For weeks I’ve been stalking a nearby business that happened to have two of the most profusely blooming hydrangeas that I’ve ever laid eyes on. I would drive by extra slow and wonder in my head if the owner really appreciated the flowers, maybe they were a family heirloom, maybe they were a nuisance?
I told my mom about the bushes the other day while driving with her and my theories on how the people probably love them so much they are their prized possession, watering them all hours of the night or, maybe men own the place and have no idea the treasure that they get to enjoy, just letting them go to waste. I told her how I had thoughts of knocking on the door and asking if I could cut some. I was prepared to trade my car for an armful of these gorgeous blooms.
“I’ll ask them” she said.
And so she did. And my mom met the owner and the owner of the hydrangeas did love and appreciate them.
She told us how easy they were to grow. Then she told me to cut as many as I want as she handed me a razor. I told her I’d just take a few from the back side. “Take them from the front” she said, “Take whatever you want.” As I left with my arms loaded down she asked it I was sure I got enough. I think I uttered something about this being one of the best days of my life.
I brought home an embarrassing amount. When we pulled away, I looked back at the bushes to make sure they didn’t look too bare, you couldn’t even tell I had cut any. I thanked my mom profusely for asking for me while I hid in the car. She told me not to take a picture of her because she hadn’t had a shower yet.
I decided that one day, when my hydrangeas were full and loaded down with the weight of their blooms, I too, would give them to someone who truly appreciates them. I’ll say things like “Cut from the front, take the prettiest ones,” and “are you sure you got enough?”. And that person will let their picture be taken because even though they didn’t have a shower they want to remember the gift.
one of your best posts ever… made me cry.
Beautiful…the business owner, and the flowers! Hydrangeas are easy to propagate. I just did a post about it here:
http://thethriftydesigner.blogspot.com/2010/05/propagating-hydrangeas.html
They are my favorite flower. So glad you got so many , they add so much loveliness to a home.
I LOVE hydrangeas too and was tickled pink when we moved into this house and the previous owners have some outstanding bushes on the side of our deck… yeah for us.
I’ve admired those same bushes! My Mom would have had to go in and ask for me too. I can’t even ask for a discount at a yard sale.
I just went thru the same thing. Down the street from me are these 2 huge bushes, over 5 foot talk with white blooms all over them. They look like hydrangeas but are called the snowball bush. To make matters worse the house sits vacant right now. I was still afraid to take them!!!! The neighbor to this house is a friend so I knocked on her door and asked if she thought they would mind, she said no take all you want! and I did! Tip, to make them last longer smash the ends of the stems with a hammer to open them up so they can get a good drink, and of course change the water everyday! Enjoy!!!
Hydrangeas are my very favorite!!! Those are gorgeous. Did she tell you the “type” or name?
Those are my favorite flowers too!! I, too, drive by houses wondering if the owners understand the beauty they have just outside their doors. At our old house, I had three “Annabelle” hydrangea bushes (they bloom with white flowers) because my youngest daughter’s name is Annabel. I miss those and wonder if the new owner understands the rarety she has. I did however, just get four bushes of my own to plant in my new yard. (these aren’t the Annabelle variety though). Right now the blooms are purplish pink, I kind of hope they stay that way, but I am sure they will turn blue like all the others in this area. Enjoy your blooms, they make your house look even more lovely!
Nester,
Those hydrangeas are absolutely gorgeous! They are my very favorite flower too! I don’t own an hydrangea bush, but I want one so badly. Did she say what type of hydrangea they were? I need to go get that exact kind. :)
Have a great holiday weekend!
This post just makes me say…I LOVE THIS BLOG!
I need to get my hands on some of those flowers!
Great story, brought sunshine to my day.
I love hydrangeas also and can’t wait to plant one in the front of my house. I do have one in the back that I inherited when we moved into this house last summer. But previously, while I loved them, never thought to plant one at my old house. I have no idea why.
How appropriate. I was just last night discussing with my husband how very much I love hydrangeas. I had been doing some reading about their care and it seemed do-able to me, so I had made up my mind. I decided to splurge and buy some plants in hopes of them being the beauty of my front yard one day. Just. last. night. And then this beautiful post. Perfect. I think I’ll go out this afternoon and get some. I am so excited!! …And one day I will give the gift too.
(BTW, Did you see the article in Southern Living mag May 2010 called Life of the Garden Party? It has beautiful pics of a yard FULL of hydrangeas!)
