During my childhood, I was fascinated to see a large colorful plant with round pink or blue flowers.  I was too young to understand why most plants had pink flowers and I would see a blue flower every so often.  So I decided to research and write about the Hydrangeas.

Pink Hydrangeas

The plant with the beautiful flowers is popular again.  There are many more varieties and colors available today.  Hydrangeas comes in other colors such as green, white, with variation of pink and blues almost purple in addition to the traditional pink and blue.  Some varieties have smaller flowers and foliage that will change to fall colors.

In the yard, Hydrangea plants are happy with moist-well drained soil and some shade especially in hotter climates.  The plant will not bloom if there is too much shade, improper pruning and drastic change in weather.

The flower can be used as cut flower provided the flower is treated properly.  If the flower is not properly treated, the Hydrangeas will wilt.  The flowers are very popular in arrangements especially for weddings.

Pink or blue is determined by aluminum in the soil and is necessary to produce the blue pigment in the hydrangeas.  Most garden soils have adequate aluminum, but the aluminum is not available to the plant when the pH soil is high.  If the pH is too high, you can purchase Alum in the spice section of the grocery store and add the proper mixture to change the color to blue.  Alum is used for pickling recipes as a preservative to retain the crunch for fruits and vegetables.

I recently purchased a pink Hydrangea and looking forward to changing the color of my plant to blue next year.

As someone who owns a website about floral arrangements, I figured that this post about the famous cherry blossoms in Washington D.C. might be of interest to you.

The Cherry Blossom in DC is home to The National Cherry Blossom Festival. The festival is a two-week, annual event that celebrates springtime in Washington, DC as well as the 1912 gift of the cherry blossom trees and the long lasting friendship between the people of the United States and Japan. This year, the event began on March 27th and went through April 11th, with a parade on Saturday, April 10th beginning at 10am.

Cherry Blossom, Washington DC

Prior to this intangible peace treaty, 19th century imperialism drew clear lines of separation between these two great nations. Through it’s strict policy of isolation, Japan remained untouched by western ways until the Treaty of Amity (1854). Although, feelings of mistrust and resentment continued to ride due to early U.S. Naval Leaders gunboat diplomacy upon Japan. In order to lessen tensions and restore peace, mutual Cherry and Flowering Dogwood tree offerings were given.

Other DC Attractions include multiple festivals, museums, monuments, and more. The National Cherry Blossom Festival, Inc., is a non-profit organization that coordinates, produces, and supports creative and diverse activities promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty and the environment, and community spirit and youth education. It also marks the beginning of peak season for an influx of tourists to Washington, also brought in by the thousands of historical landmarks, museums, and other buildings. Some of the most popular DC Tours include Hop-On-Off Double-Decker Bus, Discover DC Segway Safari, Mount Vernon & Arlington Cemetery, and Washington DC After Dark.