Simple spring pleasures: Hydrangeas

Photo: Better Homes & GardensHydrangeas make me think of spring more than any other flower.

They remind me of my grandmother's house on Hurley Avenue in Hilton Village. Summer days at Hilton Pier.  Spring on Duke of Gloucester Street in Williamsburg. 

Today, I have them growing in pots on my front porch because it seems to be the only place they will grow in Florida.  And I wait weeks for them to go from brown sticks to beautiful green foliage to gorgeous purple blooms. The blooms will be here any day.  And that marks spring! 

Better Homes & Gardens magazine has a wonderful Gardener's Guide to Hydrangeas that tells you about all kinds of Hydrangeas and how they will grow in your area.  Check it out and try a couple in pots on your patio.  I promise, they will make you happy.  And like me, they may take you back to a much simpler time when life was slower and not so complicated.  Like summer days in Hilton Village.