Gaaaww-geous! :o) Bless the sweet hydrangea-owner-lady’s heart!
What a beautiful gift. It is times, like that, that make you have a little more faith in people. Hydrangeas are gorgeous and should be appreciated always. I desperatley want to grow several bushes in my back yard but haven’t found the right location. We don’t get any shade, whatsoever, so I think it might have to wait until our trees are grown and provide some afternoon shade. Until then, though, I will dream of these lovelies and buy several stems from time to time. This is a lovely story and you look so incredibly happy. Have a terrific weekend and enjoy your hydrangeas.
Wait a minute… Did you repaint that blue dresser to white? I love the white dresser with the white lamps and then those vibrant yet soft blue flowers. So fresh, so clean.
Your mom is a real trooper! I need her secrets because I think she looks beautiful in all her pre-shower glory! The hydrangeas you scored are gorgeous. I wonder if that family realizes how many smiles were created today from their gift.:)
Don’t you feel like that’s what God wants for our lives too? He wants us to have the very best! To take from the front, take the biggest and best – not be satisfied with a little, but live abundantly in Him!!
test.
great post.
love the white dresser, where did you find it?
what an exceptional story! thanks so much for sharing it. those hydrangeas are The Perfect color. I’ve wanted to grow some but thought they required all kinds of care to produce those gorgeous blooms. Do you or anyone who’s reading these comments know the proper way to plant & care for hydrangeas?
have a lovely weekend~
OH I love this post, what a completely beautiful moment for you and your mom to share with a lovely stranger. Hydrangea’s are one of my favorite flowers too, I have 6 bushes that surround my house and I can’t wait for them to really bust out with their blooms (our season must be later then where you are). Anyway, thanks so much for sharing, the pictures are so gorgeous of your arrangements with the gifted flowers.
lol’ing at myself….if I had been a thorough comment reader I would’ve seen the first time through where a gracious commenter posted a link about how to propagate hydrangeas. Thank you commenter!
How beautiful! How do you get them to not wilt?
LOVE. I absolutely adore hydrangea and what a fun story of a surprise blessing for you! Enjoy every moment of having those lush, full beauties filling your home!
Beautiful story and gorgeous flowers. I drove past there today after getting my oil changes and admired those same flowers. What life hydrangeas can add to a home! My mother was kind enough to allow me to snip at hers this week, so I was able to make myself a small arrangement that makes me smile each morning over my 2 cups of coffee.
For my wedding nearly 8 years ago I wanted lavender hydrangeas. The florist was unwilling to use hydrangeas for fear that they would wilt before the reception ended. My own sweet mother had been looking for hydrangea bushes around town. She also stalked one home in particular and wondered the same things you wondered about the owner of the bushes. Also like your mother, my mom went with me one day and a pair of scissors, knocked on the door and asked if we could have some blooms and then return on the morning before my wedding to cut more blooms. The owner was generous and the florist was in shock. I have a great mom and my wedding was even more beautiful because of the flowers she found and cut.
Thanks for reminding me of this great anecdote.
Oh they’re just so gorgeous! I’m going to follow that link up there and figure out how to take care of mine. When we moved in, the yard was entirely overgrown-my mother and I dug out all sorts of things, including a tea rose and a hydrangea(no, you couldn’t see them for all the weeds). The hydrangea is doing okay but now that I’m reading up on it, I think it’s in too much sun.
But the biggest surprise was the huge swath of peonies in the back corner of the yard-they get nearly 5 feet tall, tipping over with huge white blooms. I cut huge bouquets to put on the dining table (where my DH’s white cat tries to lie on the table under them and pretend she’s a flower), and give away as many as I can. I’ve divided and moved them every year, and now I have at least 100 plants all over my yard-I look forward to them all year because the peonies blooming means it’s SUMMER!
I heart big poofy flowers!!! The world needs more of them, and more people to share them!
I am insanely jealous. I planted a pink hydrangea in my back yard last year which bloomed twice and this year all I have are large thick leaves… hopefully it will bloom again this year. I CANNOT wait until it gets huge and ridiculous so I can get the blooms from it for the house. Bad thing is I don’t have a lot of patience and these take a while to get huge! LOVED the post!
You probably already know this ,but if you put hydrangea in vases without
water they will dry exactly how you place them. You might have to lose some of the leaves but the flowers will dry beautifully. They are so beautiful.
My youngest daughter is getting married in her backyard and is using
potted hydrangea for the flowers and then planting them in the yard.
