Win some, Lose some
This is the sad tale of my biggest failure in gardening! Today I finally gave up on the Lace Cap Hydrangeas that I purchased many years ago at Hammersmith Farm in Newport, Rhode Island, the estate where John and Jackie Kennedy were married. In all the years that I have tried to get these beautiful plants to bloom, nothing has worked. I have never had a single bloom, not one, even with extra special care and attention. One day I did see a snake sun bathing on the bushes enjoying the lush vegetation that I cultivated. These beautiful plants only bloom on old wood, with the harsh winters in Dedham the plants completely die back only producing new shoots each year.
Today I decided that I had to accept the the truth and dig the Hydrangeas out. I must say it was not for lack of root structure that these plants failed, they were hard to dig up. After a very strenuous hour of digging, tugging, pulling and falling on my butt, I finally succeeded at my task. Now I am having a very hard time just tossing the plants in the woods. I know that this is what I should do but part of me wants to give the plants a second chance. Don't they deserve another try. I'm going to sleep on this decision
I purchased more Endless Summer Hydrangeas, a new variety that blooms on old and new wood making this variety hardy in Dedham winters, to fill the area in my garden left by my removal of the failed Hydrangeas. In the past few years I have added twelve Endless Summer plants to my garden and they do very well. Producing beautiful blooms each year.
Hydrangeas have a special place in my heart because they remind me of my Grandmother, Theresa. She had a beautiful garden filled with lush Hydrangea plants which we called snow balls when I was a little girl. When my family moved into the house that my mother still lives in, my Grandmother divided a plant and gave it to my mother for her new garden. That was over 50 years ago and my Mother continues to cultivate the same plant until now it has multiplied into many Hydrangeas filling her garden with the most beautiful display of blue flowers. My Mother continued the tradition dividing one of her plants for me and I now have three beautiful plants that came from my Grandmother's garden so many years ago. I hope on day to continue the tradition with my children and hopefully one, if not all, will have inherited my gardening gene.
Our weather was strange today, not typical for New England, very humid with violent rain storms off and on through out the day. I was force to abandon working in the garden early in the day. I still had more that I wanted to do but gardening is never done, that is one of the reasons I enjoy gardening so much!
Oh I do call this blog "Good Dinner Mrs Mellen" and funny I've only talked about my garden. Today being Sunday is another tradition that I continue from my childhood and that is Sunday dinner with family. I love causal summertime meals, simply prepared with fresh ingredients. Dinner was mussels in white wine sauce, roasted fingerling potatoes, fresh corn on the cob (or as Bostonian say 'con on the cob'), spring greens salad with fresh blueberries, dried cranberries, pecans and blue cheese and grilled lemon seasoned swordfish. Just a wonderful simple meal to enjoy with family. You may have noticed that I didn't make a dessert. Well as I've said before I am on a mission not to gain a pound because I have been measured for the dress for my son's wedding and I have no room to grow! When the dress comes in and I am fitted, it is not going to have to be let out, no, no no!!
Today I decided that I had to accept the the truth and dig the Hydrangeas out. I must say it was not for lack of root structure that these plants failed, they were hard to dig up. After a very strenuous hour of digging, tugging, pulling and falling on my butt, I finally succeeded at my task. Now I am having a very hard time just tossing the plants in the woods. I know that this is what I should do but part of me wants to give the plants a second chance. Don't they deserve another try. I'm going to sleep on this decision
I purchased more Endless Summer Hydrangeas, a new variety that blooms on old and new wood making this variety hardy in Dedham winters, to fill the area in my garden left by my removal of the failed Hydrangeas. In the past few years I have added twelve Endless Summer plants to my garden and they do very well. Producing beautiful blooms each year.
Hydrangeas have a special place in my heart because they remind me of my Grandmother, Theresa. She had a beautiful garden filled with lush Hydrangea plants which we called snow balls when I was a little girl. When my family moved into the house that my mother still lives in, my Grandmother divided a plant and gave it to my mother for her new garden. That was over 50 years ago and my Mother continues to cultivate the same plant until now it has multiplied into many Hydrangeas filling her garden with the most beautiful display of blue flowers. My Mother continued the tradition dividing one of her plants for me and I now have three beautiful plants that came from my Grandmother's garden so many years ago. I hope on day to continue the tradition with my children and hopefully one, if not all, will have inherited my gardening gene.
Our weather was strange today, not typical for New England, very humid with violent rain storms off and on through out the day. I was force to abandon working in the garden early in the day. I still had more that I wanted to do but gardening is never done, that is one of the reasons I enjoy gardening so much!
Oh I do call this blog "Good Dinner Mrs Mellen" and funny I've only talked about my garden. Today being Sunday is another tradition that I continue from my childhood and that is Sunday dinner with family. I love causal summertime meals, simply prepared with fresh ingredients. Dinner was mussels in white wine sauce, roasted fingerling potatoes, fresh corn on the cob (or as Bostonian say 'con on the cob'), spring greens salad with fresh blueberries, dried cranberries, pecans and blue cheese and grilled lemon seasoned swordfish. Just a wonderful simple meal to enjoy with family. You may have noticed that I didn't make a dessert. Well as I've said before I am on a mission not to gain a pound because I have been measured for the dress for my son's wedding and I have no room to grow! When the dress comes in and I am fitted, it is not going to have to be let out, no, no no!!
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