Blue hydrangeas were one of my mother's favorite flowers and from loving her summer gardens filled with blue hydrangeas, they became one of my favorite flowers, too. When I found Nantucket Blue® hydrangeas on sale over Memorial Day weekend, I bought several plants for both my semi-shady front entry courtyard and my back porch.
The entry to our home is a smallest-of-small courtyards, somewhat hidden from the country road, and a challenge for garden plants.
S U M M E R C O U R T Y A R D
B L U E H Y D R A N G E A S
In reality, this front door is supposed to be a back door according to our house plans. However, since the driveway to our house faces the west, we chose to site our house with the front of the house facing the east and shade trees, and use the 'back door' as the main entrance to our house.
Fed-Ex and UPS drivers sometimes get confused and walk around to the back porch to leave package deliveries. Totally understandable.
As you approach the blue front door, the small courtyard is still hidden from view.
Once you step past the corner yaupon holly shrub, you can see the tiny courtyard that is a challenge for what to plant. This west side of the house gets morning shade and part afternoon shade along with another part of the area getting blistering afternoon sun in the height of summer.
For early summer this year, the Nantucket Blue® hydrangeas add beautiful French blue color that coordinates with the color of the front door.
One of the reasons the front door is painted blue is to catch the attention of anyone who is looking for the front door, but obviously does not always work for . . . FedEx and UPS drivers... Of course, the color was also inspired by blue doors all over France.
A reason to plant beautiful, colorful shrubs, in addition to painting a colorful front door, is to highlight the front courtyard and front door to help visitors know where to go to enter the house.
Last fall, we spruced up the courtyard to give the area better curb appeal.
We power-washed the cedar siding, added a metal window box, and planted new boxwood shrubs under the window box shown and along the narrow strip between the old Chicago brick walkway and the house.
The boxwoods did well over the winter, and sprouted lots of new growth this spring. Summer heat is yet to come which will be the new boxwood's final test.
The new blue hydrangea plants are not planted, but instead sit inside French-design flower pots added last fall.
The front courtyard will not be their permanent spot due to the direct afternoon sun this area of the courtyard gets each day in the summer.
Ivy seems to like this semi-shady area and grows well in a large French-design planter. Two kinds of ivy fill the container and spill over the sides to the ground. With a little luck, perhaps the ivy will also grow in the ground around the container. We will not let the ivy grow on the siding of the house since that could damage the wood.
The hydrangea in the flower pot next to the front door will also be moved to a different place since it does not get enough sun on the shaded front porch. Nantucket Blue® hydrangeas are a new variety to me, and the label's directions indicate the plant will re-bloom all summer.
The front courtyard and porch are difficult gardening areas, but ivy is one thing that seems to do well wherever it is planted.
For early summer, the blue hydrangea plants in the entry courtyard bring joie de vivre (joy of living), both when coming into the house and leaving. They remind me of the gorgeous flowers my mother grew all over her yard.
A promise of a beautiful winter courtyard-to-come is the berry-laden holly tree.
~~~~❦~~~~
Thank you for visiting my summer courtyard with blue hydrangeas. See links to more posts you may enjoy.
Create an Inviting Summer Porch for a visit to more blue hydrangeas on the back porch .
Tips to Get Hydrangeas to Bloom shares 5 tips for getting hydrangeas to bloom... and in your favorite color.
Fall Front Porch Decorating Ideas In Color has photos BEFORE and AFTER sprucing up the front entry. See the front entry decorated for Fall using non-traditional Fall colors.
✯ ✯ ✯
While there, take a look at my other boards. I would love for you to follow me on Pinterest. I am finding new pins everyday, and P✯A✯T✯R✯I✯O✯T✯I✯C pins are popping up more and more.
Want to make sure you see every blog post? Then sign up to receive every post delivered straight to your email inbox. Enter your email address in the BLUE BOX at the top of the right sidebar.
Did you know Botanic Bleu is on Instagram? Follow along to see photos NOT on the blog.
I am getting closer and closer to having 500 Instagram followers. Of course, the number of followers is a roller coaster number... up 5 followers one day, down 3 followers the next day.
Perhaps you will be Instagram Follower #500!
Invite your friends and followers to pop over for a visit.
Join me on Instagram
and hang around to see more of my
French-inspired garden and home.
Happy Summer Gardening
