.
•    Make sure there are no leaves hanging in the water.
•    Do not place hydrangeas in a draught, in full sun or near central heating.
•    Regularly top the vase up with tap water; hydrangea flowers drink a lot because they have thin leaves and thin petals, as a result of which they evaporate a lot of moisture.
•    Don’t place hydrangeas near a fruit bowl. Fruit emits ethylene gas which will cause the flowers to age more rapidly.

A fabulous bouquet with hydrangeas
Create a nonchalant bouquet that looks like you just went out and picked it, but that has a stylish and impressive effect. This will allow your customer to bring nature into their home in a fantastic way. Combine this remarkable ball of petals with Viburnum, Bupleurum, Calla and Crocosmia berry to create an unexpectedly beautiful effect.

Hydrangea symbolism
Alongside the flower’s magnificence, there’s another good reason to buy hydrangeas: they symbolise gratitude, grace and beauty. They also project abundance because of the lavish number of flowers and the generous round shape. The hydrangea’s colours symbolise love, harmony and peace so it’s perfect for use in floral work for weddings, funerals or birthdays.

Inspiration and information
Inspiring images of every flower in the Flower Agenda have been produced in line with the Horticulture Sector Trends 2016 (Groenbranche Trends 2016). These trends are a translation of what our consumers are interested in at the moment and are specifically aimed at the horticulture sector for use both indoors and outdoors.


If you would like to find out more about the Flower Agenda click here.