Hydrangeas

Anyone who has ever been to Cape Cod in the summer has most likely seen hydrangeas.  If you enjoyed your time at the Cape, you've probably thought about planting one or more hydrangeas in your garden.

The most common hydrangea has a blue flower.  I have several of these, as well as one with a magenta flower. See the pictures below for both types.  Everybody seems to prefer the blue.  The blossom actually starts out green, then transitions through blue and green and finally to a very clean tint of blue (by clean I mean not a grayed blue or a blue-violet).  These flowers can be cut.  I prefer to keep them out of water - they dry nicely, and never seem to last in water.

Three comments about hydrangeas.  First, they droop in the sun and heat.  You can restore them with a watering.  Second, be careful when you prune them.  I have pruned them and gotten absolutely no flowers that season.  My husband pruned them this Spring, and they are blooming profusely.

Third, I think that hydrangeas should be placed by themselves and not in a mixed border.  They have a great emotional and visual impact when placed alone; this impact is diminished when grouped with other plants.  The plant looks good for most of the summer and into the fall, as the blossoms that have not been picked dry beautifully.

I recommend this plant.