hurray, Boxofrox bouquets! so now I can stop my pacing and handwringing... my calm before the wait! hahaha!

I love the White Eden... birthday commemoration bouquet, now that! will be so beautiful!

My roses too are getting ready for the next big bloom fest!!

Gorgeous bouquet!!!

You make a lot of bouquets for other people if you're making 6-8/week!!! How generous!!

I hope they appreciate you!! :)

Carol

My wife used to be the office manager at a large retirement center so she could keep an eye on her dad. She became very close with a lot of the women and even after her father died, we have stayed close. Her stepmother still lives there. I get to enjoy them in the garden, have the joy of cutting and arranging them, and the real payday is seeing the eyes light upon delivery. Plus most of them have been dinner guests at one time or another and have seen them in their native habitat :-)

Wow! Super nice arrangement! Everything you post is always really nice! My wife says she loves it too!

JIM

Thanks Jim, that's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all day and tell your wife she has great taste ;-)

it's now Saturday, Happy Commemoration Birthday to your Dad, Boxofrox! be sure to send him my hellos and happy Bday wishes!

How sweet are you !!!! I went very early this AM and it was so calm and peaceful, it kind of made my day :-) This one looks a lot like yesterdays because of what's blooming.

Tomorrow we have some friends coming over who haven't been here since right after I started. In the sunroom, I have this lime green vase that's about 2' tall that I'm going to make a special one in. I'll post it tomorrow AM.

{{gwi:1259099}}

I like the way the white blooms are inward and the color blooms are on the outside on the second arrangement. Again, very nice!

I am sure your Dad is enjoying his wonderful sunshine-of-a-bouquet! Hugs and many warm thoughts to you and your Dad... I still call my Dad, Daddy, lots of times too! Good Dads are so very special with a heart 'o gold... This day must be such a day of wonderful memories...cheers!

Which is that purple-ish hydrangea in the back? That is pretty cool with the blue centers!

That is Glowing Embers, I put it at the entrance to my memory garden because the name kind of suggested a fond memory to me :-) I generally like lacecaps a little more because of the interest but GE is such a great shrub and bloomer that I added several more elsewhere. This is the first year I noticed that blue center, perhaps it's just that I cut it a bit early. This is from last year...........

{{gwi:243710}}

I really like your Glowing Embers, Boxofrox! it gives a really nice color and contrast. So which plants are growing in your Memory Garden besides the Hydrangea? By the way, I am thinking hydrangeas are normally not planted by roses right? They seem to have huge!!! super gigantic tough roots! I was shocked at how thick and huge those things are and how deep and difficult they are to get out... I had this really scary looking sterile hydrangea from the previous home owner; a bunch of dead stick-like looking things that looked really unsightly. I asked my BF to dig it out because I wanted to plant some mountain laurel and was planning to put in 2 roses in that same lot... But still another offshoot has appeared...but no flower stalks...Do I need to transplant this offshoot? Thanks!

How often do those Hydrangeas bloom for you?
Wonder how they would bloom in our zone??? ( zone5/6)

serenasyh,

The memory garden has the rose Brandy for a young girl/business associate that was murdered. A Hinoki cypress is for another young neighbor girl who died at 30 and left two kids behind. Three Abraham Darby for my late father in law. Betty Boop for the pom we lost. The Dark Lady is for my late mother in law who had dark hair and eyes. Not everything in there has sad reasons, there are 3 hydrangea shrubs, one climbing hydrangea, two camelias, one rosa rugosa, the LD Braithwaite is also in there along with some Magic Carpet spiraea and another rose, Sexy Rexy.

Jim,
The hydrangeas bloom nonstop from now until frost. I have 3 Glowing Embers, 2 Nikko Blue, Blue Bird, Blue Wave, Preziosa, Angel Lace, Buttons and Bows, and Big Smile and love them all. They give me huge pop in the shady areas of my garden.

Jim, I have a first year Endless Summer Hydrangea....probably the most well known and you can find it anywhere. I live in Columbus along z5-6 and it does perfectly fine as far as growth and blooming. It is only in it's first year, but it won't be as floriferous as other hydrangea varieties. I like the variation in coloring from blue to purple to pink though. Hydrangeas can vary in size and hardiness and some people also winter protect them similarly to roses. Word of caution for hydrangeas though....as I learned the hard way....keep them out of mid day sun. They like east facing walls and morning sun only or evening sun only. Endless Summer wilts REALLY bad in the heat. Hydrangeas are really thirsty plants as well.

Thanks Jeffcat, I have one major problem, mostly all of our planting areas gets alot of sun.

JIM

My calm is getting a little more stormy, I went out and shot a few this AM..........

