in the garden - the first hydrangeas

Our Oakleaf and Endless Summer hydrangeas at our front entrance have started blooming.

This is our favourite spot to sit in the morning with our coffee, and in the evening, once the kids are in bed, with a glass of wine.

The Endless Summer variety is called Blushing Bride, and they're white with just a hint of pink as the blooms are fully opened. The continue to bloom through the summer (hence their name). This is the first year they have really established themselves, and had lots of blooms. I do give them a little extra water when it's really hot with little rain, otherwise they can look a little wilted.

 

Beside them are the Oakleaf hydrangeas. Their blooms are massive, and the leaves are a really interesting shape (like a giant Oak leaf). They take on a more rust-colour as the summer ends, which is pretty for Fall.

Now is a great time to buy them at a reduced price, though it's really ideal to plant them in the Fall or Spring. If you're local, Ridgeview Garden Centre in Grimsby is closing and all of their shrubs and trees are up to 80% off. I picked up a couple of Hydrangeas for in pots by our door, and a few Boxwoods, and they were all 30% off. In the spring, Vermeer's in Fonthill also does a big Earth Day sale, and all of their previous year's perennials are (I'm fairly certain) 50% off.