Hydrangeas. Mophead Hydrangeas. What images does this flower bring to you? Our previous house I had pink hydrangeas lining the corner of our house under our bedroom windows, but the soil told them they should be blue, so for the next 6 years, while we lived there, I had the pleasure of watching them transfer. Traces of purple slowing worked their way in just a few flowers the first year, gradually adding a little each year. It was a beautiful transition from pink to purples to finally settling for more purplish blue.

These hydrangeas are in my parents yard, the yard we called home when I was 10.

When my parents built this house it was a cotton field and we were the very first home on Country Road. We didn’t have a shrub for at least 10 years, not one landscaping plant or flower for 10 years!! This was the country. We had a big vegetable garden, my Dad planted trees, and that was enough I guess. I never remember why we didn’t have shrubs like everyone else.  But look at it now. It’s loved and cared for and beautiful.  The hydrangeas line the walkway to their Secret Garden, they peek over the fence, they bloom all around Dad’s workshop and they line the fence by their swing. My Dad waters and fertilizes, and starts baby ones. He takes good care of them and even turned a “blushing bride” blue. My Mom picks and dries them and shares them with everyone.

My Mom is a quilter and I took this picture sitting at her sewing machine. Wouldn’t you be a quilter too. She feeds the birds here too. They are happy.

See her sewing machine in the above picture. Peaceful sewing. (Is that an oxymoron?)

We have two teenagers in the house. We have shrubs but we didn’t plant them. Yard “beautification” is really low on our to do list.

I think I know why we didn’t have shrubs for 10 years…. thank you Mom and Dad.

Katey