This is by far my very favorite Hydrangea in my gardenscape. It is a small tree in the butterfly garden directly across from my back porch which I get to enjoy seeing every single day. These photos are from early spring up until this last week showing the progression of her blossoms.
The blossoms have started to open up from the budding stage and I took this on a misty morning during mid-summer.
It wasn't long before the brilliant white blossoms began to put on a show. The other flowers in the butterfly garden have started to fill in nicely and the hummingbirds have been enjoying the nectar.
Look who I found sleeping on a flower petal. He must have been there all night as it was early in the morning when I spotted him. The sun had not reached the tree yet for him to warm up enough to begin his day. I have a lot of this type of bumblebee all season long visiting the flowers in the gardens.
The Limelight Hydrangea is beginning to blush with a little bit of pink between the end of July and early August. I can't be sure as the date on my camera is wrong so I am taking a wild guess at the time period.
Look at the size of these flower heads. They are enormous and it does not take many to fill up a vase to enjoy inside.
After releasing one of the Monarch butterflies in the garden I captured him resting on the hydrangea in the afternoon sun.
All of the flower heads are turning a nice dusty rose color in September. It won't be long now before they succumb to the rainy days of October. I cut a fairly large bunch and hung them to dry naturally on the back porch. I will use them in a floral arrangement for the dining room table.
Little by little I started cutting back dying flowers and I removed the metal fencing for the year. Fall has arrived and the nights are fairly cold now so the plants are almost finished. The hummingbirds and butterflies have started migrating south for the winter. I only see a few honeybees and yellow jackets looking for the last bit of nectar.
The last of the flowers have been removed and October has arrived. The leaves are falling from many of the trees and we have been getting a bit of rain as well. The garden looks so bare without the annual zinnias and salvia blooming. The hydrangea is still putting on a nice show and I will wait until the end of the month before trimming back all the branches.
The hydrangea is such a magnificent addition to my butterfly garden, I hope you enjoyed her magic as well.
Until next time, this is Sunscape
Sun. Scape. Ing Your Day
