Lacecap Hydrangea

I thought this hydrangea in my front garden was having trouble blooming, I kept feeding it and probably over watering this perennial plant, but today I know different after learning about the Hydrangea macrophylla, I know now, this sweet plant is called "Lacecap". I read on the web, the Lacecap Hydrangea petals of the flower symbolises the mask of love. Lacecaps with their flat, round flower heads are a great addition to a garden.

If you cut flowers like I do, and put them indoors, submerged them completely in cool water for about an hour and then place in water filled vase. If you do not do this, the flowers quickly wilt. But by conditioning them, they will last for days. If they start to wilt in the vase, submerge them again, and they will revive. I love having arrangements of them in my dining room, especially on Sundays.
Many believe the name Hydrangea, with it origin in the word hydra, means that the plant requires massive amounts of water. Actually, the name was given because the seed capsules look like water pitchers.
What a nice morning learning about Hydrangeas.
Bloom for the KING!
QB

Hydrangea Macrophylla

"Endless Summer"
This Mophead hydrangea is in my back garden, the blooms are so big and beautiful this year, that I am going to dry the flowers for the very first time. What I knew about hydrangeas is, they love the morning sun, and lots and lots of water! I also knew they would change colors depending on the soil balance. This is my third year with this shrub you see in the picture, the previous years I had it in the shade, this year I moved it so my shrub would feel the morning sun with shade in the afternoon, and I watered it twice a day, which I did not do last year or the year before. This hardy plant proved to be in it's perfect spot for showing off it's beauty, don't you think?

What I did not know was the name and type, "Endless Summer" mophead hydrangea macrophylla, a deciduous shrub. Most mopheads set their blooms in August, September, and October, just like azaleas. A mophead hydrangea can bloom on old and new wood, which I did not know either, very interesting. For hydrangeas a good fertilizer would be the balance of NPK (10-40-10) nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. Using a soil acidifier will lower your soils PH for beautiful blue blooms. The flowers can be white, or range from blue to purple to pink depending on the soils PH. In more acidic soils the flowers will be blue where alkaline soils yield pinkish bloom, white flowered varieties do not change color regardless of soil PH. I am now interested in trying to grow a white hydrangea called the "Blushing Bride".