Hydrangea macrophylla "Blaumeise" - Cool blue! Calming, peaceful and with the gift of drawing out borders to make them appear deeper and more spacious, blue is a must in any garden. Contemporary and traditional, blue has never been out of fashion. And at this time of the year, blue is there to complement the sky (some days, anyway!). Establish plants which bear blue flowers to create a special place in the garden - somewhere for quiet reflection after a busy day or as a place to take time out before going to work in the mornings. One of the classic blue shrubs (in more acid soils) is the Hydrangea macrophylla, or common hydrangea. This has become almost a signature plant of gardens in this country, and it's easy to see why. Hardy and requiring little maintenance, it delivers year after year, over a long flowering period from midsummer to late autumn. Hydrangea macrophylla is in fact divided into two categories. The most frequently encountered are the 'mopheads' or 'Hortensias'. These are the ones producing big, confident, dome-shaped blooms. 'Blue Bonnet' or 'Goliath' are examples. If you are looking for something more unusual, the 'Lacecap' hydrangeas provide an exciting alternative. The flowers of the lacecap hydrangeas are quite different from those of the mopheads. They are made up of two parts - an outer ring of showy florets and a central arrangement of small fertile flowers. Hydrangea 'Blaumeise' is a wonderful lacecap to look out for. Also known as 'Blue tit' or 'Blue sky' it produces exceptionally deep blue coloured flowers set against dark green leaves. Very subtle and lovely when cultivated to the lavender pink spectrum but absolutely electrifying as a rich, deep blue, Blaumeise (Blue Tit) is the boldest of the Teller lacecaps. The large sterile florets are recognizable by the squared shape they make, facing outward from the central fertile flowers in a ring like a crown of flowers. Vigorous, well supplied with deep green foliage, and never failing to bloom well. Culture