Hydrangea Helpline

The popularity of hydrangeas has grown in recent years – and that could be the result of Martha’s love of the blooms.

Last summer, someone gave me a potted hydrangea as a hostess gift. It flourished inside, but when I moved it outside, it met a quick demise. This year I set out to avenge its untimely death.

In the spring, I bought a plant of the Endless Summer variety at my local nursery. I planted it in an area in my backyard that gets morning sun and afternoon shade, per the instructions. I water it almost daily, feeding it coffee grounds and Miracle Grow on a regular basis. It is definitely growing. The leaves look healthy. But it has not flowered yet!

I even purchased the plant a “friend” at the grocery store. I picked up an already flowering hydrangea in a pot and placed it nearby, just in case my plant needed some pollination help or something. Still no flowers.

This is driving me crazy! I’m determined to have lovely hydrangea blossoms this summer.

Does anyone have tips for me? I live in Zone 8 (Northern California). My plant gets full sun until a little after noon. Then it gets almost full shade for the rest of the day. Let me know if there is any other info you green thumbs out there need to prescribe a flower fix for my poor hydrangea!

If your hydrangeas are already blooming, I’m jealous! Check out the lovely things you can do with your blooms, à la Martha:

Cutting and propagating hydrangeas
Keeping hydrangeas fresh
Rehydrating hydrangeas
Hydrangea tray craft
Hydrangea wreath craft
Hydrangea wedding centerpiece

Lollipop Cupcakes with Martha

What could be more perfect for the coming Summer season than these adorable Lollipop Cupcakes? These would be a great project for older kids, especially at a slumber party or birthday party. Set up a sprinkle and lollipop station and let them decorate to their hearts content.

You will need:

Vanilla cupcakes
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Colored Sprinkles
Lollipops

Martha says, "The cupcakes can be baked a week ahead and frozen, but decorate them no more than a day before serving. Set up an assembly line, and put kids in charge of affixing candy eyes, gumdrop cheeks, and other trimmings. Pack the cupcakes in a shallow plastic container, and stuff crumpled waxed paper in between. Then dole them out and watch kids marvel for a second before opening wide!"

Vanilla Cupcakes
Makes 24 - Recipe from MarthaStewart.com

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups milk

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl, beat in vanilla.
2. Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl to assure the batter is thoroughly mixed. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling papers about 2/3 full. Bake on the center rack of the oven until tops spring back to touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
   
   
   

Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Makes about 9 cups, enough for about 28 cupcakes - Recipe from MarthaStewart.com

• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 10 large egg whites
• 4 cups (8 sticks or 2 pounds) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Place sugar and egg whites in the heat-proof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers; it should feel completely smooth.
2. Transfer bowl to mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until mixture has cooled completely and formed stiff and glossy peaks, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated after each addition. Don't worry if the buttercream appears curdled after all the butter has been added; it will become smooth again with continued beating. Add vanilla, and beat just until combined.
4. Switch to the paddle attachment, and beat on the lowest speed to eliminate any air pockets, about 5 minutes. If using buttercream within several hours, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature in a cool environment. Or transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator, up to 3 days. Before using, bring buttercream to room temperature, and beat on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Image from MarthStewart.com

Mother's Day Jelly Bean Flower Arrangement

Mother's Day is but a week away and Martha has a simple but fun flower arrangement idea.

You will need:
1 bunch flowers
2 vases, they should nest inside one another
1 bag jelly beans, either all one color or a variety to compliment the color of your flowers

Martha instructs us to:

"Center the smaller vase inside the larger one. Roll a piece of paper into a funnel, and carefully pour the jelly beans into the space between the two vases. Fill the smaller vase halfway with a solution of one gallon water, one teaspoon sugar, and a few drops of bleach; be careful not to get the jelly beans wet.

Remove all the foliage from the tulips, and keeping the blooms even, gather the stems into your hand and fasten them with a rubber band. Cut the stems to a length of five to six inches long, and carefully insert them into the smaller vase. Check the water level daily, adding more as needed."

Image from MarthaStewart.com

How My Garden Grows

A few new pots of impatiens on my porch.

The weather is gorgeous here in Northern California this weekend, so I decided yesterday that it was time to plant my seasonal flowers and vegetables. Before embarking on this task, I did a quick search on Martha’s site to see if she had any wisdom to impart. I came across this article that offers 10 tips for spring gardening. Below is a summary of the article, noting how I “appropriated” her advice.

1. Survey the yard: Martha says to make note of trees that need to be trimmed, things that need to be repaired, etc. Hooray! – I’m already ahead of her. I know exactly where things stand in my yard and I’ve “hired an arborist,” a.k.a. my husband, like she recommends.

2. Order tools and plants: I have a basic arsenal of gardening tools, so I hit up our local nursery and picked up my flowers and veggies.

3. Get ready to mow: This is my husband’s department. He keeps the lawn pretty tidy despite ignoring Martha’s suggestions to regularly sharpen the lawnmower’s blades and change its sparkplugs.

4. Prune trees and shrubs: Check! My “arborist” and I did this a few weekends ago when the weather was nice.

5. Take a soil test: Martha says to test your soil’s pH. Seriously?? I skipped this one.

6. Prepare new beds: I did not spread compost or manure as per Martha, but I did weed and rake all areas before planting.

7. Plant: Oops! Martha recommends doing all planting on a cool, cloudy day. Yesterday was neither cool nor cloudy, and I have the sunburn to prove it.

8. Fertilize: The array of fertilizers at the nursery made my head spin. I bought the most generic-looking one, simply labeled “plant and flower food.” It must be better than nothing, right? Besides, the article says to reference that darn pH test that I skipped.

9. Start a compost pile: Gross! No thanks.

10. Clean bird feeders and baths: Yay, I’m done! I don’t have any of these.

So, I did not quite meet Martha standards in today’s gardening adventure. But I think I did pretty darn good for a busy girl on a budget.

How do you get your yard ready for spring planting? I’d love to hear any tips or tricks.