Well, one plan is solved...

Yesterday morning, I replied to some comments in my last entry regarding flowers. A couple of votes for bright red flowers were expressed-- and I commented how they'd be strongly considered for along the sunny side of the house and along the driveway. Possibly some bright red day lillies, tulips, etc. Color is good. Bright colors are very good.

But for the front of the house, where there's a big space, I need a shrubbery. Something nice. Not too expensive. I'll attempt the two layer effect with the path going down the middle...

[/Python invocation]

Anyway... since moving to New England, I've fallen in love with a particular... shrubbery... which grows amazingly well around here and just looks spectacular - blue hydrangeas. They grow into huge bushes here with huge pom-poms of flowers that are six inches across. Depending on the acidity of the soil, they turn different colors, too. The less acidic, the flowers turn pink. Or even white. The more common variety that's been grown around New England turn white.

But down on Cape Cod and in Rhode Island, where the soil is sandier, blue ones come out easier. Usually in a shade of lilac, like these:



While I doubt mine would get that many blooms, even a few blooms with those big poms would be striking against the white house.

So getting back to the beginning of my entry... the irony comes up yesterday morning shortly after I reply to my comments. I go grab a cup of coffee in the kitchen, come back to my desk, and see a large paper bag tied with raffia on my chair. From Winston Flowers, which is one of the very posh florists in the area. I open the bag, sift through the tissue paper, and broke into a big smile.

Linda bought me a potted hydrangea. Similar to this, but a single stem. With a big bright blue (true blue-- not purple) pom that's actually bigger than the pot.

She bought it for Secretaries Day (which was yesterday), but also as a congrats on the new house. Really-- how could she have known?

Last night I talked to my mom, and mentioned how I hope I can keep this one alive to get it planted outside. Mom thought it was a great idea, and mentioned that she would bring up a potted one -- also blue -- that she has currently in her Florida room. And then when I get into the house, I can plant both of them. :) While Linda gave me the one sitting next to me on my desk, I'll plant it for my grandma.

We're not in the house, and already I have things that will give me little "thinking of you" moments ready to go.

Is it mid-June yet?