A Year of Gratitude – July 3, 2024

My gratitude was lime green today. It won’t stay that way for very long. These Annabelle hydrangeas border the front porch on the farmhouse. I can mark the seasons by them.

My mom first planted these hydrangeas not long after we moved into the farmhouse. They were small and sparse, but I had always dreamed of having hydrangeas and was so happy to have a few of them bloom the second year.

Since then, what were a few leggy stems has grown into a thick hedge of hydrangea. It is so prolific here, as if they were always meant to be grown in this spot.

Nothing seems to deter them. Heavy snow falls off the roof on top of the spot where they are planted every winter. The summer sun can be brutal in this spot on a hot afternoon. Yet they keep right on thriving.

Their blooms start out this amazing lime green color. The little petals aren’t much different in color than the giant leaves on this hydrangea. Then, gradually, the petals will grow larger and their color will begin to change. Every day, the brilliant green will fade just a bit. It will be almost imperceptible.

And then, one morning, I will walk by these basketball sized blooms and see that they aren’t green any longer. Instead, they will be white to off white with just the faintest hint of the lightest green you can imagine. They’ll stay that way until fall starts to arrive.

We’ve got a few months before we need to start thinking about that. For now, I’m going to enjoy this gorgeous green and the tiny leaves. Like so many things in life, they won’t be around for very long, so I want to appreciate them while they are.

This post is part of our A Year of Gratitude Series. You can find the introduction, inspiration, and entire year’s gratitude’s posts here.