About Me

My online journey began back in 2007 when life circumstances demanded I find a way to earn some income – any income would be of benefit.  At the time I had a 10 year old son to care for and a 19 year old daughter in college who also lived with me.   This is when I found Zazzle and began my journey into graphic design.

Once I began to sell products, blogging was the next best option.  Selling meant finding the right customers so I began my Seashells by Millhill blog.  A little later on I began to blog about the hydrangea photos I had taken and made products to sell with those images.

Gardening has always been a favorite pastime, so including my adventures in growing flowers and vegetables was the natural next step.  I loved sharing my New Hampshire life with readers here on Hydrangeas Blue and on my New England’s Narrow Road blog.

Then life moved on and took me with it.  This time I headed back down to Florida where I could afford to live on my meager income.  My 18 year old son wanted to go to college there and my other son lived there as well.  We pooled our resources and got a house.

I’m not happy about being back in the south, and my gardening experiences are not much fun, but I do still like to blog.    Now I am experimenting with growing vegetables in a hot climate.

This blog is a work in progress, written by a nomad (with 2 black cats) who never really knows for sure where life will take her next.  Thanks for reading.

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Planting a New Hydrangea Shrub This Spring

Endless Summer Hydrangea
Image by Chiot's Run via Flickr

You don’t need a green thumb to grow hydrangeas, so why not plan to plant a new shrub this Spring. With just a bit of knowledge, you can have a beautiful and long lasting addition to your landscape in the form of big gorgeous blooms.

Once you’ve made the decision to add a hydrangea to your yard, find out which type you’d like to grow and if it is right for your planting / climate zone. There are many varieties and flower types. Most are shrubs but some can be little trees, such as the Pee Gee, so know what you are buying. Decide where you will plant it by searching for a spot in the yard that is free of tree roots and has plenty of sun. Also remember that the plant you buy will grow to be around four Continue reading “Planting a New Hydrangea Shrub This Spring”

Are We Gardening Yet?

Anyone thinking about gardening yet? If you love getting your hands into the dirt like I do, then I’ll bet you are dreaming of seeing green now that Spring is on the horizon.

Somewhere under the mounds of snow are my hydrangea shrubs.  I long to see how my new little cutting from last year is doing.  I planted next to the steps and it was my fist try and propagating a hydrangea.

It can be a long wait to see our garden beauties again, but they somehow manage to come back looking just as lovely year after year (with perhaps a few broken stems) despite the igloos they inhabit in winter. I had noticed that the main, large shrub had another off-shoot, or new little plant growing up beside it last summer, but I never got around to digging it up. I plan to do that this year, but I’ll have to check with my landlady to see where she’d like to plant it since this isn’t my yard.

If you are thinking about buying a hydrangea for the first time to add to your yard, check out my Blue Hydrangea page which includes information about choosing a shrub, how to plant it and how to take care of it. They are very easy to grow if they get a good start and are planted in the right location. The blooms last a very long time on the bush, and they have some of the most gorgeous flowers you’ll ever see. Remember that the plant will end up being quite large so give it enough space to fill out in the years to come.

Hydrangea Blue Cookies and Cupcakes

Blue Hearts
Image by joana hard via Flickr

Need some ideas for keeping the hydrangea theme going with sweets for parties and the wedding reception?
The bridal shower and wedding reception can easily keep the hydrangea theme with pretty decorated cookies. Flowers are beautiful and intricate in nature and sometimes a bit difficult to copy when preparing food, but I’ve found a few simple ways to do so for the do-it-yourself party planner or for ordering already made.

A nice idea I came across for using hydrangeas for the reception would be to decorate a shaped cookie of any kind with icing and add a simple little flower to the corner and write a guests name in the center to use as place holders. You could even add the table number to the cookie if you wanted.

As far as ordering online, I had a Continue reading “Hydrangea Blue Cookies and Cupcakes”

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