They look beautiful in your gorgeous home. What a great post, enjoyed reading it and such a kind neighbor . . kudos to her! Sandy:O)
My best friend has family on Nantucket. I was in awe the first time I visited….hydrangeas everywhere! These are my favorite flower ev-ah! Love them and what a great story!
Hi Nester!
Wow – you have a lot of comments :) How do you get through all those for each post!
I absolutely LOVE the color paint you have on your mirror frame…What is that color? Did you buy it and paint it that color…it is very inspiring :)
Bless you this day!
Becky, it’s just some mixed up color I had laying around, but for the armoire which is painted close to the same color, you can search on the sidebar for ‘painted armioure”
Here is my contact info!
I have the most gorgeous hydrangea bushes at my house (I can say that because I didn’t plant them and can’t take credit for the landscaping). They are so full and overloaded with flowers too. I am absolutely obsessed with them, and keep telling my hubby how they are one of my favorite things in the world and they bring me so much joy. I also keep telling him how this is my favorite time of the year and I can never move because I adore these flowers so much. He officially thinks I’m nuts now. I’m glad I’m not the only one. :)
You probably already know this, but stick them in vases with NO WATER- they’ll dry right where they are and keep their pretty color for at least 2 years.
What a lovely shop owner!
I love this post. nuff’ said.
Glad I’m not the only one who cried! I love this-our big amazing hydrangeas were one of the thing we were most sad to leave when we sold our first house. It broke my heart to drive by a few years later and find them nearly dead. I miss those terribly. Thanks for sharing your great story!
sorry, that anonymous is me-oops.
Gorgeous hydrangreas! They look stunning in your living room. Adding flowers & greenery to a room is such a great way to freshen up the decor – I change it up in my home with different flowers every two weeks.
P.S. Love the photo of you with the big bouquet over your shoulders! Cute. :-)
Oh, I love this post. I know exactly what you mean too. When we vacation at the shore every summer, one of the things I always look forward to the most is swooning over all the homes with big, beautiful hydrangeas surrounding their porches. They just take my breath away. The lovely lady who gave you all those beauties deserves to have such a bounty of hydrangeas. Her spirit and generosity is beautiful all on its own.
They are truly stunning! Hydrangeas are my all time favorite flower, winning the starring role in my wedding day flowers as well! In Seattle they grew like weeds, and I often “stole” clippings from an enormous shrub that grew HIDDEN at my once apartment complex. Hidden I tell you!! Then when we bought our first house there we were blessed with the loveliest, largest lace hydrangea bush you ever did see. It was my prized possession, and I was heartbroken to leave it when we moved to Colorado. Alas, after 5 years in the arid air of CO, I finally have a beautiful, albeit small, potted PINK hydrangea plant on my front porch. I nurture it like I do my own two boys!
I love this story. I had a similar experience when I asked for some apples on the ground below an apple tree. The owner became a friend who blessed our family for many years with apples and grapes. She was thrilled to share with someone who appreciated the fruit.
your mom sounds brave!! so willing to do something nice for her dtr, while you hide! that’s hilarious!!
I love the “endless summer” hydrangea variety… they grow well in our wet OR climate!!
Great story and the flowers are beautiful.
And no plug for the business? C’mon, where are your manners!?
Generosity must make them grow so heartily. Please give us the details on how to make them look that beautiful!
What a wonderful feel-good story of generosity. Don’t we all need to be reminded–thank you! I know you must be reveling in those two HUGE beautiful arrangements. :)
And, oh, my, your family photos are amazing!
plant one plant on each side of your house and see what happens. If there is a question on money, ask the nice lady if you could take cuttings. grow them and plant them and pass them on when you get the chance. the goddess will approve.
What a lovely story and a very kind gesture.
Thanks for sharing.
Your mom is so beautiful.
Loved this post. Seriously, they are one of my favorite things in the world. I just love them, especially purple ones and have played with adding acid, pennies, and different fertilizers tothe soil to get the right color. I enjoyed your story. The woman was your kindred spirit for sure. Have you ever seen the outside of The Barefoot Contessa’s house? There are photos of it in some of her books. One entire side of the house is lined with hydrangeas. That is what I would love to create. I hope yours stay colorful and you can enjoy them for a long time.
My best-
Diane
How lovely! Could you loan out your mom to go riding around with me? I have several houses here that have beautiful landscapes that I love to look at and am too bashful to go up to their doors and tell them I love their yards!