Hydrangeas are quintessential summer flowers. Everyone recognizes the classic blue mophead, but there are pink and white mopheads as well. The blue hydrangea in the picture above is the “Endless Summer".
The white one below is the “Annabel,” a snowball variety. Its leaves are a little smoother than the mophead and it looks surprisingly like a snowball viburnum. The flowers open a light green and mature to a crisp white.
Don’t be surprised if you buy a pink hydrangea and the next year its blooms are blue. They are very sensitive to soil ph and minerals. Acidic soil produces blue flowers; alkaline produces pink. This "Endless Summer" hydrangea has one pink bloom among the blue.
This is the elegant Oakleaf Hydrangea. It's cone shaped blooms start out green then turn a creamy white. As the flowers mature, they turn a lovely pink. The leaves really do look like oak leaves.
Hydrangeas are large shrubs, growing 4-8 feet high, but don't despair if you have a small space. The "Pink Elf" French hydrangea below is a miniature and tops out at about 2 feet.
And finally, here is my variegated Lacecap hydrangea. It features showy blooms surrounding a center of tight buds.
You can see I have lots of varieties in the yard and could even call my interest a "habit." Even though I'm always looking for another variety, I still prefer the classic blue mophead. It reminds me of the ones that ringed my grandmother's porch. I still remember lazy summer days spent lying in the swing with the fresh laundry scent wafting through the air. Those were the days!
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