Hydrangeas at Aldridge Gardens

Aldridge Gardens in Hoover, Alabama, is different from many public gardens where people walk through to see the beautiful flowers.Today I visited the Gardens, and I was struck by how many persons were there to enjoy life. There was a wedding, a birthday party and an outdoor class. I saw someone reading a book under a tree. A couple were holding hands. Children were playing tag while their parents watched from a bench. More children were hanging over the railing at the boathouse, pointing out the big fish. A group who had just walked around the lake were trying to politely shoo the resident geese off the path. I heard laughter and music and bird song. Overall there was a spirit of peace, and it was a gorgeous day in the Gardens.

Of course, there were plenty of flowers to enjoy, and this month the wonderful hydrangeas have begun to bloom. The Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snowflake' is an unusual oakleaf hydrangea with double blooms, and this is the hydrangea that Eddie Aldridge patented and promoted. Now it is grown worldwide.But many other types of hydrangeas also grow in the Gardens. Here are a few views of hydrangeas around the Gardens today.

Ok, I know this last shot does not have any hydrangeas in it, but the goose posed for me and insisted he should be in my blog post.

May this coming week be filled with beautiful flowers and other things that make you smile.   Deb

You may also be interested in these posts: Hydrangea 'Snowflake',  Oakleaf Hydrangea and Young Lovers at Aldridge Gardens.

Joy in the Garden

Summer is softening now. We have had some cooler days with an edge of fall, and I have been taking it easy.While I am recuperating from surgery, I get to just be in the garden with no weeding or watering or trimming or digging or any of those other chores that can distract from the joy the garden has to give. I am fortunate that Lou is here to keep things under control, for otherwise I might be fretting. Happily, I am able to study and make plans, and I am doing lots of that!

While lounging on the patio, I keep admiring my red banana plant. Forgive me for bragging about it again. When I bought it last year, I wasn't sure it would fit in or if it would survive the winter. No doubt it is now at the top of my list of plants with beautiful foliage. When golden sun shines through the leaves, it is spectacular:Down from the patio Pieris japonica 'Cavatine' is putting out new growth, which I think is particularly lovely:

Another foliage plant I am noticing more lately is arborvitae fern. I have several of these planted under some azaleas. It has taken a few years for them to become established, but our wet summer this year has really helped them to flourish.

I have been disappointed with my peacock orchids. They bloomed the first year I planted them and not since. I am thinking about digging them up. But the other day I noticed their stems. Who needs flowers?

Variegated fig is another beautiful foliage plant. It is not hardy, so it will go into Lou's office for the winter, where it will stay warm and receive just the right amount of light. Lou complains about how I convert his office into a greenhouse every winter, but without an enclosed garage or greenhouse, it really is the best place we have.

Down in my arbor garden hosta 'Francis Williams' is looking good. Voles decimated the hostas in this area earlier this year. I am glad this one is a survivor.

I am fascinated by the changes that occur to hydrangea blooms as they age. This skeletal bloom caught my attention the other day. It reminds me of coral:

Endless Summer hydrangea was bright blue earlier this year. Now the antique blooms are shades of lavender. Here it is with variegated daphne:

More photos of aging hydrangea blooms:

Finally, here are a few flowers that add color to the garden as summer's end approaches. They should stay lovely well into fall:Clockwise from top left: Portulaca, Pavonia hastata, Caryopteris, HibiscusIt's easy to receive joy from a garden. One only has to listen, to look, to smell, to hear, to feel. But one does have to pause to take it in. I am grateful for my garden and for the time to enjoy it.