Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Hello lovely hydrangea.




I wish I had a picture
of the two old hydrangea trees
that flanked the centered sidewalk
of my grandparents
Victorian farmhouse.


They were small enough
that we could climb them
when we were little
without risking too much of a fall
 should we grab the wrong branch.

I remember how gorgeous they were in full bloom,
and how the giant blooms would turn pink in the fall.


Yesterday I posted
on my back porch and potted flowers 
and mentioned the blue hydrangea bush
that my friend just gave to me.

I Googled it
to see how and where I should plant it.
(What would we do without Google?
And yes, "googled" is a verb, at least in my world.)
:)








Did you know
there are 5 basic species varieties
of hydrangea?



1. 'Annabelle' hydrangea arborescens


Giant flowers measuring up to 12" across.


2. Lacecap hydrangeas










The lace-cap climbing hydrangea vine has yet to start budding.


3. Mophead hydrangeas


This variety has large flat petals..


4. Oakleaf hydrangeas


Their flowers are more conical in shape and their leaves resemble oak foliage.


5. PeeGee and family hydrangeas

These have a deciduous wood stem system and can form bushes and trees.



Close-up of Pee Gee blossoms on a tree.


 
 
 





Do you grow hydrangea
in your garden?












16 comments:

Rosemary@villabarnes said...

Thanks for the lovely photos Alison. Hope to see you soon.

Debra@CommonGround said...

Hi Alison, your property is just so beautiful, and the hydrangea trees are just amazing. I've not seen one in our area. I have several of the smaller bushes that I love, but the deer love them too. Next year deer repellent! xoxo Debra

Our Hopeful Home said...

Mopheads are my favorite! Did you know that you can change the color of the hydrangea by changing the alkalinity of the soil? Blue versus pink? "Google" it and check it out!

xoxo
Kathy

Rebecca said...

In spite of how much I ooooh and aaaah over them EVERYtime I see them, I don't have any in my yard or garden.
And right now I'm not sure where I'd put one even if it were GIVEN to me!

It was interesting to read about the varieties. Pinks and blues are my favorites growing on bushes...

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

I do, Alison! I believe mine are all the Annabelle variety {in blue} although I do like the mopheads, too. I have a white one in the front of our house that is still quite small and I'm not sure which variety that is.

Unknown said...

How beautiful!! I love hydrangeas and have all of those except the Annabelles. My next acquisition along with the fabulous "Limelight"!!!

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

I have one and it doesn't bloom well and needs to be moved before next year. It has put out a couple more blooms though.

Ann from On Sutton Place said...

I have hydrangeas but have never had abundant blooms. I have hope every spring but again this year my blooms are scarce. I have done everything I know to do. I think maybe I need to dig a few out and start over. My goal in life is to have Annabelles overflowing with blooms. (I'm not kidding.) Yours are lovely...I'm a little jealous!

Linda (More Fun Less Laundry) said...

I always plant hydrangeas when we move into a new house, and I have quite a few happily blooming now, although the heat is getting to them! Some varieties are very appealing to the critters in my area, so five bushes I planted last year are going to be transplanted this fall. I am so happy to have found your blog and am now following! Linda

Pinky at Designs by Pinky said...

I SURE DO!!!! I have about 10 bushes and LOVE them. I am cutting some this afternoon for a table I ahve planned. Your photos are gorgeous! XO, Pinky

Blondie's Journal said...

These are all so pretty, Alison! Love them all. Every spring I say I am going to plant a few and don't, but I do like them a lot. Next spring!!;-D

X,
Jane

michele said...

i do i do. pink and blue and white, the white being my favorite. how precious that you have sweet memories of them from your childhood. the flower of my childhood is lilac...smelling them brings it all back.

hugs.

michele

Amy Chalmers said...

Yes I do! I have the endless summer variety in that pretty blue. I gave my mom a pee gee hydrangea and it is enormous now and every fall she cuts me bunches of the pretty cream and pink blossoms so I can dry them.

Olive said...

We are fortunate to have a huge Nikko Blue at our yellow house that I am right now trying to get more specimens from by the layering technique. That is where you take a branch that is still attached to the hydrangea and place it on the ground and put a brick on it and hope it roots. I shall see if it works.

Pamela Gordon said...

I have a huge Peegee that I bought about 25 years ago. Last summer it was so laden with blossoms! I always pick them and dry them and even give them away. They also turned a soft pink before rusting with the damp October weather. I bought a pink houseplant hydrangea 3 years ago at Easter and put it in the garden. It grew well last year and this year has it's first small rosey bloom! I'm thrilled.

lindab said...

We live in Oklahoma where it is amazingly hot. Where are you. I don't have any blooms and I am so jealous of your beautiful ones. I didn't know there was a Hydrangea Tree.