[OT from cottage renovations]
yesterday's post of the different colours offered by one of the hydrangeas in front omitted the blue that is actually most characteristic of that particular plant. I was going to edit it into the post but, well, it doesn't do that badly on its own so here it is.
(click through this thumbnail for higher resolution image)
Bittersweet Cottage garden
hydrangea
the one plant gets a bit more sun than the ones next to it (and is a bit less deer-ravaged too) so it usually comes into bloom a bit sooner than the others. there are also some white hydrangeas on the N side of the cottage; those ones are a bit further behind the curve than the others but it won't take them too long to catch up. when they do I'll try to make a point of mentioning it in this space.