My blue hydrangea bush is blooming and I want to share my pictures.
I went away on a little vacation a couple of weeks ago and when I returned, I found that my gardens were producing some flowers! And my Endless Summer, blue hydrangea had little flowers.
I’m always eager to see the color of the hydrangea flowers, and I had only grown them for one year previously, so I hoped they would be that same pretty blue. And they are! The bloom in my picture here is so lovely. I will be using it for some new stationery at my BlueHyd store.
In the mean time, I am taking the best photos and making posters to sell at the Zazzle store. I’ve enlarged the images so they will look fine as large size prints. Just need to get them made.
This is the first time I have seen flowers on my blue and white bearded iris. It was planted about 2 years ago by me. Last summer there were lots of leaves, but no blooms. Seeing the stalk shoot up from those tall, flat leaves and end up with four buds, was very exciting for me! And it’s a beauty…
Iris in the Garden
Bearded iris are a perennial plant which I don’t know much about. I think they will multiply on their own as I’ve seen big gardens full of iris. I got a few pictures of this first flower, but the rain has kept me indoors and the other bud has opened as well.
I used this photo to show how to remove something from a photo using a graphic program. That piece of garden hose to the right in the photo is what I wanted gone. Read that post here.
It’s the beginning of June and the hydrangea buds are beginning to form on my mophead varieties. The paniculatas are full of leaves, but no buds yet. Last year this plant had very pretty, light blue flowers which I used to create some nice wedding stationery in the design set I named “Blue Heaven“. You can see the RSVP postcard below. I hope the flowers will be just as pretty this year, but the truth is, you never know for sure what color blooms the macrophyllas will have.
Last year the Blushing Bride began with white flowers that ended up turning green. I am wondering what color they will be this summer.
Brides tend to prefer either the blue flowers or the light green of the panicled (or elongated) flowers like the ones that grow on the Limelight bush.
I’ve been waiting, with little hope, that my pee gee hydrangea (grandiflora) would begin to show some green. Of all the new hydrangea additions to my yard last Spring, it’s the only one that seems to have died.
I managed to get a few photos of it’s pretty white flowers last summer, and I had hoped it would grow nicely in the new season, but it’s not to be. By now I would be seeing some signs of growth. My son stepped on it and I think that is what did it in, but maybe not. It may have already died over winter.
Little Pee Gee
The others – the Pinky Winky, Limelights and Endless summer are full of leaves so I know they have survived over winter. I found a Pee Gee tree when I was out at the nursery the other day and those become so pretty. I am jealous of people who have big yards with room to grow flowering trees. Recently the whole area where I live is alive with color. From fluffy white and pink specimens to the gorgeous Japanese magnolias (my favorites), I envy yards with those typed of ornamentals. I hope to get a photo of the flowering dogwood tree I saw last year just down the street. It was a beauty.
Anyway, my attention is turned to the remaining hydrangeas in my yard. I look forward to the blue flowers especially.
I shop for annuals once a year, usually at the end of May or beginning of June – like most other people who live in New England. If we shop too early, the plants have to wait somewhere until all chance of frost has passed. OR, they can go into the cold ground and take their chances. All plants cost too much to risk dying in a freeze, and I can’t be bothered to go out and cover my plants. I just wait and try to get them into the ground at the correct time. And slowly but surely I am learning how to garden in the north.
Home From a Trip to The Nursery
So on my recent trip to “House by the Side of the Road”, this is what I came home with (my hanging fuchsia was on the front seat):
Tray on the left: Celebrity tomatoes: These grew the best in last years vegetable garden. I grew 5 varieties and these and the grape tomatoes were wonderful. (I also bought grape tomatoes). Pink Wave petunias- I guess these are a specialty because they were quite pricey – but I will use them in my hanging baskets. I got six and will divide them between at least 3 baskets. (These are plastic basket hangers I have kept from previous years).
Tray with flowers: Zinnias, 3 packs of Marigolds (always have in my veggie garden), Cosmos (faves of mine) and Red Star impatiens – reddish pink and white stripes.
On the right are the perennials: Right in front, with that big bud, is the Oriental Poppy. To the left is the Monk’s Hood, and to the right is the Joe Pye Weed. In the back are two hostas.
I plan to buy more perennials this Fall when the prices come down. I especially want more Peonies to go around my deck, or maybe some new varieties of hydrangeas.
Certain plants need a low pH, or acidic soil to grow and thrive. The hydrangea will do well in any pH – acidic or alkaline – but the soil type will effect the flower color. If you don’t care what color your flowers are, then you will accept the fact that your alkaline soil will give you pink blooms, but many people want hydrangeas for their bright blue color. The pH scale goes from 0-14, with 7 being neither acidic nor alkaline – it is neutral. If your soil is naturally alkaline, or has a pH above 7, you can try adding an organic amendment to bring down the pH which may change your hydrangea flowers to blue.
I live in an area that has acidic soil naturally. We can easily grow acid soil loving blueberries, rhododendrons, azaleas and other plants – including blue hydrangeas – without adding any amendments. I have never used any products to create an acidic soil, but I’ve read about it and this is what I’ve learned. If you buy a blue hydrangea and want it to grow blue flowers in your yard, check your soil’s pH – in the place you plan to plant them. Any soil that is high in lime can cause pink blooms, and that means plants near the cement walls of a house could be growing in a more alkaline soil.
There are various ways to bring the pH down to the right levels. Making an acidic soil mix for a pot is relatively easy, but changing the pH out in an area of your yard is much more difficult, and it will need constant monitoring. It is not a permanent fix and could take weeks to achieve. In general, organic type matter will help lower a pH. When starting a garden add organic compost, composted manure, and / or pine needles which all help lower the pH. Also, you may want to buy a bag of garden sulfur and follow the directions for application on the bag.
If your soil is naturally alkaline, you will be fighting the elements to get those blue flowers. It may work better to grow them in a pot, or learn to love hydrangeas that are pink.
Hydrangeas Blue 