Hydrangea
“Hydra” means water, and hydrangeas  like plenty of it. They reward you with plentiful blooms: lacecaps, mopheads and panicles, depending on the variety. The native hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf) is undaunted by cold winters, and this year, the shrubs look spectacular with branches shooting up 7 feet and dangling white panicles over the iron fence. The foliage of this hardy shrub turns deep red and purple in autumn. The flowers of the Oakleaf hydrangea can be collected at the end of the growing season and used in dry arrangements.

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