SA Garden Catalogue: Hydrangea

Its been some time since I wrote about my handkerchief garden. (Actually its more a 1/2 handkerchief!). The plants have matured well, the green foliage plants are greener than ever, while some plants are constantly in bloom. The fauna that visit have grown in variety, and most recently I noted a couple of new small red feathered birds feeding on the berries of the Straits rhododendron. I hope to catalogue both the flora and fauna of my tiny garden, to record and learn more about these natural wonders that give me so much joy.

In this first SA Garden Catalogue entry, I shall focus on my favourite flower, the Hydrangea or Bunga Tiga Bulan/Bunga Zaleha.

SA Garden Hydrangea bloom in September (CNB 2012)

Common name: Hydrangea
Malay name: Bunga Tiga Bulan/Bunga Zaleha
Scientific name: Hydrangea macrophylla
Family: Hydrangea
Origin: Japan








The plants in my garden now have blue flowers. The showy sepals then turn purple, very light blue, then rusty pink, also green! And contrary to its Malay name, the flowers last more than three months. I first acquired two potted plants each of a different colour (pink and blue). But for quite some time after the first blooms were gone, there were no more, despite some 'cajoling' on my part (including feeding them rusted nails, as advised by a garden expert!).

The above bloom in early October (CNB 2012)

When I balik kampung (PP) a couple of years ago, I visited my former neighbour Mrs Tan. Her handkerchief garden also had hydrangeas, the blue blooms in profusion. She said she had no secret, maybe just good luck! So she kindly gave me a plant then which I placed in more sunshine than partial shade. Today I'm proud to say this plant has not disappointed me.

Although the first two plants still have not had any blooms after all these years, I console myself with the fact that they are the highland variety that have difficulty producing flowers in hot and humid Shah Alam.

The Hydrangea bracts go rusty pink in late October
(This pic added 23/10/2012) (CNB)

Note: Whether the flowers are blue or pink depends on the acidity of the soil. I have observed that pink seems very rare in our urban gardens. Luckily the blue turns many colours including a rusty pink!