Hortensia - long-stemmed, HUGE hydrangeas

Is A hortensia the same as a hydrangea? I have been seeing these pop up on Instagram and I finally found out what they are, where they are and who is growing them in Holland, Pico Bello. MY heart stopped! 

Have you ever heard a hydrangea bush called a "hortensia"? Long used as a common name for the plant, the name 'hortensia' also indicates a specific selection of bigleaf hydrangea, which goes by the scientific name Hydrangea macrophylla 'Hortensia. 

 

 

The color of the petal

I am dying to know if there a term or something to describe and define why and how the color of the hydrangea petal just looks like it is on a layer, sitting on top of the petal. And during the winter, the color sort of "scratches" off leaving the the petal revealing the skeleton. I don't think I have seen that process on leaves? Or any other flower petal, have you? 

Hidden treasure

My favorite time to look inside the hydrangeas. 

Slipping into fall

It is that time again that the colors in my yard make my brain swirl out of control. Also going on here ... lots of cutting grapes out of the neighbors yard ;0. Moving peonies. Making new beds and amending them.

State Of Decay

I woke up right where I fell asleep last night watching Miss Marple, with a flicker sitting outside the window. Looking at me? Or looking at himself in the reflection of the glass in the french doors. Trying to decide where he could do the most damage, I suspect. After grabbing a drink of water from an overflowing flower pot saucer he flew off. I grabbed my camera anyway and braved the dog poop in the very soggy backyard (won't mention the name of the person who is meant to be cleaning the grass of those deposits ... M!)

Have not been a good custodian of the yard this year. Hydrangeas were left to rot without doing my "big fall hydrangea cutting". So there they all are looking sad that they did not find their way into the house and houses of friends. It feels splendid to be off for a week, a quiet morning of coffee and food network and trying to decide what to do next.

I think mom and I will head over the Northwest Craft Show today, then decide what room I should start cleaning first.