This is the same White Eden spray that I posted before vacation so it is like 17-18 days old now........can't believe it's still with me :-)

{{gwi:1259100}}

Blaze of Glory

{{gwi:1259101}}

Betty Boop

{{gwi:1259102}}

Flower Carpet

{{gwi:1259103}}

Yesterdays Bouquet

{{gwi:1259105}}

Dahlia

{{gwi:1259106}}

Big Smile Hydrangea

{{gwi:1259107}}

Phlox

{{gwi:1259108}}

You have very nice flowers and garden! Can't wait until we get ours built back up.

JIM

I can believe they are still there. :-) My White and Red Eden have the longest lasting blooms by far...although I mostly have Austins. It's very likely for Red and White Eden to still look great for 3+ weeks with the same blooms. It's quite impressive to me at how long the lifespan of the blooms are.

Many sad stories Boxofrox, but your garden celebrates the joys the people gave in their lives...

I haven't been a turtle, delayed stalker unlike my usual self--alas! have had a schlew of research, letters I'm still in the midst of writing...

But just wanted to say how I love the new photos too... Blaze of Glory is blazing HOT! as is Betty Boop, Flowering Carpet... I bet the bees and butterflies love your Big Smile Hydrangea...

I always enjoy your beautiful bouquets---I think it is wonderful that you share them with the people in the retirement home.I'm sure they really enjoy them---Bet there are many folks there who would love to get their hands in the dirt.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful roses with all of us.

Florence

Thanks guys, it really does bring us joy to share a little of ourselves. Nothing seems to say to them how much you really care like a smile, some kind words and a hand picked bouquet especially when they aren't expecting it :-)

Whilst my roses are all budded up and getting ready to re-bloom, my dahlias, gladiolas and hydrangeas are all coming into full glory. Here's a couple from this evening at dusk..........

{{gwi:1259109}}

{{gwi:1259110}}

{{gwi:1259112}}

Very colorful and lively! the color scheme reminds me of "Chicago Peace" but without the rose shape and rose petals....

and fragrance :-)

Very colorful indeed!

JIM

OMG, your bouquets took my breath away. I'm serious. I have my first hydrangeas and I just stand there starring at them. I want to put some in a vase with bee balm and roses and I am scared to death to cut them. They are called all summer hydranges but I'm scared they won't grow back or I'll cut wrong and ruin next yrs blooms. That's what I read anyway. You have made my day. Your love and consideration of others is rewarded in other ways for sure but it sure shows in your flowers. Thank you for posting hese pics. Donna

You are so welcome Donna. I agree that hydrangeas add a lot to mixed bouquets, especially with roses. Cutting flower stems and pruning need not frighten you, hey if I can do it anyone can ;-)

I spent all day at my nieces yesterday planting new plants for her. She so wanted some hydrangeas and roses, so I picked her up three different mopheads and a lacecap, two rosa rugosas, a ninebark, and a barbary. We got them all planted yesterday along with a Pretty Jessica rose that I had given her as a deck building present. It was in the 90's and I m gassed but that look on her face was priceless :-)

This is one of my favorites......Blue Wave

{{gwi:243713}}

I can see why it's your favorite. I believe we are so blessed to have this love and appreciation for flowers and nature. I have friends that could care less and I always feel sorry for them. We are so lucky. Donna

Donna,
I really agree with you in the word that we are all so close to nature and that we are very blessed to be able to grow these beautiful flowers and share them. The flower bouquets in these photos are just glorious. Boxofrox, you are very talented and you have grown lovely roses and hydrageas. I have really enjoyed your pictures. Lesley

very cool that Bluewave! I am worried that I am nourishing a weed instead of hydrangea... it hasn't bloomed at all yet, but the leaves look like the hydrangea, hmmmmmm....

so hydrangeas and roses can grow in the same area?

Lesley and Donna, I hear ya on the we are really blessed front not just to enjoy but to share with others. It's that double portion thing. Thanks to both of you for your kind words.

serenasyh, most hydrangeas need shade unlike most roses. They do pretty much like the same soil and fertilizer though. The one thing that is different is you choose between blue and pink on some by simply choosing a more acid or alkaline treatment before bloom.

Thanks Boxofrox on your tips about the hydrangeas...Hopefully the lone ranger won't end up being a weed (cross my fingers)...

Boxofrox, I have one question for you. Since you've made such labor-intensive garden renovations I am thinking perhaps you may have run into a similar situation like Jim's? He has a huge! rock in his garden-- like 5' long and 3' deep... Any suggestions you might have for him in terms of getting that gigantic rock out? I was thinking perhaps a rented drill? Is there such a thing... what can one do?

I'd probably try to get a backhoe or incorporate the space with some sort of hardscape or water feature over the top of it. Without being there or knowing what his plans are for the overall scheme of things, those would be two options.