Sunday, July 4, 2010

Hydrangea Days

 

I have been collecting quite a few pictures of the
Hydrangeas that are in bloom now around in the
garden beds. Since I just adore the blooms of
the hydrangeas I just cannot quite keep from taking
pictures of them throughout their blooming process.

Hydrangea_Nikko_June15 Nikko Blue

The Nikko blue was so loaded this year  and it is just
gorgeous.
The blooms on it this morning were so heavy that some
of the lower limbs of blooms were lying on the ground
so I cut off bunches of them to bring indoors to make
arrangements and dry them.


Hydrangea_Nikko_Blue2

Nikko Blue

After only having just a couple of blooms from all of
my bushes last year after the terrible winter of ice I was
thrilled with all of the blooms they are giving me this spring
and summer.

Hydrangea_SummerBeauty_June28

Summer Beauty

Summer Beauty hydrangea comes into bloom a
little later than some of the others but she is
going to be beautiful.

Hydrangea_SummerBeauty2

Summer Beauty


Hydrangea_BlueParfait

Blueberry Parfait

Hydrangea_BlueberryParfait_June2

Blueberry Parfait

Blue Parfait is just a baby but it gave me one huge
bloom already which looks so funny on its bush
of all of twelve inches. It looks a little top heavy at
present but its blue color is staying so wonderful.

 

Hydrangea_Harlequin_June19

Harlequin

Harlequin is a baby also but she  has given me two lovely
blooms so far.

Hydrangea_Harlequin_June28
Harlequin Hydrangea

She has pretty blue eyes on her deep rose colored blooms.

 

Hydrangea_AlpenGlow_June15

Alpen Glow

 IMG_8723

Alpen Glow was getting crowded out so I had to
pull up some of the campanula and primrose to
give her some breathing room.

 

AlpenGlow2_June22

Alpen Glow is my favorite amongst my pink blooming
hydrangeas. Its pink is a brilliant deep pink.

One hydrangea that is not blooming up to its
potential this year is the Forever & Ever Double Pink
Hydrangea. Its first bloom this summer is small
and spindly so I am hoping with some compost
it will snap out of it for the repeat blooms.

 

Hydrangea_Forever

Forever Pink Dwarf

This Forever Dwarf Hydrangea was planted in 1999
and has been such a reliable one. It only gets to three
and a half feet. Its blooms start out white.

 HydrangeaPink_Mousquito
And then as the bloom ages it gets a pink tint that
deepens or a lavender.


Hydrangea_Forever

 

In the last two years the blooms have started to
change their colors to where some are tinged
in pink and some in lavender. So it is losing its
original color of just pink.
I do not mind though because the two different
color of blooms look so pretty together on the
one bush.

Pumpbed_June16

It grows in the shady bed in front so its colors
may be much brighter if it got some sun but it
seems to like its sheltered location by the pump
fountain.

This Fall a Red hydrangea will join the garden
and I would love to get at least one Lace capped
hydrangea to put into the garden.

 

Butterfly2       Butterfly3

Happy Gardening Everyone!!
Lona

 

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29 comments:

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

I sure wish I could grow hydrangeas. That nikko blue would be a must for me. I didn't know there were so many varieties.

Enjoy and have a great week.

I never get tired of seeing flowers.

FlowerLady

Anonymous said...

I finally have a hydrangea doing well. I have killed many. I L-O-V-E yours. I wish I had as many. I will continue to plant and see what happens.
Ever an optimist,
Donna

Anonymous said...

Love yours. Wish I had as many. I'll keep planting.
Ever an optimist,
Donna

Antique ART Garden said...

Good gracious woman do you have a ton of hydrangeas or what !? Very beautiful ! Gina

Amy said...

If hydrangeas liked Texas I would have all of those in my garden, as well! Beautiful, Lona. :)

Shirley said...

Your blog is lovely! I love the photography! Have you tried Endless Summer Hydrangeas? I was wondering how much dieback you might get in your area. I grow an Endless Summer in my zone 3b garden but each year it dies right back regardless of mulching.

Rebecca @ In The Garden said...

Incredible collection Lona!! Nikko Blue is just outstanding. A fabulous post of one my favorite families. :)

A Garden of Threads said...

Hi Lona, You have some wonderful hydrangea blooming the garden, I envy you the ability to grow so many different varieties. I like the way Forevery Pink Dwarf changes color as it ages. Have a great gardening week.

Priscilla @ Homegrown Delight said...

I love Hydrangeas! Your blooms are soooo beautiful! I wish I had room and containers so I can grow more Hydrangeas. Thanks for the lovely photographs and visiting my blog.

Patsy said...

They are all so beautiful, thanks for shareing.
Patsy

Unknown said...

My favorite flower of all - hydrangeas. And what a beautiful collection you have. I think I need to add to my collection of one, sad "Limelight".

Adrienne Zwart said...

These are really pretty, Lona. I think I like the Forever Dwarf one best. The idea that it fades to another color is intriguing.

Anonymous said...

Hi Lona, Lovely hydrangeas! Yes I think you need a few Lacecaps. I have 'Lady In Red' and she's just starting.

Love your butterflies!!!

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Lona, your hydrangeas are lovely. More and more I am relying on them for continuous bloom in the summer garden. My biggest problem is finding the room for all of the new introductions.

Eileen

Darla said...

beautiful....

Unknown said...

Oh Lona your Hydrangeas are all so beautiful. I think I just saw Summer Beauty the other day and wondered how pretty it would be. Very! I like Harlequin too. The soft pink on your Forever Pink is gorgeous. Now I want more Hydrangeas. ;-)

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

Lona, what a great display of hydrangeas! I like them all. Each one has its own beauty. Some of mine are changing their color too. One potted plant has three colors at once. Hope you had a great 4th!

Rosie Nixon Fluerty said...

Lona - these hydrangeas bring back memories of home for me. Over in Ireland the hydrangeas love the climatic conditions - but up here in the east of Scotland they don't do well at all and struggle to produce a bloom.

I think lacecaps are the most beautiful of all the hydrangeas to grace a border. :) Rosie

Ellie said...

Such gorgeous pictures! I love Hydrangeas too. They were a bit late this year; the first one has just come into flower.

Rainy Day Gardener said...

Blue Parfait is so so pretty! What an incredible shade of icy blue. Gorgeous! You have such a nice variety of colors in your gardens :)

Helen said...

You sure have a lot of different colors and they are all beautiful. Helen

Kudzu said...

oh so beautiful!

Terry said...

What beautiful hydrangeas! I only have one but I just love it! :0)

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

It definitely looks like a good Hydrangea year for you. I remember you didn't get many flowers last year. A couple of mine that didn't bloom last year are loaded with flowers. I love how long they stay in bloom.

Floridagirl said...

Oh, I am drooling....

Roses and Lilacs said...

What a great collection of hydrangeas you have. I'm partial to the blues but of course can't grow them here.

I'm hoping to add more around the eastern foundation of my house. Maybe some of the newer ones will do well in my area.
Marnie

Steve Asbell said...

I'm not even a fan of hydrangeas, but those sure do look nice... I have to respect anyone who goes out of their way to collect an unusual variety!

Corner Gardener Sue said...

What a beautiful bunch of blooms! I have tried a native hydrangea of some kind, maybe oak leaf, but it did not survive the winter. The small 'Pia' that is on its third season is full of blooms this year, and I'm gaining confidence to try another kind next year. The first 2 years, it only had one clump of blooms.

Shaheen said...

Hydrangeas remind me of butterflies all clustered together. I've enjoyed admiring the colours of yours.