Hydrangeas Blue

2020 – Something New or a Continuation?

Does entering a new year mean new beginnings for you or does it mean a continuation with a new number? The latter is true for me. I spent Christmas week dog-sitting for friends, which meant I was alone for the holidays (except for the dog, who loved to carry my slippers around!). It made me feel like I missed Christmas completely.

Dog sitting at Christmas with a yellow lab

In my much younger years, I did look at January as an exciting beginning to what may end up being a happy new year – after I got over my hangover! I stayed up until midnight to say good-bye to the previous year and to be awake for the first moments of the year to come. I guess being young was what gave me hope for the future. Now I am in bed at nine.

Cyber Monday Once Again

Because I sell online, Cyber Monday gives me some hope for an increase in income. Realistically, the competition for sales means this is unlikely.

Getting ready and designing for the holiday season begins for me in June. In fact, I sell holiday themed items year round. Sales do pick up around September and of course now that it is December (am I the only one who thinks it came super fast?) sales are bustling.

September in Florida is Good and Bad

September is the month I was born. Usually my birthday fell on the first day of school, which made it a lousy birthday for me. This year Hurricane Dorian passed by my Florida home for the celebration. Actually, there was no celebration, just some wind and rain. September is a bad month for hurricanes. We’ll be keeping our hurricane shutters on for a while.

tall weed with yellow flowers — Tall weed with yellow flowers

Rubber Trees in The Florida Landscape

It all began with one indoor rubber tree plant. When it started to look gangly, I cut it back and stuck the cuttings in water to see what would happen. You can read about the rubber tree trimming here. Many of the cuttings did root and I simply planted them in the ground. A few never rooted for whatever reason.

rebber plant cuttings — Cuttings in water

I ended up with four rooted stems which I planted straight into the dirt outside. I’m finding that my rubber tree babies are growing wonderfully in my Florida yard. But is there a drawback to having rubber trees in the yard?

Green Hydrangeas, Where Do They Come From?

Some people love the uniqueness of green hydrangeas and some wonder why their bright blue blooms fade away to ugly green. Everyone is different. But if you wonder where green blooms come from – they are seldom found in nurseries – the answer is they come from blue blooms, and sometimes from late in the season white-flowering plants (Blushing Bride).

The Limelight hydrangea can also have green flowers, especially in early stages of growth. It’s flower is elongated in shape so it is different than the blue macrophylla, big leaf hydrangea, I’m writing about here.

Beautiful blue hydrangea flower up close

Update on Garden Hydrangea, Surviving Summer

Now my little hydrangea is in the ground and here is what I’ve learned. Deadheading Florida hydrangeas is a good idea. I found new growth and new flowers hidden beneath those huge, dying blooms.

blue flowers turning green — Blooms turning green and dying

Until a few weeks ago I had not tried to grow a hydrangea in my Florida yard. I kept thinking there was no way it would do well in all this heat. So the fact that my little hydrangea plant is doing so well is a nice surprise. If it has been growing in a greenhouse it would adapt well to warmth, and it does seem to be thriving this summer.

Thank you for sharing!

Thank you for sharing!

Thank you for sharing!

Thank you for sharing!

Thank you for sharing!

Thank you for sharing!