After spending last year sprucing up the inside of the house, it was time to concentrate some attention on the exterior of the house. I do not possess the greenest of thumbs, and definitely wanted plantings that would take care of themselves for the most part. An old photo of our house showed a hedge of white hydrangeas that (sadly) no longer exists in the side yard. So after some research and an assurance that hydrangeas generally take care of themselves, we decided to plant a hedge of sorts around the front of the wrap around porch in keeping with the original plantings that surrounded the house. We mixed White Annabelles with Purple hydrangeas, and crossed our fingers that they would survive their first season. Not only are they surviving, but they are thriving! The purple plants are absolutely gorgeous, and the whites are slowly coming to bud and growing stronger. I love the variation in color as the flowers age…just beautiful!
A Half Hour a Day 
Wow, those are some beauties! I have mixed results with hydrangeas. Some years they are gorgeous and abundantly blooming; other years (like this one unfortunately) I get nothing! I drive down to Cape Cod to visit my mother and they always bloom profusely. I’m not sure what the secret is!