Hydrangeas and endless Summer Days

Hydrangeas are reminders of endless Summer days that seem to go on forever. Summer images of these beautiful lacy, star-shaped flowers packed together in delightful plate-sized pompoms, always delight me. I would have to say without equivocation Hydrangeas are my favourite flowers. They never fail to delight with a beautiful show for months in the garden and as cut flowers they last for weeks, gradually fading to lovely dried flowers in the softest of autumnal hues.

Before I take you on a virtual stroll of our Hydrangeas in the garden, a cautionary word.......I got a little carried away with my little camera.......again! Alas, there are a gazillion happy snaps of my favourite flower. You might want to pull up a comfy chair and pour yourself a bottomless cup of tea. I humbly apologise from the outset, for the overload of Hydrangea gorgeousness, but I am guessing all you lovelies way up there in your frigid, wintry wonderland could do with a little sprinkling of pretty colour in your snow-filled day. AND....those of you fellow Aussies who live on the mainland....well your Hydrangeas (if indeed you have any) would be frizzled to an to an inch of their botanical lives with all the sweltering, blistering Summer days you have been experiencing!

Upon entering the front gate, I can't help but feel a sense of cheeriness as I amble through.

Our garden plays host to many different cultivars in colours of whites, pinks, mauves, purples, crimsons and blues. I think at last count we have 45 of these gorgeous shrubs and yes, there is still room for some more.

One could say Hydrangeas bestow oodles of WOW....NOW!!

Now you know I couldn't stop at photographing the Hydrangeas in the garden. I had to.....had to capture a little sense of theatre.....a little drama. It wouldn't be me if I didn't add a prop or two. =)

This beautiful vintage kimono was gifted to me by my two daughters for a birthday a couple of years ago. Isn't it beautiful. My girls know their mother  so very well. I guess it is all those Sunday afternoon drives when they were young, which usually ended up a shop or two filled with antiques, vintage pretties, bric-a-brac......which was always followed by a debriefing at a cafe where a coffee, iced chocolates and a slice or two of chocolate mud cake were enjoyed. Yes indeed, those Sunday drives of yesteryear are what fun, familial memories are made of.

My vintage kimono, swatches of kimono silks and a gorgeous ginger jar summate a wonderful sense of Asian exotic-ness.

A lace curtain, a candelabra and Hydrangeas in a pretty, iron basket.......al fresco, can be an excellent thing..............

........as can a gold frame!

Of course, Miss Maisie had to join in the fun. Miss Maisie has lost all her fuzziness. She has taken off her fur coat for the Summer. I rather miss her fuzzy, bad hair days.

I could earn a fortune hiring out Miss Maisie for photo shoots. All I say is "stay" and she does. No growling at her.....no doggy treats as bribes......she just loves to smile at the camera.

And.......what is a sweet puppy dog without her loving Lord and Master to sit with her!

I love this photo. It is very Downton Abbey-esque, isn't it. When I arose at 5.00am  to set up this photo shoot, (all the photography had to be accomplished before the sun rose) I didn't intend to take a photo of either my good husband or indeed Miss Maisie. As is always the case with these things, it just was one of those on-the-spur-of-the-moment kinda things. My good husband was gardening nearby dressed in his dirty gardening garb, when I thought what a wonderful photo it would be if he was sitting 'on set', in more formal attire, on a rather royal looking chair (which I tarted up ages ago) partaking in a cup of tea. He scrubs up pretty well for an old fella. He certainly looks very dapper and suave and as for Miss Maisie, well she looks rather adorable, too!

Aah yes......a cup of tea. How is your cuppa going?? Do you need a refill yet?? Not to worry, you may get up from that comfy sofa now and go about your day. Thank you for 'sitting out' the distance with me. Sometimes, just sometimes............I do tend to get a little carried away.

Oh well........until the next time.