Hip Hip Hydrangeas!

Ahhhhhhh, hydrangeas; my all time, favorite flowers. Those big balls of colorful petals and lush green leaves just always make me smile. Since my entire wedding was based around hydrangeas, I have an even deeper love of these gorgeous blooms. Lucky for me, my Thriving Mommy saved many of the hydrangeas we used on my special day so that I could plant them and let them take over the front of my home. With two large flower boxes and a few additional planters full, I get to enjoy these beauties every day.

Hydrangeas, typical to most plants require tender love and care to truly thrive. In the winter, they retreat to sticks. They need to be cut back (never cut the wood however), and just let them hibernate...they will come back, I assure you.

When spring hits, you will start to see little green leaves popping up here and there...get excited, they are coming back to life!

Soon the leaves start to multiply, becoming more lush with each day, leaves and more leaves come shooting out of those thought to be dead sticks showing you these guys are just getting started.

Then, one day you will spot the beginning of a bloom. It appears to be almost nothing, but as time goes on it will get larger and larger, waiting to showcase the color it has in store for the season.

Just when you couldn't stand the excitement any longer, you come out one morning and see those petals have POPPED!!! Each season can bring a different color (it all depends on the pH of your soil) but I can assure you, they will be full of life and gorgeous no matter what color.

This year, my blooms were all about pink! Since they had been planted at the end of last summer, this was the first season that I really got to watch the entire cycle take place right in front of my home.

Soon I had more blooms than I knew what to do with! Even by only cutting a few, I was still able to share them with friends and co-workers as well as always keep fresh flowers in my home.

Hydrangeas don't require much, but in order to truly thrive, you want to make sure you plant them in the correct spot. Hydrangeas aren't crazy about too much sun, so make sure that they have afternoon shade or at least shade for part of their day. They also love water and you will see when they are thirsty. Their leaves will droop and their blooms will lose some of their "bounce". Not to fear, as with all things that are dehydrated, once they get a boost of water they perk right up!

So, next time you get a potted hydrangea as a gift, get excited to plant that baby and watch it grow from late spring all the way through autumn! Have you planted hydrangeas before? What are some of your favorite flowers?