This is getting to be my favorite time of year!  The hydrangeas are just starting their show!  Actually some have been blossoming for a few weeks now but the others are coming on strong now!   Driving down the driveway it is dark through the woods and when we enter our yard – the hydrangeas light up like bright beacons!

Our Limelight Hydrangea tree has just started to open it’s blossoms and in another week or so will be very bright!

I have mentioned in posts through the season that we try different plants for full sun in the woods.  Some don’t work but the one that really works is our

Rudbeckia Goldsturm.  We have two different areas – one with about 5 hours of sun and a second area that gets only 2-3 hours of sun.  Both do exceptionally well.  Since this is one perennial that has a long bloom period – we will have bright yellow blossoms from now until the frost comes.  They self-seed and over time – have filled in along our boulder wall to the north and we have seed heads that we leave over the winter for the birds.   These have been blooming for a couple of weeks already in areas with full sun.  That is about the only trade-off I have seen – is that it takes a little longer for the blooms to appear!