Ode to Hydrangea

If anyone asked me what my favourite flowers were, other than roses and cherry blossoms, it would have to be hydrangeas.

With regular feeding, a spot in semi-shade and occasional anti fungal spray, they're dead simple to care for. Want blue? Toss acid into the soil. Want pink? Toss alkaline into the soil... (white/green are a different breed altogether and will not change).

I love their stunning displays during spring/summer, and when not in flower, their big green foliage adds just the right touch of green and freshness to the home. I love their ability to be planted right near the home, but not be in danger of roots systems getting under foundations, like the liquidambars. Pity they don't have any scent.

Planted en masse they are a stunning display of floral pom-poms.


















But it looks just as stunning in a large pot (better large since they can grow very large... or regular repotting).

Remember Nic's front porch (from Making it Lovely)

What about a hanging hydrangea?? Apparently there are beautiful specimens in the Longwood Gardens, PA, USA. I'd like to start a few myself...

Via Flickr

I have just two hydrangeas to start with. One's pinky-orange and the latest is a $1 rescue from Kmart's dismal nursery by my mother in law. It was almost dead when she got it and the little thing now has so many healthy green leaves on it. I can't wait to see its pure white blooms!

I have been working on implementing my plan for the courtyard. So far, my plan has been a good one...

Our new-to-us outdoor setting on a beautiful sunny day. I got this from eBay for $240. The lady said she paid $5000 for it barely 4 years ago! All it needs is a sand, and some outdoor varnish.

I truly truly love my outdoor setting. It's now undercover (where you can spy a trailer in the above photo) to protect it from the extreme rain we've been getting. My dainty pink butterfly plant just perfects the look I want!

It has been raining non-stop for the past month and it's set to be a non-stop rainy season this summer (what summer, the husband scoffs)... so photographs will disappoint! Because of all the moisture, my roses have black spot so I keep plucking the ugly leaves, my beautiful orange-pink hydrangea has fungus on leaves (sprayed, thank God!) and everything's looking sad.

I have been busy though. In the past 11 months since moving in, I've added cherry blossoms, plum blossoms, maidenhair ferns, hoyas (aren't they BEAUTIFUL!), camellias, roses, violas, orchids, an orangey-pink frangipani plant, begonias, lisianthus and a butterfly plant!

I've also maintained my azalea bushes planted in the landlord's side strip where nothing grew due to allopathic pine needles from next door. I do enjoy seeing them grow. But it's such a pain having to regularly de-pine-needle the strip. I feel like chopping those branches off from overhead.

The latest could-not-leave-behind was my first hoya. It was also a Kmart rescue and I can't wait to see blooms. Apparently this is a safe-for-indoors one! Isn't it gorgeous??

Via Wikipedia