Bloomsinthegarden: lacecap

Post 118 Hortensia or the lovely Hydrangea

Bringing you news from my new location in Tampa, Florida but I have to pay tribute to the spectacular "Miss" Hortensia from my friend's garden near Versailles, KY. She had two of the more common species of the 600 types of cultivars; the round known as the Mophead and the bloom below known as a Lacecap. The center of the Lacecap contains fertile blossoms but the blooms of the surrounding showy blossoms are in fact sterile.

Hydrangeas are known throughout Asia; China, Japan and Korea, as well as England and the Himalayas to name a few others. They grow on long stems usually growing in a shrub format with the flower heads or corymbs/panicles at the end of the long stems. There are climbing and other varieties if you would care to look at any search engine on the Internet or your favorite plant nursery.

They bloom in different conditions and seasons depending on the variety and I found out the hard way that some bloom from new growth that comes on the old woody stems, so, if you cut those off, you have cut off this year's bloom stock!

I also know that some thrive in full sun, but some will be too hot and wilt and never produce in that condition. That would be the one in my back yard in Kentucky which I have fertilized and alternately prayed for and cussed, to no avail.

I have also tried several methods of trying to dry them to keep the big ball shape in tact, trying the back window of my car or in the trunk on a hot summer day, hanging them upside down, or just leaving them to dry on the bush.

The way I finally got one was to ask a friend whose fence row was covered with them. She completely ignored them which seemed to be the winning combination of making them flourish in bloom and dry expertly on the stem, as well!

As you may also know, a change in the acidic balance of the soil can change the color of the bloom from shades of pink to brilliant blue which can be affected by specific fertilizers or anything that will change the pH. You can test your soil (get a life?!) and a pH factor below 6 will produce colors in the blue spectrum whereas an alkaline soil with a pH above 6 will produce blooms in the pink spectrum. This can also be done by crumpling tin foil (aluminium to you in England) or tossing old nails near the base.

I even read a murder mystery once (did I tell you this last year?) that was solved by the female detective noting the extreme color of the hydrangeas at the victim's home and found an entire car with the old chrome fenders buried with the body in it. I say, Watson, striking color.

I arrived in Florida about a week ago, I did have interviews Thursday and Friday and have one scheduled for tomorrow. I spend time on the computer applying for more, deleting rejections and today, spent time handing out paper applications to those places accepting them. I surely trust to have something very, very soon!

In the meantime, I have explored a bit last weekend. I have tried 3 different beaches so far, searching to find the best at the closest range. 'Best' has to include not only quality of sand and population density using it but also if it is prone to seaweed, is it on Tampa Bay or is it actually in the Gulf of Mexico, are there parking fees and bathrooms?

My hosts are fabulous~we are all in transition but that makes for exciting table talk at the evening meal. I fight in my head about being anxious about the whole thing but the only remedy is to keep moving.

As I recently heard 'Do it scaired' if you have to but just keep moving. I have had a half dozen phone calls of encouragement in the last few days which I really appreciate. People are listening to that inside voice and reaching out which have helped a lot.

Maybe tomorrow is the day but I'll tell you about Florida:

I love the seagulls and the Sand Hill Cranes that just walk about any where.

I love the fragrance of blooming things on the air every time you walk out the door and I will enjoy learning about the indigenous plants as I go along.

I love the different kinds of shells and sand at each beach. I love the warmth on my face and arms here in the land of sunshine. I think it will do my soul much good next winter.

The down side? It is city life where I am at the moment and the mosquitoes drill through your clothes if you stand still for a few seconds.

It rains for a short time almost daily, so you have to carry an umbrella. It is not 'summer weather' yet and it reaches 95 degrees with humidity that layers you like a sweater by noon.

That's OK, I keep saying that I'll adjust to scraping all that sunshine off my windshield next winter.

Thanks all for your loving support! Keep it coming!

The note cards are in, I have ordered the packing materials and am developing a purchasing point on the Etsy website which I will let you know about!

Until next time, throw somebody a rope who needs a hand. It may be you that needs it next time!

Greetings Friends~

I had a difficult time deciding what to put up today; rolled hay bales in the undulating hillsides of Kentucky, a lilly collection or hydrangeas. Hortenisa as it is known, or the Hydrangea, and its many varieties, has won out.

These all came from my friend whose yard was on the local garden tour this year and I should know better than to even cross town without my camera but I did, so thank you for enjoying the photos from my phone because I did not want to miss anything!

Most of her bushes are on the North side of the house and always seem to do better than mine, so while I see them at the beach in full hot sun, thriving, the one I have in the sun gets droopy by mid-afternoon. It also has never bloomed.

Given to me as a gift at two years old, it has now been in the ground eight years and every year, I try fertilizing with organic matter (read dried cow manure from my country friends), bloom booster with aluminum hydrate (which also turns the blooms a different color and can be achieved by burying plain old tin foil), cuss words and prayer. Something should have worked and every year, I have this anticipation that perhaps "This year will be the year it blooms". So far, not yet. I gave up and bought another type and put it in the shade...it has more promise.

The friend's though, are in full regalia. The mophead or rounded ball-type blooms come in white, pink lavender and blue, and as indicated, you can intensify and change the bloom color by changing the alkalinity or acidity of the soil around it. I read a murder mystery once and the lady detective figured out the corpse was buried in a '56 T-bird convertible underneath the electric blue hydrangeas...having turned because of the iron bumpers and fenders.

I am quite sure my friend's are just due to her gardening diligence and labors of love. The Oak Leaf hydrangea has a more conical or spherical presence but its leaves mock that of an Oak (see inset, right).

There are over 70-75 types in the Genus and over 600 species around thr world including Korea, the HImalayas, Indonesia, China , Japan, and the Azores of Portugal to name a few. I would like to go there to see Faial which is called the "Blue Island" because of the density of blue hydrangeas that grow there.

The Lace Cap variety that you see in the electric blue variety above have tiny fertile centers and very showy rings edging the bloom that are sterile. Who knew? If you can cut them in full bloom there are volumes written on how to get them to dry in their natural rounded (if selecting the mophead type) state. Personally, I have tried hanging upside down, laying flat, left standing but I have never achieved anything resembling the fresh bloom.

Well, the storm is here. We have been without rain for about two weeks and a storm has kicked up that is rolling the patio furniture across the yard. Time to quit, so all of you take care and thank you for joining me on Life's Garden Tour where today, we have seen some excellent bloomers.

Hope you have had the same, in your garden of friends, also!