Because Almost Everyone (but not Madonna) Loves Hydrangeas

The bumblebees especially seemed to be digging the lacecap hydrangeas this weekend. The tiny blue flowers seemed to make this hydrangea the "it" plant of the moment for pollinators, with too many bumble bees visiting just one blooming plant to count.

It's hydrangea season. Makes me want to make a bouquet.

The Scene From Today's Window Sill

Joe's in mad propagating mode and he's beginning to take up more and more window sill real estate. His innovations continually surprise me. Today I noticed the new shelf and the mirror for catching some extra sunlight for the tomato, eggplant and pepper seedlings. I can only wish that I had some of the building and really fine motor skills that he has. Handling delicate seedlings kind of freaks me out (I still have to get past my tendency to be overly precious with plants), but he just pricks them out and transplants with the kind ease and steady hand that makes it seem like he's been doing it his whole life.

And below, some freshly harvested flowers in a little bouquet. (You know I don't keep bouquets on the window sill. It's just a source for capturing some daylight for pictures.)

Some of what's blooming now, grown in Brooklyn

My Favorite Flower Bouquet From Last Year

One might say I'm just being sentimental because Joe picked it from by the railroad in Hudson. And because it's entirely made from these scrappy weedy species that grow by the roadside. But that's not true at all. It's just because I think it's lovely and it reminds me of summer.

On The High Line Now

with Susan and Pat in Mid-August, thinking about the plant families we ought to get to know better. We settled on the Lamiaceae (mint family) and Asteraceae (composite). With something along the lines of 30,000 species between the two, that ought to keep us busy for a little while. And it will give us a good excuse to take walks in beautiful New York City spaces looking at flowers and call it studying.

Blue

I'm not sure why the sight of this blue mulch in a tree pit in Park Slope was such a jarring sight to me. It can't possibly be because blue isn't a natural color in the plant world, as evidenced by some of the fantastic blue flowers I witnessed at Brooklyn Botanic this year.






























Tweedia caerulea, just one of the fantastic plants chosen by Caleb for Brooklyn Botanic's centennial annual border


















The magic of Anne's Centaurea and foxgloves in spring.






























Salvia reptans in the Rose Arc, one of Sarah's late summer bloomers.

Blue: pretty amazing in nature, not so much in the tree pit.