This Simple, Low-Cost Trick Will Make Your Hydrangeas Bloom Bigger — And Can Change Their Colour To Blue

Beautiful, blowsy hydrangeas are gearing up to bloom in our gardens — but if you want to guarantee a bigger floral display, experts recommend a simple, low-cost trick using a common kitchen staple.

According to Jack Stooks, a former royal gardener who previously worked at the King’s Highgrove Estate, coffee grounds can improve the soil, provide more nutrients to support plant health, enhance water retention, and even turn your hydrangea heads blue.

“Coffee is also great for acid-loving plants, such as hydrangeas,” says Jack, who is currently working with Coffee Friend. “If you want a really blue hydrangea in your garden, you would want to feed it these coffee grounds. The coffee will be used as feed within the pots.”

Coffee grounds are also a natural pest repellent to bugs like mosquitoes. Thanks to its strong aroma, coffee can disrupt a mosquito’s ability to track humans, meaning you can relax alfresco without the worry of heading inside early. Jack suggests sprinkling used coffee grounds in pots and containers, then moving these close to where you are sitting.

NUK2513//Getty Images

“Coffee grounds are also really good for bringing worms into the garden. They can be used to create air and, in turn, help the soil overall,” adds Jack.

“They can be used in the garden as a fertiliser. Like most fertilisers, it consists of the elements NPK, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. You can sprinkle it all over the borders for home use,” says Jack.

“As you don’t tend to have too much of it, you just find an area within the border, and be selective in small areas, until all of the borders have been covered.”

When it comes to hydrangea care in May, you should avoid heavy pruning (remove only dead or damaged stems), feed them extra fertiliser, or split large plants and move them to a new location.

Best climbing plants for containerswisteria Wisteria frutescensCredit: CrocusFlowering maple Abutilon megapotamicumCredit: Crocusclematis Clematis Etoile VioletteCredit: CrocusLisa Joyner

Deputy Daily Editor, Country Living and House Beautiful

 Lisa Joyner is the Deputy Daily Editor at House Beautiful UK and Country Living UK, where she’s busy writing about home and interiors, gardening, dog breeds, pets, health and wellbeing, countryside news, small space inspiration, and the hottest properties on the market. Previously, she has written for Conde Nast Traveller, House & Garden and Marie Claire magazine. Lisa studied at University For The Creative Arts, where she completed a BA in Fashion Journalism.