Saturday, June 15, 2013

Hydrangeas for the House

No flower represents summer more than the beautiful blue hydrangeas. Maybe it's the cool blue color that provides a feeling of relief from the hot temperatures.

I picked an arm full and arranged them in two vases:



The two hydrangeas, Nikko Blue, planted in front of the garage 20 years ago:




One arrangement went on the kitchen table:







No sooner had I stepped back to admire them than Kitty Sox was there. Not a good thing, but she looked so pretty there that I couldn't resist a picture before shooing her down.


Here's the other arrangement:



If they grow in acidic soil, their color will be blue. In alkaline soil, the blossoms are pink (for this variety, at least).

I am very fond of purple hydrangeas and will one day try an additive to the soil to experiment with changing the color on one of the plants.

Here are two other varieties in my garden:




The white one below is named Blushing Bride. As the blooms age they take on a pale blue tint. The name of the one above I can never remember, but I have four of them. They are mostly purple.



Do you grow hydrangeas? What is your favorite summer flower?

16 comments:

  1. What beautiful blue hydrangas you have Sanda, and your arrangements are lovely. Miss Puss seems to agree. I have only one hydranga bush and it is most definitely pink. Of course, I wish it would do blue, but despite adding something I bought at the garden centre I have not succeeded in this exercise! Your garden is certainly a magical place.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Patricia. I do love to be out there enjoying it this time of year. The cat has truly risen above her "raising," as she was a stray we took in!

      Delete
  2. i love hydrangeas but don't have room for them on my little patio. your arrangements are beautiful! i have to depend on local parks and gardens and on people like you who are willing to share their pictures for my annual hydrangea fix. thx! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is prime time for the beautiful hydrangeas. So many kinds of them I can't keep track so I keep it simple and stick to a few I like best.

      Delete
  3. My hydrangeas are pink but I would prefer them to be blue - isn't that so often the case?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is indeed! I love it when a single bush has flowers of both colors -- a combination soil accounts for this I suppose.

      Delete
  4. Like the way you have placed them around the house,I prefer white ones,your blues are stunning.
    I am enjoying our wild flower meadow today,the weather is totally bonkers one minute raining next sun shining.Enjoy your Sunday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One of the joys of growing them is cutting them to bring inside. Love the white ones, too. Wildflowers are very nice!

      Delete
  5. I only have a meadow of wild flowers around the house, but your flowers look great at your place; inside and out.
    Sunny day over here ( one small shower only ). The weather forecasts are blaah, it seems.
    Now next week seems to be ok, even temps going up, but as proven, things might turn just the opposite.
    Have a lovely day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. We have had some much needed rain and things are still quite green There have been years where, by mid-June, things were parched from lack of rain. The weather. We always seem to be fighting it one way or another.

      Delete
  6. Love the beautiful blue bouquets. We have one very pink hydrangea. It is currently in a large planter. DH says it needs to go in the ground but I think he is procrastinating about digging the big hole it will require. Someday I would like to have the blue blossoms - or maybe the white lacy one I see once in awhile.

    Darla

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Once they get established they pretty much take care of themselves. However, my large bushes get a bit too much afternoon sun and wilt down but they always pop back after the sun goes down.

      Delete
  7. Love your flowers. And Hydrangeas are pretty dried, too. There is something so cute about a cat that thinks it owns the table. Unless you are not a cat person, and then you just get annoyed. I'm amused.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I too love the dried ones. It is quite annoying to me that the cat occasionally jumps where she shouldn't be. But like you, think it's cute in a way. I'm a cat lover and know you are too!

      Delete
  8. Just beautiful is all I can say! My favorite as you know and I never get tired of looking at them or talking about them!
    Good job!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. You are the Hydrangea Queen and mine are no comparison to yours in beauty or number!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...