The hydrangeas have given us their most floriferous year since I planted most of them almost two decades ago. While they have grown into large and impressive plants given their age, they don’t always bloom a lot. It’s a challenge of Zone 5 winters, which up to the past few years have usually killed off the buds before they get a chance to develop. This year, however, all buds survived, and coupled with a less-severe pruning practice, we were rewarded with buckets of blooms all summer long.
That has continued into the fall, and without a proper frost yet we still have blooms coming along nicely, as seen in this light blue branch, which I clipped for indoor enjoyment. It’s deceptively soft and delicate, and looks like something that’s more suited for the brightness of spring. I like the mirror of that at the end of the season – it reminds me that we are closer to spring than we think, already over a full month into fall.
