Cottage Garden: Annabelles In Bloom

The garden took a beating with a big thunderstorm on Monday, and I need to go out and tie up my Annabelle Hydrangea.

These come from my Annabelle bush across the creek on our property. They are under a mulberry tree and were some what protected.

A nice young friend, who is a gardener gave me two small bushes from his garden several years ago. He was dividing his Annabelles and offered me some. I was very happy to be on the receiving end!

I love that about gardeners. They are very giving. When I first started gardening, almost all of my plants were from friends' gardens. We are always in need of dividing perennials. I can't tell you how many shasta daisy were divided out to friends from my own garden.

I also save seed every year from my hollyhocks, and my poppies, and I share those as well.

Today when I tie up the Annabelles, I'll also do a bit of deadheading on the roses, and clip some flowers from my daylilies, feverfew, gooseneck loosestrife, and maybe some echinacea. This is why I garden, friends!

Here is an arrangement of roses from my garden last year.