Blue Hydrangeas

• Bigleaf hydrangeas yield pink or blue flowers, depending on the soil. Alkaline soils promote pink flowers. Acid soils promote blue flowers. Flowers may change from pink to blue if the hydrangea is moved from alkaline to acid soil. Some bigleaf cultivars such as Nikko Blue develop blue flowers easily in acidic soil. Other shades of hydrangeas occur depending on species and plant stage.
  
  

Ladybugs

• Ladybugs help hydrangeas by controlling pesky bugs. Ladybugs feed on aphids, mites and other insect pests. These insect enemies suck juices from the plant and transmit disease. Gardeners who prefer biological pest control encourage ladybugs and other beneficial predatory insects in the garden by providing flowering plants.
  
  

Fun Fact

• Ladybugs and their larvae are voracious insect eaters, each devouring hundreds of aphids and other insects during a life stage.