lulu
Like many of you, I’m crazy about hydrangeas, and here in Maine one variety or another blooms from spring until late fall.
The first to appear is the climbing variety. It does tend to take over if not groomed which makes my hubby crazy. If I don’t keep a watchful eye, he will attack with a vengeance tearing them away from whatever they’ve attached themselves to.
A favorite is the lace cap which starts blooming in late June and is still lovely as it fades away in September. These were almost lost as they were in the path of construction, but I dug them up hoping to save them until they could be relocated. Now there is a bumper crop!
Summer abounds with blooms, and it is fascinating to observe all their colors. Though I’m not sure of the variety from which these come, it could be Endless Summer though the colors on each of my bushes is quite different.
This full bodied bloom changes from white to lime as it matures. It reminds me of my great grandmother’s house where outside the window of her living room was a hydrangea with blooms as big as my head. We called them snowballs and that is how I continue to think of this lovely.
Late August the hydrangea trees begin to show off cone shaped blooms that are first white and then turn to beautiful pink tones.
When they have turned, it is a great time for gathering stems to dry for use in lovely arrangements.
How lucky am I to be surrounded by all this beauty right in my own yard!
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Gardening is a bit of a challenge as much of the growing area is on a rocky cliff which makes footing in some areas rather treacherous. 
Much of the area facing Rockport Harbor is in shade, and I have learned the hard way that not all plants do well without lots of sunshine. Hostas are one of the exceptions, and right now they are coming into their own. The oodles of varieties make them a most interesting garden addition when it comes to color and texture.
Day lilies are doing their thing, and I do love their vibrancy, 
Peonies have been deadheaded though there is one lone bloom that refuses to give up, perhaps because it doesn’t want to leave its insect dweller homeless.
I don’t know where they came from, but this year dainty forget-me-nots have shown up in every garden area. Earlier in the summer I was pulling them up, but the task was never ending and I decided to leave them as ground cover. Their little blue blooms are sweet, but I’m still not sure how I feel about their presence. Any ideas for getting rid of them?
A favorite part of the yard is what the kids call beautiful land. Among the rocks, ladies’ slipper, mosses, ornamental thyme and other ground covers flourish. Best of all, this area requires little maintenance other than some weeding.
Wherever I look there is something of beauty whether it’s lining a pathway
or adding its own unique touch in another garden area. 
Even the unruly, unkept areas that belong only to nature make their individual statements. One thing’s for sure, I won’t be scaling the rocks to try to get any of it under control. That’s a lesson learned early on!
I am amazed by how the colors on this one hydrangea bush change from first blooms to last. They start out pink, change to blue and by now they become a showcase for a plethora of wonderful hues.
It was impossible to resist cutting some of the blooms and arranging them in square vases lined with hosta leaves. 
They were perfect backdrops for a few of my cranberry bells and on the table they, of course, became inspiration for a tablescape.
It started with lovely Johnson Brothers plates, but there was something that just wasn’t right which is a sure signal to look in cabinets for something else that will work.
These square cranberry plates provided the answer and fit perfectly in the middle of the patterned ones. You just never know how different pieces become complements.
Laundered napkins from last week’s table were laying on the counter, and it hit me they had the same colors as the hydrangeas. On the table they go!
So far this table defined itself in a nontraditional manner so it made sense that the flatware placement not follow rules either. With the addition of cranberry side dishes and King’s Crown thumbprint glasses, a table setting was created, a very fun one for sure. Then the question became will it be just the hubby and me who gather here or should I issue one of my last minute invites for someone to join us so that we all might enjoy what the hydrangeas inspired. Guess the decision!