Hydrangeas

Hydrangea aspera

Hydrangea Macrophylla Lace-cap



Ortanga

The bottom 3 pictures are from the row of Ortanca that run the length of the house, we see them daily and after a few years of not flowering prior to us moving here they got told in a stern voice that if they didn't flower then they would be OUT, that summer they didn't flower, I pruned them 'English' style - knee height, 5 or 7 , one year old sticks that have at least 2 double buds on - I told them again - last chance or OUT - they listened and flowered huge luscious pompoms that started pink or white or blue then faded into a mush of purpleness, I assume the soil is in pockets of acid and alkali, who knows, but they are stunning once they get going. This long line of Turkish Ortanca is what I look at while eating breakfast, lunch and dinner, playing with the littles and from the back garden.

The other pictures are Hydrangeas elsewhere in the garden, I'm not sure if the Hydrangea aspera is truly that - it's a lanky sensitive plant, it's 3rd summer in the garden last summer we got a couple of dried out flowers, I have higher hopes this year or else it may get 'the talk'.

I would like to know why the lace-cap is green, perhaps I should Google it, this plant is in a pot.... and has got greener as time has passed. It started off white. I do like Hydrangeas, I remember the (2?) monster Hydrangeas at my first childhood home vividly.