hydrangea Archives - Where Water Falls

What’s Growing At The Cottage No. 059

Amy Cottage garden July 31, 2018August 15, 2018cottagegarden, flowerphotography, foliage, hydrangea, lomamar, sfbayarea, shrubs, whatsgrowingtuesday, wherewaterfalls

The Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is one of the few hydrangeas native to the United States. This is a cousin to the traditional hydrangea and it’s the only hydrangea with cone-shaped flower clusters. In summer, it flowers in a creamy white and the white flowers fade to a pinkish-brown in fall. But the plant’s distinguishing characteristic is its oak leaf shaped foliage. The leathery leaves are large and turn purple, orangey-bronze in the fall just like the tree. I forgot to cut it back in the winter and all the heads are practically on the ground from the weight as you can see pictured. This plant thrives very well with little attention, little water (unlike its cousin!) and can tolerate full sun or full shade.

Published by Amy on Jul 31, 2018

What’s Growing At The Cottage No. 050

Amy Cottage garden August 11, 2015July 15, 2017cottagegarden, flowerphotography, flowers, hydrangea, lomamar, sfbayarea, whatsgrowingtuesday, wherewaterfalls

Hydrangeas have been cultivated in western gardens since the first American species were brought to England in the 1730’s. These flowers flaunt an old fashioned charm that’s hard to resist. Clear blues, vibrant pinks, frosty whites, lavender, and rose – sometimes all blooming on the same plant! Unrivaled in the shrub world, these elegant ladies are easy to cultivate, tolerate almost any soil, and produce flowers in mid-summer through fall. We have several varieties, even a few in pots on the deck. They also make great cut flowers (fresh & dried) that last and last for our guests. According to folklore, if a witch put a curse on an unlucky man or woman the hydrangea was often used to break the curse. Good to know. Might come in handy one day or just come on over to The Cottage.

Published by Amy on: Aug 11, 2015

#hydrangea #flowers #cottagegarden #flowerphotography #whatsgrowingtuesday #lomamar #sfbayarea #wherewaterfalls

Hydrangeas growing at Loma Mar vacation cottage

Update: June 21, 2016 – Hydrangeas. They scream cottage garden! These beauties have immense flower heads in old fashioned-like colors of pink, blue, white and purple. The flowers are vigorous and long-lived, blooming in the summer and sometimes way into fall. The colors of some hydrangeas—especially mophead and lacecap—can change color based on the soil pH. Acidic soils with a pH of less than 5.5 produce blue flowers; soils with a pH greater than 5.5 produce pink flowers. White flowers are not affected by pH. We are trying our first blue flower this year. We have it planted in a pot so it will be easier to keep the soil acidic. But, if it turns pink, that’s okay too, because who can resist the color of any hydrangea?

UPDATE July 11, 2017
Hydrangeas. The quintessential cottage garden flower. We have them in every color and I don’t think you can have too many hydrangeas in your yard. Ours have done exceptionally well this year with all the winter rain and the newly efficient drip system we installed. They love water. In fact, we’ve had to cut a few back as the guests wouldn’t be able to walk down the path! Maybe I should start telling them to pack a machete in their suitcase? They can whack them back for me. It would be fun. The hydrangea jungle adventure awaits at The Cottage. Coming soon. No?