Why 'Lady in Red' Hydrangea Turns Blue in Georgia Soil

You bought a 'Lady in Red' hydrangea for its pinkish-red blooms, but now the flowers are blue. The culprit: soil pH. This cultivar's flowers are normally pinkish-white, but they shift toward lavender-blue in acidic soil—which describes most of Georgia. To nudge them back toward red, apply a cup of garden lime around the plant each year until the desired color returns. It's a slow process, but it works.