Thursday, February 11, 2010

My high desert hydrangea (For Raymona)

Raymona has been laughing about this since last year. On Mother's Day 2009, my daughter contacted a florist in Santa Fe, and asked them to send me a live blooming plant for Mother's Day that would do well in the climate in Santa Fe.

We have summers that are hot and dry. So -- they sent me a hydrangea -- which loves cool wet weather. Raymona thought this was the funniest choice for Santa Fe - and even funnier that a local florist would not know better.

I watered the heck out of that plant all last summer, and kept it in the shade of our front portal. In the fall all the leaves fell off and the darn thing looked dead. But I brought it indoors and have continued to water it all winter.

Well ... it is coming back to life... and it looks like it is going to be healthy. Maybe by Mother's Day 2010 it will be blooming again. I will tell my daughter so she doesn't have to buy me another Mother's Day gift.

MOTHER'S DAY 2009:



TODAY:


6 comments:

Bag Blog said...

That looks like some of my plants. My mother gave me what she called a "prayer plant" one year. I thought it was just ugly leaves and put it in my southwest window in NM and watered it occastionally. The thing prospered and even bloomed. My mother was amazed that my prayer plant bloomed. I told her it was the prayer :)

WasSoggyInSeattle said...

LOVE IT!!! If you keep it moist and mostly shady it should be fine. It actually looks like ours would look during the winter.

Maybe the florist knew what they were doing after all...

emmachas said...

Thank you for posting!! We are preparing to move from the coastal south to Santa Fe. Much to DH's dismay, I refuse to leave my beloved hydrangeas behind. I'm thrilled to know they have a fighting chance of survival there!

Towanda said...

Hi Charlotte,
Great news about your move to Santa Fe. I hope you will love it here as much as we do. And I hope your hydrangeas will love it here, too!

emmachas said...

Thank you, Towanda. We love the history, the culture, the spirit of your area. And now I know you also have an active republican party??? Wow! That's more shocking than the hydrangea survival!!!;)
When I googled 'hydrangea santa fe' I expected nothing, zero, zilch. When I commented on your blog, I thought I was on Gardenweb.
Love your blog---so glad I found it!

Towanda said...

Charlotte,
John and I love to welcome newcomers to our area, and we also like to answer any questions relocating folks might have. We've met some really nice people this way.

Send an email to me at towanda1946@yahoo.com if you have any questions we can answer for you.