Campanulas and hydrangea not doing great

[novicegardeneredin]

Hello, new gardener here, in Edinburgh. Have a west-facing back garden and put a flower bed near its back wall recently. In spring/summer, the back wall of the garden starts getting sun mid-morning to noon and after 3ish pm the sunlight moves away from the back wall and closer to the house/patio. I mixed the existing soil (I'm in a new build so it was somewhat clay-like, with multi-purpose compost from miracle-gro: https://www.diy.com/departments/miracle-gro-peat-free-multi-purpose-compost-50l/5010272193190_BQ.prd?storeId=1308&&&&&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21066669303&gbraid=0AAAAADt-XHlNz9x6HVRQf6QOM8Y8nFQ4V&gclid=CjwKCAjwl_XBBhAUEiwAWK2hzkt7BWtHPbUS0oFxnGV4q6ugIlOUMKP0_0gZLIC4HjaCsYnw8aWJ-RoCC1gQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I made the flower bed about 2 weeks ago, the campanulas have lost all their flowers and their leaves look dark and not as soft as they used to. My hydrangea's flowers look more pale now and the plant itself looks more limp and worse for wear with darkening around some leaves. I think the other plants are still doing OK, except maybe for the poppy which is also not looking ideal I think. Before and after pictures attached. All the close-ups and the ones where it is less sunny are the after pictures, only the last 2 sunnier photos are the "before". The red roses, marigolds and lavander seem to be doing OK. In the "after" pictures, the soil looks dry at the top but it is moist it you stick your finger in a couple of cm.

Anyone know what might be happening? Would sharing other photos here help?

I’m very far from an expert but I’d say the hydrangea needs watering. It looks very thirsty.

Yes hydrangea definitely looks thirsty. It's maybe too sunny for it, they tend not to be a fan of midday sun.

It’s been a very very dry spring/summer so you’ll need to do a fair bit of watering. Hydrangeas are very thirsty plants.

If you watch Gardeners World they always suggest you prune a plant fairly hard when you move it so really you should chop off all the flowers and water in well. It feels like a waste doing that though and a plant will survive with its flowers but might not do much in the first year then recover and grow well the next year. As PP say though, you'll see a massive improvement if you give them a really good water, it's not like pot plants, if you give them (literally) gallons of water regularly (once or twice a week) this first summer that will encourage the roots to grow nice and deep and then they won't need watering next year unless it's very very dry.

Agree, the hydrangea is wilting because it needs a drink. If the soil is too dry it will make it difficult for the plants to draw up nutrients for the soil which would lead to deficiency - which may explain why the campanula leaf colour is looking a bit peaky. How often are you watering them? Has it rained much where you are? Campanula no.1 looks like it could do with dead heading.

I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong! You’ve just bought plants that were probably always going to look their best when you bought them. Lots of water will help the hydrangea and next year everything will look a lot happier and more established than now. What you’ve done is really pretty you should be proud. Gardening is the best hobby ❤️

Definitely regular plentiful water for your hydrangeas. The first couple of years is more about becoming established and growing strong. You are supposed to trim them quite severely. Some flower on fresh stems, some on older stems. I can't remember how it all goes so I trim mine really a lot after frosty season is over in the spring although they are different varieties with different requirements. I just go for it. I heard it is better to do it in spring not in the autumn. They grow huge now, despite my lack of knowledge and skill so yours will be perfect before you know it.

Interesting about your campanulas. I've been trying to grow these in dense edges overflowing. I've been trying for 10 years. Again, they come in different varieties and I believe I buy the same every time. I've been buying quite a lot of these every year. For some reason they don't all become established, so I keep replacing the failed ones whilst also growing these edges I'm obsessed with. Hit and miss still, my success rate is 2/3 of campanulas I plant do survive but they don't look great during the first year.. but those that did well have spread beautifully and look stunning. To re-assure you, at first planting most of them did loose the flowers, but were ok the next year. Lots of water for the newly planted ones. They are quite fragile at that stage.

The Hydrangea has been forced to flower prematurely by growing in a heated greenhouse. It is not used to lower temperatures, wind and full sun. Ideally it would have been hardened off before planting. It’s generally not a good idea to plant very close to a wall or fence as it is very dry there. I would keep up with the watering and mulch the surface with a couple of inches of compost.

Lavenders need dry soil and hydrangeas need wetter conditions, if I'm not mistaken. I don't they make for good planting companions.