My favorites

Hydrangeas have a very special place in my heart and memory. My Nan had a large garden and loved it so much. By her backdoor she had hydrangeas, I distinctly remember her sprinkling them with epsom salts to change the composition of their soil, it was supposed to make them blue instead of white - or is it white instead of blue, I'm sure mum will help me with that. As a child i remember picking their massive blooms and pretending they were a bridal bouquet.

20 years later I got married and had my hydrangea bouquet (i'll post a picture shortly), I had a bunch of white and my bridesmaid a bunch of blue. My very special Aunty Jean was so excited about the wedding and we had some wonderful phone conversations about how my plans were going. She thought it was a great idea to have hydrangeas as she didn't like "all those fussy modern arrangements" Unfortunately she couldn't attend the day and passed away not long after, but two of my fondest memories of the times were with her. In the week before the wedding we visited her and she showed me the last of the big white flowers outside her door. Even more special was immediately after the wedding when we arrived back in Melbourne, Tino and I visted her. We sat and went through every one of the 300 photos, she wanted to see every one, every single one. I showed her my dress and gave her my bouquets to keep. She played such a big part in the lead-up, if she couldn't be there I was going to make sure she felt like she was.

The apartment building I now live in has about a dozen hydrangea plants scattered through the gardens, this is such a beautiful time of year as they are all coming out. My whole area of London seems to have a lot of them, and I have never seen so many varieties, the bushes are lush and thick and the blooms are enormous.

I spent Saturday putting my apartment back together after the painting whilst hubby was off cycling in the Italian mountains. As a little reward for my hard work I decided I'd buy myself flowers. On my way out to the cinema that evening I noticed a bush in the garden with all shades of pink, mauve and blue - my plans were hatched, I didn't need to pay for flowers at all. Upon my return, I grabbed my secateurs and crept accross the gravel to gather this amazing bunch under the cover of darkness!! I felt sure someone was going to shout at me from an overlooking window, I felt so clandestine!! My mum always told me not to take flowers from other people's gardens and instilled in me a sense of guilt when doing so - but is it stealing if I take it from a communal garden where I live?

As I look at them, admiring how pretty they are and how amazing the colours are, they bring back so many memories. At this rate, I don't think my moonlit raid will be the last....