Love hydrangeas but lack the space for full-sized shrubs? Try Suttons’ new Hydrangea Groundbreaker Collection, the world’s first ground-hugging Hydrangeas bred for compact outdoor spaces. Featuring RHS award-winner ‘Groundbreaker Ruby’, the soft-toned ‘Groundbreaker Blush’, and the vibrant new ‘Groundbreaker Greeny’, this collection of low-growing, drought-tolerant shrubs provides continuous colour from July through to November. 

We asked Suttons Product Development Manager, Rob Smith, for his top tips on choosing and caring for these new Groundbreaker Hydrangea varieties in your pots, borders, or patio. Here’s what he recommends…

In the meantime, browse our full range of hydrangea plants for more inspiration.

What makes the Hydrangea ‘Groundbreaker’ series so special?

What I particularly like about the new Hydrangea ‘Groundbreaker’ series is that it takes everything gardeners love about Hydrangea paniculata and brings it down into a much smaller, more manageable plant. The combination of compact growth, distinctive colour, a long flowering season and improved tolerance of heat and dry conditions makes ‘Groundbreaker’ a really useful range for today’s gardens.

Bred by Dutch Hydrangea specialist Alex Schoemaker, the ‘Groundbreaker’ range addresses two common challenges for home gardeners: space restrictions and weather resilience. These are the qualities that were particularly wanted:

• Compact, low-growing habit: Mature height of 40-60cm and spread of 80cm.
• Long-blooming: Continuous flowers from July to November.
• Enhanced climate resilience: Improved heat and drought tolerance which allows them to handle drier summers better than older cultivars.
• Versatile: Suitable for patio pots, balconies, ground cover and the front of garden borders.

Comparing the three ‘Groundbreaker’ varieties

These modern, luminous-green flower heads light up shady corners
Image: Hydrangea ‘Groundbreaker Greeny’ from Suttons

The Groundbreaker range features three colourways:

• Hydrangea ‘Groundbreaker Blush’: creamy white blooms that turn a soft pastel pink
• Hydrangea ‘Groundbreaker Ruby’: crisp white petals that gradually deepen to rich ruby red
• Hydrangea ‘Groundbreaker Greeny’: zesty lime green petals with a contemporary edge

How to plant and care for ‘Groundbreaker’ hydrangeas

The pale pink pastel flowers of ‘Groundbreaker Blush’ suit cottage garden schemes
Image: Hydrangea ‘Groundbreaker Blush’ from Suttons

I like to grow hydrangeas in borders, but the ‘Groundbreaker’ series is also perfect for container growing on patios, balconies and terraces. Here are some quick tips to get the best from your shrubs:

• If growing in beds and borders, choose a position with fertile, moisture-retentive, well-drained soil. Because ‘Groundbreaker Greeny’ spreads up to 80cm, space your shrubs roughly 60–70cm apart for continuous ground cover.
• If growing in containers, use a high-quality loam-based compost (such as John Innes No. 3) mixed with multi-purpose compost for moisture retention. Ensure your pots have drainage holes.
• Hydrangea paniculata varieties perform best in full sun to partial shade. Full sun encourages more flowers and rich colour development on ‘Ruby’ and ‘Blush’.
• Prune back hard in early spring (February or March) down to a healthy framework of buds near ground level. This encourages strong stems and larger panicles during the summer flowering window.

If you’re looking for more helpful tips, read our best expert advice on growing hydrangeas. And if you’re looking for ways to add layers of interest to your garden, our expert guide to architectural shrubs has some fantastic suggestions.

Lead image: ‘Groundbreaker Ruby’ from Suttons

Add us to your Google Preferred Sources