 |
| HYDRANGEA 'PG' AND ROSES |
 |
| HYDRANGEA 'VANILLA STRAWBERRY' |
 |
| A STANDARD, OR TREE FORM VAIIETY |
 |
| A BLUE-FLOWERED HYDRANGEA |
 |
| MANY HYDRANGEA FLOWERS CHANGE COLORS OVER THE GROWING SEASON |
Sunday, 8:30 AM. 55 degrees F, wind WSW, gusty. The sky is mostly blue, the barometer is high and it will be a fine day.
Summer and fall are when the Hydrangeas, genus Hydrangea, in the family of the same name, are in bloom and most interesting.There are a number of species, with innumerable cultivars. They are all woody plants of the northern hemisphere, and most of the species are native to North America. They are woody plants, mostly quite hardy, and the genus even includes a vine. Like roses, Hydrangeas have great genetic malleability. They are grown primarily for their large blossoms, which have a very long blooming time. Hydrangeas are very sensitive to acidity and alkalinity, and flower colors of many varieties can range from white to blue to pink and everything in between, depending upon soil Ph. Many flower heads dry beautifully. Unfortunately, they have no fragrance. The fruits are not decorative, but many plants have decent fall color.
Decoctions of Hydrangea flowers, bark and roots have long been used in herbal medicine as a tonic and diuretic, and are very useful in the elimination of kidney stones.
Probably the most iconic of the Hydrangeas is the old fashioned PG Hydrangea, H. Paniculata ‘Grandiflora’, sometimes referred to as the “mop head” Hydrangea. It and many other Hydrangeas can be difficult to use in the landscape as they are so large in every respect, and may even be considered too coarse for general use.
But, love them or hate them, they are an omnipresent, flamboyant lot that have a certain utility. and they even flip-flop, changing their colors with conditions. "I was pink before I was blue." Sounds like they would make good politicians.
I will try to switch to the new Blogger interface tomorrow. I hope I don't have trouble.
No comments:
Post a Comment