This stunning, yet unusual, hydrangea variety is perfect for small gardens and patios – it’s low-maintenance, thrives in pots and can be planted right now

I, like most people, think hydrangeas are beautiful. While these beautiful, showy blooms are a staple in most gardens, it was only recently that I first saw the beauty of a Double Dutch Hydrangea (£24.99, Thompson & Morgan) in the flesh, and it’s now safe to say that I’m completely besotted!

Offering various colours, sizes and shapes whilst being relatively low-maintenance, it is easy to see why growing hydrangeas is so popular. They also produce long-lasting blooms and are incredibly versatile. You can use this shrub to fill in patchy borders, or even grow hydrangeas in pots to fill a patio or courtyard with pretty colour.

If you’ve been sitting wondering which hydrangea to plant, then I believe I can convince you to try a Double Dutch Hydrangea variety. Blooming mopheads of double-flower heads, it’s one of the most stunning and unusual varieties you can choose - plus, you can plant them now!

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Let me set the scene. On holiday in North Devon with my partner, after a particularly windy, rainy walk on the South West Coastal Path, it was only natural that we took refuge in the pub.

But while he headed for the bar, I was completely distracted by the stunning floral display in the pub garden. But amongst the pretty blooms, it was the pink double dutch hydrangeas that caught my eye. They were so pretty in person that I actually forgot it was raining.

I was told they were called the Hydrangea 'Double Dutch Edam', and if it wasn’t for the fact that I lived in a flat and had no garden, I’d have gone home and planted them straightaway.

Blooming from July until October, these stunning blooms can be planted in your garden right now - here’s why you should.

Why you should plant Double Dutch Hydrangeas

‘What I love about Double Dutch hydrangeas is that with the simplest of care, I’m rewarded with a mass of colour from July until October. Whilst this long-lasting display keeps colour constant in my garden, as these mophead hydrangeas have multiple layers of double, star-shaped florets, they create large, dense clusters of flowers which contrast perfectly with their glossy green foliage,’ says Lucie Bradley, gardens and greenhouse expert at Easy Garden Irrigation.

‘I’d always recommend Double Dutch hydrangeas if you are struggling for space, as they have been bred to grow into compact, upright, rounded shrubs, which makes them perfect for pots or small garden borders.’

You also don’t have to worry about pruning your hydrangea, as this variety is happy to grow on both new and old wood. You should just deadhead them to keep them tidy, alongside a light prune in the spring.

‘When you are planting a new Double Dutch hydrangea in your garden, either directly in the ground or into a container, you have two times available to you, either Autumn, any time from September through to early November, or early to mid spring, which covers the months of March to May,’ says Lucie.

‘If you choose to plant your Double Dutch hydrangea in spring, then it will benefit from planting into a soil which is starting to heat up, so it encourages the new shrub to develop a strong root system quickly, so it is well established by the time the stress of summer heat arrives. Becoming well established at the perfect time of year will result in bigger, better, more vibrant blooms even in the hydrangeas’ first year in your garden.

Where to buy

• Hydrangea 'Double Dutch Edam', £24.99, Thompson & Morgan
• Hydrangea 'Double Dutch Gouda', £24.99, Thompson & Morgan
• Hydrangea 'Double Dutch Edam', £24.99, Suttons

There is no denying this is one of the prettiest hydrangeas for pots. Are you as taken with them as I am?