May 6, 2023 - May 28, 2023
Floral Showhouse, Niagara Falls
Annual Hydrangea Display
Floral Showhouse
May 6 to May 28
Celebrate the arrival of the spring season with a visit to our Annual Hydrangea Show at the iconic Floral Showhouse!
Filled with vibrant colours and gorgeous springtime blooms, the Annual Hydrangea Display offers an opportunity to reconnect with nature’s most beautiful creations. Treat your senses with a stroll through this beloved show and explore the traditional colours of blues, mauves, pink and white blooms!
Always in Bloom
The Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse is a lush oasis, just a short walk south from Niagara Falls and Table Rock Centre. Collections of orchids, succulents, and other tropical plant species are on display throughout the year, along with floral shows that reflect the changing seasons. With seven shows per year, something new is always in bloom.
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A Picture-perfect Show
The Annual Hydrangea Show is one of the most spectacular at Niagara Parks, it’s also one of the shortest to produce. Most of the hydrangeas displayed are between five and 10 years of age. Our horticulture experts begin preparing the hydrangeas in the fall season to produce beautiful blooms in the spring. It takes about one week for our team of growers to install the show in the North and Centre houses. They begin by dismantling the previous display and cleaning the beds. Large plants are selected and placed followed by small, supporting plants. About 10% of the plants grown for each display are kept in our greenhouses to ensure the show is always picture-perfect.
The Hydrangea
The hydrangea, or H. macrophylla, is native to Japan and unlike the larger, North American species, they grow to be medium sized. Their leaves are vibrant and glossy, and their gorgeous blooms are easy to force which is why they are perfect for spring and Mother’s Day. These flowers are truly spectacular with their bold, colourful blooms in shades of red, pink, blue and white. At Niagara Parks, you’ll discover two types of hydrangeas; those with a flattened centre of showy flowers and those with a snowball appearance made up of brightly coloured petals.
Caring for Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are generally worry-free plants that prefer moist, rich, well-drained soil and partial sunlight. Most plants bloom between June to August and require light pruning to maintain their shape.
One of the challenges in caring for hydrangeas is “setting the flower bud.” Our growers need to force the hydrangeas required for the annual show to bloom at a specific time, meaning this stunning variety needs 100 days to sleep before its big debut in the Floral Showhouse.
Caring for the Annual Hydrangea Show requires daily attention to watering and overall plant vitality. Every day, our team observes the exhibit to ensure it meets our high standard and to provide a picture-perfect experience for our guests.
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