The Hydrangea: A Reappraisal

The genus Hydrangea goes far beyond the colourful and ubiquitous Hortensia of a million suburban front gardens; it offers a remarkable diversity and versatility, with attractive planting choices for gardens everywhere. From the tough mountain species that can take up to -30C in their stride, to the warm temperate lianas that can top twenty metres into a tree, different species are now being brought into play by breeders to provide new cultivars at a bewildering rate. This book picks up this challenge, helping readers choose the best hydrangeas for their particular gardens, no matter what the soil or situation.

Maurice Foster’s keen interest in hydrangeas began over 65 years ago when he took a summer job during the university vacation with writer and nurseryman Michael Haworth Booth, author of the first specialist UK book on hydrangeas. Although known as an evangelist for the hydrangea, his interest is in all woody plants, as demonstrated by his garden and arboretum at White House Farm in Kent, now a charitable foundation, where he also grows significant collections of maples, magnolia, camellia, birches and deutzias among many other genera. He has been a member of the RHS Woody plant committee for the last 27 years; is a Trustee of the Tree Register of Britain and Ireland; and received the highest RHS award, the Victoria Medal of Honour, in 2011. He has travelled widely across the world in search of cool temperate woody plants.