I have 12 of these Everlasting Summer hydrangeas spread throughout the garden, and we are awash in blue.  I love the northeast coastal climate that allows these to flourish!

(Go ahead and remind me I said this in February.)

If you live in the area, please come and create a bouquet for yourself – there will be plenty left.

I have a little project in mind that involves drying these and displaying these in hurricanes.  I’ll show you when I finally get there…

Annabelle Hydrangea – simple, classic and huge!

This bloom is a solid 12-inches across.  It reminds me of a wedding bouquet.

Pia hydrangeas are the dwarf variety…  Just a little dab of pink.

Blueberries!  Still about 2 weeks to go…

Tomatoes: hurry up please!!

These were my Costco hydrangea plants I purchased 5 years ago (they were a Mother’s Day present from my mom-in-law).  I’m happy to report they are now 6-7 feet high and across.  Oh how I adore them.  If we ever move, I’m taking them with me… I’ll have to put them under “Exclusions” in the home info.

And do you remember this pruning disaster from last year??

Oh heavens that was terrible.

Well, I’ve replaced them with these rose trees (also from Costco, as a matter of fact) and we’re all sighing with relief.

That’s a gorgeous blue Rose of Sharon in front.  It was completely engulfed before.  I’m sure it’s so much happier to see the sun.

And don’t worry – my neighbors found good homes for the old trees so no plants were destroyed in the making of this post.

These are Barbara Mitchell daylilies I just planted last year.  They are rebloomers so I should enjoy these all summer long.

Delightful!

So what’s happening in your garden?  Are you tweaking anything?  What’s blooming?

I just love to hear what’s going on in your gardens across the nation.

These bright blue beauties from early July now look like this:

As the bloom ages, it fades to this beautiful green. I promise it is the same plant. Scout’s honor.

By fall they will dry themselves and be ready to cut for indoor beauty all winter long.

A delicious bouquet!

Besides what I take for cuttings, I don’t prune my plants until the spring.  By then I can see which stems are dead and which have new life.  Then I just prune off all the dead stuff and these happy campers proliferate.

These blue beauties are “Endless Summer” and they bloom – you’ll never guess – all summer long.  I can hack at these and give huge bouquets away to friends and family and they just keep on coming.  The flowers can get between 8-12 inches across.  They are whopper-size.

In our postage-stamp yard, I have 17 hydrangeas planted.

This “Endless Summer” variety can be either be blue or pink, depending on the composition of your soil.  Every spring, I mix aluminum sulfate (available at any garden center) with water and pour it directly on the plants.  My plants tend to be pinky/purple without the sulfate.  Every 2 weeks, more can be added to get just the right blue, but I’m usually proud of myself for getting around to the first application and quit there.

These pinky mopheads are called “Pia”.  They are a dwarf variety and perfect for borders.  I have them interspersed with some leafy green hostas in one bed.

This is a one-year old “Annabelle”, which explains why it looks a little bare.  In the coming years, it will be abundant with giant white gorgeous-ness.

Come fall, the blue “Everlasting Summer” turn a beautiful pinky blue as the remaining flowers age, and I cut them completely dry from the plant for indoor displays during the winter.  I’ll show you when we get there…