Last Updated on July 20, 2026 by Thompson & Morgan Horticultural Team

Image: ©Sue Sanderson

If there’s one genus that I’m utterly in love with then it’s Hydrangeas! Every year as we head into ‘Hydrangea season’ I begin muttering eulogies to these beauties… ‘What a stunner!’ ‘Isn’t it gorgeous?’ ‘Wow, look at the flowers on that!!!’

If you want to bring your patio to life, here are three of Sue Sanderson’s favourite hydrangea plants to grow in containers…

1. Hydrangea ‘King George V’

These flowers turn a rich scarlet as the summer progresses
Image: Hydrangea macrophylla ‘King George V’ from T&M (©Sue Sanderson)

I don’t really know when my love for Hydrangeas began. I bought my first, Hydrangea ‘King George V’, many years ago and it still sits in a big pot outside my back door. Its performance always reflects the care (or neglect) that it receives throughout the year. In a good year it’s fabulous, covered in white buds that open to reveal rosy, pink-edged blooms. The flowers darken as they age to rich red-pink.

To encourage it to look its best, I repot it in the spring and feed and water it liberally. Sadly this year it has been plagued with Hydrangea Scale and looks pale and chlorotic, with few flowers forming. Scale insects suck the sap of plants, weakening their growth.

I’ve been squishing the white waxy clusters that cover the eggs whenever I see them. I usually leave the stems and flowers intact over winter but, this autumn, I’ll cut them all back to destroy any overwintering nymphs. Fingers crossed for a better display next year!

2. Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Mme E. Mouillere’

Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Madame Emile Mouillère’ in full bloom
Image: Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Mme E. Mouillere’ from T&M (©Sue Sanderson)

Luckily, it’s better news on the other side of the patio where Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Madame Emile Mouillère’ is flowering her heart out. I found her years ago on a visit to the nursery at Great Dixter Garden in East Sussex. It’s funny how plants remind you of people and places that you’ve known, isn’t it?

This really is an elegant variety. Its large flower heads open in apple green and mature to dazzling white. The oldest flower heads then take on a gentle pink tint. An RHS AGM winner, it’s beautiful and easy to grow.

3. Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Princess Diana’

Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Princess Diana’ produces starry, double flowers at maturity
Image: Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Princess Diana’ from T&M (©Sue Sanderson)

I’m rather excited about my latest acquisition of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Princess Diana’. I know the plants look small right now – but given a few years of TLC they’ll produce fabulous double, pink flowers with an unusual star shape. These plants reach a mature height of just 100cm, and I can’t wait for them to grow!

Quick hydrangea care tips

Hydrangea Scale insect can be seen on plants in early summer
Image: (©Sue Sanderson)

Proper care can make all the difference to the health of your container-grown hydrangeas. Here are some tried-and-tested tips:

• All hydrangeas require plenty of water, especially those grown in containers. 
• Hydrangea macrophylla can be grown in a sunny or semi-shaded position.
• I like to repot my pot-grown hydrangeas every spring, and feed them. Use a soil based compost for the best results.
• If you’re growing your macrophylla varieties in pots of ericaceous John Innes compost to make the flowers blue, water them only with rainwater. 
• Check your plants for Hydrangea scale insects and remove the waxy clusters of eggs as they appear. 
• If your plant is infected by scale insects, cut them back in autumn to prevent the nymphs from overwintering. Otherwise, you should leave the faded flower heads in place over winter to protect the new flower buds as they form. 

Hydrangeas really do have a lot to offer. Aside from the large, flamboyant blooms in summer, they also have lovely autumn colour and attractive dried flower heads over the winter. If you want to read more about this beautiful genus, head over to our dedicated hub page for information and advice on growing hydrangeas. 

Sue Sanderson

Plants and gardens have always been a big part of my life. I can remember helping my Dad to prick out seedlings, even before I could see over the top of the potting bench. As an adult, I trained at Writtle College where I received my degree, BSc. (Hons) Horticulture. After working in a specialist plantsman’s nursery, and later, as a consulting arboriculturalist, I joined Thompson & Morgan in 2008. Initially looking after the grounds and coordinating the plant trials, I now support the web team offering horticultural advice online. I have a keen interest in drought resistant plants and a passion for perennials, particularly hardy Geraniums. I previously stood as regional secretary for the International Plant Propagation Society which gave me lots of opportunities to see what other horticulturalists were up to in their nurseries and gardens.