Is there anything more Southern than a yard full of hydrangeas in full bloom? I think not. I love the quote from the new issue of Southern Living: “French hydrangeas define the south like sweet tea and cornbread.” These big, robust plants grow well here in the sunny south. They are everywhere right now, and they are simply gorgeous!
They range in color from white to pink to blue to purple. The color depends on the acidity of the soil. A more acidic soil will produce a bluer flower. A more alkaline soil will produce a pink bloom. White varieties will remain white regardless of soil pH.
The girls and I went to Aldridge Gardens one day, and I fell in love with the way they used the snowflake hydrangeas as a border for large areas. The snowflake hydrangea is a larger, bushier type plant than a french hydrangea. It has white cone-shaped blooms. Because of Birmingham’s climate, the snowflake hydrangea grows really well. I have even seen it growing out of the side of a rocky cliff. For that reason they are ALL OVER TOWN. They are the official flower of the city of Hoover. Aldridge Gardens was selling them one day for $18 per one-gallon plant. That was too pricey for me since I need about 15 of them to line my driveway. I decided to do a little research on growing them from a cutting. It turns out that they are supposed to be really easy to grow from cuttings, so I went looking for some. I found some very full, pretty ones on the side of the road, so I got Jonathan to pull over on the highway. I took a ton of clippings, dipped them into rooting hormone, and planted them in pots. According to everything I have read, I should have plants ready to go in the ground in about six to eight weeks. Fo’ free! I sure do hope they take root, because that would save me over $200.00! Score.
Take some time to enjoy the hydrangeas today!
I'm gonna be out delivering magazines tomorrow so I went on ahead and blogged with a scheduled post time for tomorrow morning… it's funny because I blogged on day lilies. Oh and I sent you a copy of the magazine… going out in the mail tomorrow afternoon.
We have them on the Springville property. Some in the woods in the back and some in the copse of trees in the front.