Oakleaf hydrangeas

The bees are going absolutely mad over the oakleaf hydrangeas now. Everytime we walk by the hydrangeas clouds of bees come billowing up ~ bees of every sort, although mostly sweat bees (Halictus rubicundus). The front of the house smells like a florist's shop. I can't remember if there was this much bee activity around the hydrangeas in past years, but there certainly is this year! Still not enough to disturb the lounging orange cat. :)

Sweat bee ~ these bees are fast as lightening.

A psychedelic fly basking in the beauty

Carpenter Bee

The bees are after the flowers beneath the sterile florets.

While many of the flowers on the 'Pee Wee' hydrangeas
on the north side of the house are still a dazzling ivory

some are splashed with pink and the flowers of the 'Dayspring' hydrangea on the east side of the house have turned rose pink the last couple of days. Since the one on the east side gets more sun it always flowers earlier. Masha asked if the hydrangeas turn color here and they do. I love the fall color; like many of the blueberry bushes, it starts out a deep burgundy which eventually brightens to crimson. The color of the hydrangeas on the north side is not as consistent. Some years they freeze before they can change color because they change so late.

'Pee Wee' is supposed to top out at 4' but after just four years it's nearly there already; however, it'd have to get to double that size before it was up over the porch railing and starting to be too big. 'Dayspring' will probably easily get to 8' one day.