Magic

Up our garden we have an ancient hydrangea bush that in most summers is heavy with large blue blossoms. This year there appear to be no blossoms emerging and I think that that is because of how harshly I pruned the plant back in February. However, it remains a healthy and well-established shrub and I have little doubt that next year it will come again. It won't do it any harm to have a rest year.

Doing a little googling about hydrangeas, I realise that I ought to fertilise ours some time because it has been neglected in that regard for years. Previously, I have just let Nature do its job without extra nutrients. You can buy special fertiliser for hydrangeas - to bring out the best in them. I must remember to buy some next time I visit our B&Q superstore.

Above is the common reason why plants like hydrangeas might wilt. Simply - not enough turgor pressure. The plant's cells are deflated but they can soon be re-inflated through watering - bringing rigidity back to the entire structure.

I gave our hydrangea a good watering after spotting its sagging condition this morning - as shown in the top picture. I believe I gave it eight bucketfuls. By this evening, the plant had really perked up. Its turgor pressure greatly lifted but there is a sense in which what had happened was quite simply magic!