Tuesday, December 18, 2012

I love Hydrangeas!

I know a lot of people think of them as "old lady' flowers, but I really, really like them. Every year I wait with baited breath for the first ones to flower. I've even gone so far as to pot some in their own pots so I can keep them certain colours. If left to their own devices in our garden, they would go pale blue. I have one that is a dark purply blue and one that is slightly lilac, but their colour of choice is pale blue. I like pale blue a lot, but love a bit of variation.


See, gorgeous!

The garden has really come into its own this year as regards flowers. Even my roses have gone wild.
I found a scabby old bit of flower shop oasis yesterday so decided to see what I could do with it. The roses smell amazing!
And oasis is my new best friend!


And finally I put up the Christmas tree. I really wanted to get a white one, as it was a white one we always had when we were growing up so it has sentimental memories. What I didn't think/realise was that all my lovely old vintage glass decorations are totally invisible in a white tree, so next year it'll be back to a green one and we'll put the white one up in the woolshed...

Oh and yesterday I actually made mince pies. Absolutely going to do this again every year, they are so much better than shop bought ones!

This afternoon a crown of us are off to see The Hobbit. I'm really looking forward to it. I've lost count of how many times I've read the book.

11 comments:

  1. I have always loved Hydrangeas.

    I used to seel the dried flower heads for £1 each in my antigue shop many years ago, having first had the benefit of loads of vases around the house as they slowly dried out.

    The my not so lovely first hubby 'pruned' the bushes down to soil level while I was out at work and they all died. So sad.

    Yours are absolutely beautiful.

    Sue xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like them when they dry out too cos they look all antiquey! I can't believe your old hubby did that! I prune mine every second year - that way one year I have short stems and the following year I have longones!

      Delete
  2. O so lovely. I love hydrangeas too but for some reason, mine seem to wilt a lot (maybe our climate is just too hot).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lilian, some of mine wilt too - I have no idea why. My huge plants seem to have stronger flowers and my younger ones seem to wilt more!

      Delete
    2. Mine are only little still, so maybe I need to wait til they get bigger (with bigger root systems) to cope better with the heat. I ordered the Annabel ones (white) online and planted them last year. Haven't pruned them at yet. Need to figure out how to do it properly - don't want to accidentally kill them in the process...

      Delete
  3. I love Hydrangeas too!! I only have blue but am inspired to get others and put them into pots as you do to get a variety of colours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Its worth it as it really works! You could either buy one in your favourite colour, or take a cutting and feed it the right stuff to make it pink or whatever!

      Delete
  4. One of my most favourite flowers too, my Grandfather lived in Scarborough UK & grew the MOST magnificent ones, all colours, it seems that being near the sea helps ! Can you or would you be able to grow Sweet Peas in Northland, probably my forever best flower, they just last for ages when picked. Really wonderful pictures Laura :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh how I've tried to grow sweet peas. I plant them every year and am lucky if even a few germinate! I think it must be too hot.
      They have real sentimental value to me as well as my dad always grew them. ( he doesn't bother now!!)

      Delete
  5. I've always loved hydrangeas. My great Grandma used to have the biggest ones I've ever seen in the garden at the bottom of her stairs and it's one of the vivid memories I have of going to visit her. I think I also may love them because I was little and could remember the flower with the long, funny name which made me feel really grown up (at 5)!

    xx Susan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. aw!
      can you imagine how popular they would be if they has an amazing smell as well as looking stunning? :)

      Delete

I love it when you leave me comments, it lets me know there are folk out there reading my ramblings! Thank you, I appreciate them loads and loads
Laura x