Fall Hydrangea

The hydrangea off the deck has turned fall colors. For some reason, I noticed it more this year. Maybe it's because I have to take my time climbing the deck stairs so I have time to look at it.

The leaves will start to turn now and fall off so all I'm left with in November are the branches. I really like the rusty red of the flowers. I don't remember them being this color last year, but, again, I might not have noticed.

I know blossom color on a hydrangea is controlled by the ph of the soil. I believe this one was blue when we bought it and for a couple of years after. Its real color is pink and there is one pink blossom still on the plant.

This is a bright smile when I leave the house and come home from work. It took some damage in March when it budded during our unseasonable warmth, but it recovered very nicely and is currently covered in the rusty red blossoms.

My dad's father had hydrangea bushes on his property that were 15-20 feet tall and covered with white blossoms the size of softballs. My cousins and I would yank them off the bush and throw them at each other, a snowball fight in July, if you will. They smelled so intoxicating, too. Some "grown up" would come outside and yell at us for "ruining" the plant but grandpa would follow with, "I don't care. Keep playing." I look at my small, in comparison, hydrangea and wonder if I can get it to produce blooms of that size. There's something joyous about being hit in the face with a softball size knot of flowers.

Beverage:  Dr Pepper

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