Blue Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) card

Blue hydrangeas are basically the horticultural mascot of Cape Cod. There is a Hydrangea festival each July where private gardens are open to the public and local institutions hold lectures - all to showcase this striking shrub. There are very few true blue flowers found in nature, and Hydrangea macrophylla needs acidic soil to keep its blooms blue - otherwise they can be purple or even pink (which are both nice, too, unless you are one of the blue-obsessed ;) Blue Hydrangeas grow well on Cape Cod due to the acidic, well-drained soil and temperate winters. However, in recent years the weather has become erratic, leading some of the older cultivars to suffer: they lose their buds to frost and are even dying back. Some of the newer cultivars are hardier, with improved stem bud survival and repeat blooming on new growth of the season. If you have a friend who is blue hydrangea obsessed, lost your buds this year, or just want to see them year-round, bring this card into your life and chase away the hydrangea blues!