Linderhof


Gardening, Cooking and Decorating on the Prairie of Kansas


Welcome to Linderhof, our 1920's home on the prairie, where there's usually something in the oven, flowers in the garden for tabletops and herbs in the garden for cooking. Where, when company comes, the teapot is always on and there are cookies and cakes to share in the larder.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

A Hydrangea Kind of Day


One of my favorite plants is the hydrangea.     Any and all kinds.    They're easy plants although in the first year or so they are thirsty little plants and require daily watering.     But once established they require very little care.

This hydrangea is usually my source for dried flowers for the house.

The white oak leaf by the garden gate has been there for several years.     This year I added two more to the back garden.

And today . .  well, actually it started  yesterday, but I didn't get there until today, one of our hardware store/spring plant sellers had a two for one sale.

And so I bought . . .

I've always loved the lace caps.

Two pink lace cap  hydrangeas both in full bloom.    They, too, will be for the back garden.    They're rather large so Husband Jim will have to plant them.     But he shouldn't mind for he was the one that encouraged me to go to the 2 for 1 sale!

One of our local fast food establishments is being closed, to be torn down and a new one built.    Along the south side of the building was a beautiful stand of oak leave hydrangeas.      We know the owners and every year I think I'll ask if I can pick some blooms.

But I never do.

And then Tuesday, they said that all of the plants were being torn out.     "Can I come pick the flowers?"  I asked.     They agreed and so today found me in the middle of drive through with Fiskars in hand.


While I picked as many of the hydrangeas as I could.    Once home, I put them in vases around the house.    Most without water so that they can dry.  

Jim's chest with the vase of hydrangeas, his Whizzo Bank, a Genie lamp bank and pictures of us  -- on our wedding day and on our 40th anniversary!

A wonderful old jar on the chest in the master bedroom.     The pinkish hydrangeas pick up the pinks in the vase.
I love mirrors for the reflections they provide.

I love the dusky pink color of the flowers and I never put real flowers in that vase -- only dried flowers and leaves or bittersweet in the fall.

Guests deserve flowers in their room.

A vase for the guest room.    There's always a vase on the table for whenever we have guests, a vase of fresh flowers welcome them.     Now a vase of dried hydrangeas will welcome them.

Pinkish hydrangeas in a blue and white vase.

A blue and white vase on an end table in the living room.    

The only disappointment about hydrangeas is that they have no fragrance!

And on the breakfast room table is a bouquet of hydrangeas.    The pinkest of them all.    These are in water and hopefully, they will last as long as Michelle's (From A Haus To Call Home) for her's have lasted over two weeks.

It's Friday and I'm sharing my hydrangeas -- both in and out for Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home.


14 comments:

Gram said...

Why didn't you ask if you could dig up one or more of the plants? Usually, they go in and bulldoze everything, plants included.

Martha said...

Because they were old plants and big plants. There would be cost to move them and dig up enough root ball to insure that they would survive the transplant and then have someone dig enough of a hole to put them in. They would turn out costlier than buying a new one! I hate to see them trashed, however.

Rowan said...

You've certainly made the most of your unexpected bounty - hydrangeas are lovely when dried. The lacecaps are my favourite though I don't have any in my garden, I just enjoy other peoples:)

Taste the Rainbow said...

I love Hydrangea's too Martha, especially the large blues...

Rebecca said...

I enjoy seeing it all - inside and out! To me, hydrangeas say "charm" and "abundance".

(And pictures of your interiors remind me why I resist painting all our furniture white....)

Ann@A Sentimental Life said...

Yes, I love my hydrangea's and use them all seasons. In Aug they get a beautiful green and then some amber and like you said, great for fall.

lindaraxa said...

Yes! the lace cap hydrangeas were my favorites in the tour. Good decision!

On Crooked Creek said...

Martha,
Lovely! ...and all through the house...amazing! My favorite are those on Jim's Chest with the pink in the vase...gorgeous!!! Good to know about their need for water. Makes me relly think about whether they would stand the weather here on our end of the Prairie!
Fondly,
Pat

podso said...

I didn't realize there are so many varieties. Ours seem to be more in the shape of balls but I like the more of a free spirit of yours. Lovely shades!

Beth said...

Hi Martha, I love hydrangeas too! My oldest Endless Summer is blooming now. The blooms are deep lavender and absolutely stunning! My goal was to change our soil from alkaline to acidic so I'd get blue blossoms; however, I apparently have the soil somewhere between the pH level for pink vs. the pH for blue. I also have Incrediball (large white blooms), a lacecap (Let's Dance) and Pinky Winky. I cut some blooms from one and am trying to root them in water to start more plants. I read on a blog how someone did that. Enjoyed your post today, Martha.

Tea Party said...

So pretty! Thank you for the tips for drying the hydrangeas, and for the tip of when to use water. Always learning new things, thank you so much for posting!

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

The hydrangeas are beautiful. So glad you were able to get the blooms before they took out those plants. Your new pink lace ones for the garden are sweet.

Michelle said...

Loved seeing all of your vases throughout the house! It's always been hit or miss for me to dry hydrangeas so they still look pretty in a vase. Do you have consistent results just putting them in a vase without water? I've tried that way, and also just let the flowers with water dry out, sometimes they dry pretty and oftentimes not! Yours are gorgeous!

Barbara said...

Have never thought of drying Hydrangea's for the house. I always leave them on the plant to protect it through the winter. Maybe this year I could try bringing some indoors.