GINA PARKINSON concludes her two-part series on hydrangeas by looking at the familiar bright pink varieties

LAST week, In The Garden looked at white-flowered hydrangeas, this week it is the turn of their brighter cousins. Hydrangea macrophylla is the plant most people picture when they think of this family of shrubs. Left to its own devices, this species will grow into a large spreading shrub and is especially happy in a moist place in light shade.

It is a hardy species originating in Japan and is divided into two groups, Mopheads or Hortensias and Lacecaps. Some macrophyllas can change colour according to the pH of the soil - very acid conditions will produce blue flowers while the same plant put in neutral or alkaline soil will carry pink or red flowers.

Mopheads have large flowers made up of individual sterile florets with large sepals. Madame Emile Moulliere is one of the largest flowering varieties with pink or blue tinged white flowers up to 20cm across, while Generale Vicomtesse de Vibraye is clear blue on acid soil but pink when grown in alkaline soil.

Altona is rose pink, deep blue on acid soil, maturing to shades of plum, blue green and bright red and Europa is a vigorous grower with deep pink blooms. Nigra is an interesting variety with small, late blooms of lilac or pale pink held on red flower stalks and maroon or black stems.

The varieties described all grow 1.2 - 1.5m high with a similar spread but some are much smaller growing and would be suitable for containers on a sheltered, shady patio. Pia and Tovelit both grow between 30-45cm high with pink flowers.

Lacecaps look quite different to their mophead relatives with flatter flowers made up of an outer ring of large sterile florets surrounding a cluster of tiny fertile flowers.

Mariesii Perfecta (sometimes labelled Blue Wave) is a very popular shade-loving variety with blue fertile flowers surrounded by large florets that are pink or blue depending on the soil. Mowe is deep crimson or purple and Lilacina has lilac flowers that age to plum.

Hydrangea serrata is closely related to H.macrophylla and is similarly affected by the soil. However it is smaller growing, usually no more than 100cm tall, with some varieties taking on very bright autumn colours.

Diadem can flower as early as June starting pale blue or pink, ageing to lilac as the foliage turns rich purple, while Blue Deckle usually starts to flower in July and matures to lilac and turquoise with purple foliage in autumn.

Preziosa has small mophead flowers that are usually a mix of pink, white and red that never get very blue even on acid soils and that turn crimson in autumn. Deep green leaves have purple flushes when new, then bronze as temperatures drop at the end of summer.

Hydrangea macrophylla and Hydrangea serrata usually need little pruning except for the removal of dead flower heads in spring. Leave them on during winter to give protection from frost. H.macrophylla specimens can be pruned harder if they have outgrown their space and although flowering may be affected for the first year it will encourage the production of new growth.

Updated: 09:23 Saturday, August 03, 2002