Monday, May 21, 2012

Hail & Hydrangeas

We had hail last night along with a thunderstorm.  My heart always sinks a bit knowing the damage hail can do to my garden.  I had softball sized hail a couple years ago and every plant in my garden was damaged in early spring.  I said a little prayer that the hail would stop soon and that it wouldn't get any bigger than the marble size that was falling.
My prayer was answered!


This morning as I took my morning garden walk I was relieved to see only minimal damage and my hydrangeas were fine.  They are at peak bloom right now and remain looking beautiful until the 100 heat arrives..which I hope won't be until July!


  This lacecap is so beautiful with it's 
variegated leaves.   I planted this as a one gallon several years ago and it 
has grown to just over 3 feet. 


This is one of my tried and true Nikko blues...in this part of my garden it is pink...needs more acid to keep it blue....but actually 
I enjoy the pink color in this spot!


This more sun tolerant variety is still setting blooms which is great as it will bloom throughout the hotter part of the summer.  Wish I could remember the name of this one!   The leaves are thicker and it is a much more drought tolerant variety than my Nikko blues. 



Nikko blue mixed in with lavender and roses.




My hydrangea border is the shade 
on the east side of our home. 
This border has been enriched with lots of peat moss, pecan and cocoa hulls.   They need acidic soil to stay blue and I add pecan hulls for mulch to help keep the ph acidic.   I also have azaleas in this bed along with a dogwood tree that I planted this spring.  Grouping plants together with the same 
needs makes maintenance easier. 


One of these mopheads can fill a vase
 and lasts for over a week.  


A few white blooms on my oakleaf hydrangea..this one didn't have as many blooms this year.  I did have to prune it back last fall to keep it in bounds so I'm sure that had something to do with it.  
Most hydrangeas bloom on old wood so you have to be careful not to prune in early spring or you will be cutting off the blooms.
The endless blooming varieties or rebloomers can bloom on new wood and that is why they continue off and on during the season.   I have one endless bloomer and it does in fact live up to it's name!




I've saved my favorite for last...this 'Frau Reiko'
is so beautiful...




This lacecap is drought tolerant and has the most beautiful white edging around each flower.  I have also propagated this one from a cutting and it is now blooming in the garden.  
If you can find this one ..buy it!  
You will love it and it will not disappoint!



Thanks for joining me on my garden walk...hope you have a wonderful week.


I'm joining Susan's Outdoor Wednesdays
Tootsie's Fertilzer Friday
Beverly's Pink Saturday Blog Anniversary
and
Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday


24 comments:

  1. Your hydrangeas are absolutely gorgeous! I only have one, a deep purple. I pruned it, cut out a lot of dead wood, and it's my first year here in this yard, so I hope it will do well!
    I just found your delightful blog and will follow you!
    Linda @ Grandmalay's Daydreams

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Linda..hope your hydrangea does well.

      Delete
  2. Oh, I am so jealous! Your hydrangeas are gorgeous and I am so glad that they were not damaged badly. Thank you for sharing yours, because I cannot seem to grow them!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Diane...they need lots of water in the hot summer and dappled shade with lots of organic soil! Hope you try them again sometime.

      Delete
  3. My post this week will feature Hydrangeas from my garden...so thrilling for this less than talented gardener. Yours are spectacular...yes, our rain is such a blessing this year. Cherry Kay

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Sonia...

    Ohhh my goodness...I do believe that you grow the prettiest hydrangeas in all of Blogland, my friend! I sooo enjoyed getting to see all of your beauties!!! Every time I see your hydrangeas, I wonder if I could grow them here. I never see anyone growing them and they truly are one of my most favorite flowers! Thanks for sharing your beautiful gardens with us today!

    I just read your sweet note and came right over, dear friend! Thank you so much for coming by...and for all the sweet well wishes...sure do appreciate that! It really has been a tough month for me but I am feeling better. I haven't even sat down to the computer for a few weeks...you know I'm feeling bad when that happens! Hehe! Well Sweetie...you have a wonderfully blessed week!

