For the Love of Hydrangeas

I have a love/hate relationship with my hydrangeas. 

I love them when they're blooming and they're loving me right back, looking so happy to see me every day that they can't wait to give me gorgeous, long-lasting blooms. That's pretty much what our relationship is like right now. They bring the awesome every single day.

But I hate when they go dormant. That's when I spend a lot of time staring at their spindly brown stalks during the winter months and I wring my hands impotently and have an ongoing running internal monologue in which I argue (with myself) about whether this might be the year that they're not going to come back. And why do they hate me so much?? (Remember, I'm Cuban. The drama comes as natural to me as breathing.)

Ah, but look. This was taken just at the beginning of spring and after their first good fertilizing with Scotts Miracle-Gro®. See those little tiny buds? They're getting ready to bring the awesome that they're capable of.

Of course, I then have to remind myself that that is all part of the wonder and promise of gardening. Things that appear dead and gone return. Life finds a way and all is right with the world again. Joy and miracles exist in the world and nowhere is there a better reminder of this than in my garden.

I have found every product I need to give my hydrangeas the love they need and deserve available from my local Walmart. Plus all the encouragement I need from the Scotts Miracle-Gro® Mi Jardinalidad website. Find the link to Planting Hydrangeas under Tips & Tricks.

Just make sure when you're fertilizing these lovelies that you don't pour fertilizer on the leaves, they tend to burn easily. And that you give them plenty of water. 

For all you good homeschooled kids, like my own, you'll already know (because Latin and Greek were always on our list of Things to Know About If You Want To Be A Good Human, but that's not important right now) that the name hydrangea comes from the Greek “hydor,” meaning water, and “angos,” meaning jar or vessel. This roughly translates to “water barrel,” referring to the hydrangea’s need for plenty of water and its cup-shaped flower. You're welcome.

Artsy photo of Jonathan watering the hydrangeas.

So for now, my hydrangeas and I are enjoying a mutual love affair that will probably last through the summer. Thanks, Scotts Miracle-Gro® for helping me cultivate the awesome. 

Remember to always read and follow label directions for the referenced products.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Scotts . The opinions and text are all mine.