Sunday, September 07, 2008

The Hydrangea Show

We've been quite busy here vetting the hydrangea show. But not to worry; we aren't too busy to post The Rose Show, next weekend. Watch for it.






















JBelle
Bellemaison
The 'Kan EWA

18 comments:

MarmiteToasty said...

Gorgeous, just gorgeous, I LOVE the last photo bestest..

x

JBelle said...

I know! I liked that one, too. Hydrangeas as so interesting to me. Obviously, the leaves are so pretty, so lush. But it's the actual flowers, as in the last shot, that steal my heart. I love the other one with the unopened buds, lavendar on bright pink. :)

Carla said...

Well those are some of the purdiest Hydrangeas that I think I've ever seen. One year I dried some just to keep their beauty with me a little longer. Love them.

JBelle said...

Carla, I dry them, too. One year I put them in the Christmas tree. :9 I love 'em! I think I'll go cut some....

The Fool said...

Stnning...absolutely stunning. I wish I could put a few in the flower press.

Julie said...

Stunning photos, Jbelle. You do seem to be a bit cooler than me. Hydrangeas here are done and have been for quite some time. I'm well into the fall flush of roses now, but this year, the flush seeds to be extended. Maybe it was the lack of JBs; I don't really know, but I'm not complaining.

JBelle said...

hiya Foolish, I'm glad you like them. I never, ever get tired of them. This is the first year in say, 15 years? that I have not bought hydrangeas. I have a hydrangea forest at the moment and I am trying so hard to be good! It's not easy....

JBelle said...

Julie, You didn't get Japanese Beetles this year? Where's the thanksgiving celebration?! Does that happen from time to time? No Japanese beetles?

Glad you like the hydrangeas. I have way too much fun with them. planting, pruning, fertilizing, fussing, cutting, photoing. I just love these bushy bushes!

Julie said...

Jbelle, a season without those Japanese beetles would be something to hoop and hollar about. But, as for this year, I'm still hooping and hollaring about the fact that all year I've seen maybe a dozen JBs. I've heard others complain that they were the worst in 20 years, but I saw only a few. I credit the drought of last summer (34 days without rain) right at breeding season as well as the milky spore we put down.

We got another drought this year, the same time as last year, but I can only pray that the beetles will stay away.

Did I ever tell you that I don't water? It would be to much stress on the well, so the roses are on their own after establishing. I don't get black spot like other people do either. I will also fertilize only during the spring rains.

JBelle said...

You don't water?! That's unreal! And of course, you would only fertilize in the rain. wow. The roses seem to mature without the rain??

Christy Woolum said...

What a show. I can't even pick a favorite. Now these beautiful blooming shrubs do not like the hot climate and sandy soil of Lake Roosevelt. I will just appreciate yours. I have a few, but nothing like this! I am eager to see the Rose Show.

Julie said...

Jbelle, my soil here is a nice soft, well drained clay with about 4" of loam on top. When I plant roses, I will water them deeply for the first year to get those roots as deep as possible. Once they penetrate that clay, the roots will stay moist unless the drought becomes so severe that it cracks the soil. I don't like stressing my well, so I'll often use gray water to water the new plantings.

I lost only one of my new roses this year and honestly, I don't think water made all that much difference. Rabbits did that by eating it. I usually don't lose much doing things this way. I will give trees three years because of their slow root systems, but everything else gets about a year.

At every chance the rose society gets, they come to awe over the large bushy roses I have in the garden and are lost at how I can do so little and have such nice roses.

JBelle said...

Mrs. Roosevelt:

:)

Like roses, those hydrangii like cold feet! Since I started photographing them, I have come to really appreciate the little tiny flowers themselves, as well as both kinds of leaves. The two little flowers pictures, including the last ones, might be my favorite. Maybe. But since I am still smitten, after all these years, with white flowers I do love the white ones. love them, love them, love them. siiiiigh.

JBelle said...

Julie,

I am quite impressed. But then again, if anybody could pull this off, you could!

Unknown said...

Whoa... i thought i was looking at my mom's page. Really, the same. exactly the same, i think.

all flowers look the same to me.

JBelle said...

yore mother?! these are not your mother's hydrangeas! harsh. And I always liked you, too. ;)

Unknown said...

amazingly beautiful blooms...such things don't flourish here amongst the cacti...

Unknown said...

oh, i like, of course. a lot. Just like mom's :D