    Love ya,
    Chari

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh I'm happy to hear you had no damage Sonia ~~ There's nothing worse for a gardener to receive that kind of damage. You have such a beautiful variety of hydrangeas.
    Have a wonderful week,
    Hugs Rosemary...xxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am definitely missing hydrangeas in my garden. Must fix that. Yours are just lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh Wow, you sure know how to grow beautiful hydrangeas! Your gardens are so beautiful, if I had them I don't think I'd ever go inside. I've tried hydrangeas and they don't like it here. I had beautiful blues in my last home. We have very little shade here and that is my problem. So thanks for taking me for a walk into your hydrangea gardens. Beautiful, beautiful!
    ~Emily
    the French Hutch

    ReplyDelete
  8. They are all beautiful. Glad the storm didn't hurt them. xo Jenny

    ReplyDelete
  9. Frau Reiko....mmmm, will need to look into if that plant can grow in the Midwest. Thanks for the idea. Lovely just lovely photos of your garden.
    Joyce M

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love Hydrangeas - any color, and glad they're spared!

    ReplyDelete
  11. WOW!! How beautiful. I am going to use your tips on adding peat moss and using pecan hulls. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  12. All hail your hydrangeas! This is what they are supposed to look like:) I'm thinking of some of the tougher ones for our hot, humid, East Texas home. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I bet you were relieved!!! wow...your hydrangeas are gorgeous! I wish I could grow some that big!
    I thank you so much for linking in this week. It is an honor to host Friday's Flaunt and meet new friends and visit the regulars (who are like old friends) who share. I always feel so privelaged to know that inspiration is just a click away when need a bit of a boost for my spirits! It is a pleasure to tour and see all the gorgeous blooms...landscaping and ideas that all the participants share, and I appreciate each and every link and comment! I have shared your post today with my facebook page for Tootsie Time. I hope you will link in again soon!
    (¯`v´¯)
    `*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
    ¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
    (¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sonia,
    OMG!!
    What gorgeous blooms you have in your garden! Stunning!
    I wish I had a larger garden but then the work in it would also be more and I am so short on time anymore....
    Thanks so much for all of your visits and kind words. Things are settling down a bit in our lives and Joe is doing better now after his surgery so I hope to have more time to spend in Blog Land....

    Have a wonderful weekend!

    Hugs,
    Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  15. oh I love all your hydrangeas! They are wonderful. I have tried some in my yard but they don't seem to do too well. I'm going to keep trying and maybe I will find the right spot! hugs Carol

    ReplyDelete
  16. Your hydrangeas are so beautiful! I've tried growing them where I live with not much success. I bet you'll have lots of bouquets in the house all summer! Have a good holiday weekend.
    Nancy

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi, Sonia! Your garden is so pretty! Blue hydrangeas bring back lovely memories of visiting my grandmother. She had such a beautiful garden and these huge blue blooms greeted us each trip. How I wish I had a pinch of your green thumb :) Hope you're enjoying your holiday weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Your flowers are very beautiful!!

    Thanks for visiting me for 'Pink Saturday.' Hope you will come again!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Sonia! I found you at Pink Saturday's Party. I love all of your beautiful hydrangeas. Your yard looks like a green carpet, so pretty! Denise englishpurpleribbon.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  20. Sonia, this post has brought on a serious case of hydrangea envy! Wow! You should add this link to Alison's Garden Tour if you haven 't already. These are gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I love seeing your garden! Ours has a long way to go. This afternoon we had a sudden rather nasty storm which mostly just made a mess. Yesterday we went to an art in the park show where there were many varieties of hydrangeas -- you would have loved it.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi Sonia!
    I love hydrangeas too. I dont have the newer kind that are easier to prune. Mine get so big every few years I just have to sacrifice the blooms and cut them back! They were over the garage windows!
    Yours are beautiful, ours are just starting to bud.

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear from you!