Tag Archives: Hydrangeas

October Third’s Friday Fleurday

Oct 3, 2025 Lynette d'Arty-Cross 30 Comments

Over the course of the last four months, I’ve been watching an hydrangea shrub growing in one of the city’s parks that’s morphing from a variegated dark pink and white to blue and purplish-blue and lastly, to red. I first posted about it here.

As I indicated in my previous post about this hydrangea, one that shifts from red to purple, blue or purplish-blue and back to pink or red again is a “Bigleaf” hydrangea (hydrangea macrophylla) that is reacting to soil ph levels. This one has been putting on a particularly magnificent colour show all summer long that is now extending into autumn.

By the middle of September this shrub was well on its way to turning a dark, autumnal red as you can see below.

And as of October 2, those dark red hues were very predominant.

It’s amazing how beautifully this hydrangea shrub has changed and transformed and provided colourful blooms for months.

Happy Friday.

nature, Photography

September 5’s Friday Fleurday

Sep 5, 2025 Lynette d'Arty-Cross 36 Comments

I posted about colour-shifting hydrangeas last week but since they’re so beautiful and in the middle of their annual costume change, I’m visiting the same topic yet again but this time regarding a different type of hydrangea.

An hydrangea that shifts from red to purple, blue or purplish-blue and back to pink or red again is a “Bigleaf” hydrangea that is reacting to soil ph levels. In one of the city parks there’s one of those; it puts on a magnificent colour show all summer long and well into autumn.

This hydrangea is not to be confused with the “Cardinal” hydrangea that blooms red and stays in that colour zone throughout the summer, though. I posted about that type of hydrangea a couple of years back.

Above and below are a series of pictures from this spring and summer showing its beautiful progression. All photos show the same hydrangea shrub.

August 22, 2025. As you can see from these last three photos, different parts of the same shrub were at different levels of transformation at the same time.

When it completes its final metamorphosis back to red I’ll post more pictures of this beautifully variable hydrangea.

Happy Friday.

nature, Photography

August 29’s Friday Fleurday

Aug 29, 2025 Lynette d'Arty-Cross 42 Comments

I love watching the colour progression of hydrangeas as they move through the summer.

The photos above and below are from mid-July when this large, gorgeous hydrangea shrub was in its creamy white stage.

Since this is a vanilla fraise (strawberry vanilla) hydrangea however, it has now begun its seasonal change to pink.

The photo above shows the gentle start of a blushy-pink tone but as time goes along, this colour strongly asserts itself.

I like this colour contrast between the blue sky and the rosy pink hydrangea.

It’s amazing how wonderfully these flowers last and change over a period of about two to three months.

These hydrangeas will eventually fade to brown but for now they look lovely in their cream and rose pink late summer dress.

Happy Friday.

nature, Photography

August 8’s Friday Fleurday

Aug 8, 2025 Lynette d'Arty-Cross 36 Comments

More hydrangeas … is it possible to have too many?

Raindrop pink ones …

… and some pale mauvish ones …

… and some lovely cream and light blue ones … no, you definitely can’t have too many!

Happy Friday.

nature, Photography

July 24’s Friday Fleurday

Jul 25, 2025 Lynette d'Arty-Cross 40 Comments

More hydrangeas …

… because they’re so beautiful right now …

… and we have to enjoy them while we can …

… before they disappear until next year.

Happy Friday.

nature, Photography

Is It a Tree?

Jul 20, 2025 Lynette d'Arty-Cross 32 Comments

No, it’s a panicle hydrangea! A very beautiful one …

… that’s part of this group.

nature, Photography

November 14’s Friday Fleurday

Nov 15, 2024 Lynette d'Arty-Cross 48 Comments

Amazingly there are still quite a number of hydrangeas about although most have packed it up for the year and are headed into their seasonal rest.

This “penny mac” hydrangea is definitely still doing well.

These blooms are on the same plant as the bunch above. It’s interesting how some hydrangea blooms will revert to alternate genetic material.

The leaves on this panicle hydrangea are turning yellow but the blooms are still vibrant.

This hydrangea is getting ready to rest until spring. Only the tip is still awake!

They will soon be gone but will start returning in early spring. Looking forward to it.

Happy Friday.

nature, Photography

Late Summer Hydrangea

Oct 8, 2024 Lynette d'Arty-Cross 22 Comments

I’ve been following the progression of this hydrangea bush since before August 26 but only started taking photos of it then.

It’s a very tall bush, approximately 2.5 metres (about 8 ft) and is very well established in a sheltered area.

By September 4 it had changed a lot.

The yellowish-pink clusters had become a rosy pink with very white tips.

As September went along, the white highlights started to disappear.

The clusters have now become a deeper pink. There’s a bit of white left here and there but not much.

I have enjoyed watching the changes in this hydrangea bush over the last six weeks and have been surprised at how beautifully it has matured and developed. I thought that its blooming cycle was going to be completed much earlier. How wrong I was!

Happy Tuesday.

nature, Photography

Week of Flowers – Day 6

Dec 6, 2023 Lynette d'Arty-Cross 20 Comments

Cathy at Words and Herbs is encouraging people to post flower photos for a week to help chase away the winter doldrums.

My contribution today is lavender and lilies; the photos were taken in July in the garden of the Naramata Inn, a heritage hotel that has retained its charm (and fabulous restaurant). I can still smell the scent of both in the hot summer weather.