BLUE HYDRANGEAS, OR EVERGREEN TOPICS

Otago Witness, Issue 3774, 13 July 1926, Page 76

BLUE HYDRANGEAS, OR EVERGREEN TOPICS

By

B. D.

(Fob thb Witness.)

A hostess is often confronted with a group of guests who do not “mix” comfortably, and conversation lags in a depressing manner. Let the lady of the house try a simple remedy, which never fails to unloosen the tongues of those apathetic ones who seem content to sit quietly round her comfortable fire, sipping her test Dargeeling You light the fuse by asking Mns Blank, who dabbles in gardening, and keeps a gardener (one day a week), if she can tell you how to grow blue hydrangeas. That simple question is hardly out of your mouth before you see a marked change in the attitude of your visitors. Unconsciously backs stiffen and eyes brighten, cups are emptied, and the last morsel of cake swallowed. All are ready and willing to unfold to you their own personal experiences of the hydrangea family, from the original type to presentday varieties. ‘ .

\lis Blank’s hydrangeas are pink—rose pink, pale pink, plain, and frilled. Some have black stems and some have green, all very beautiful and well grown. But there is a “worm i’ the bud.” Mrs Blank wants blue hydrangeas in her garden. Blue is her favourite colour, and always has been (since the day Mr Blank found her sitting under the cherry tree wearing a blue cottoD frock). She longs to have masses of these soft blue flowers in her drawing room when she gives parties, and to match her blue frocks, which, of course, are no longer made of cotton. But, how to get them ? She sees them blooming just over the wall in her neighbour’s garden. Kind friends give her cuttings. The plants which the nurserymen provide are really and truly blue; but, as the trusses unfold, alas, for the frailty of man’s promises, they turn out to be pink! The vicar’s wife here puts in a word edgeways. She grows hydrangeas, too. All hers are heavenly blue, which goes to show that the hydrangea is a discerning plant, and knows what is expected of it—in the vicar’s garden. Enter the doctor’s wife, wlio scores one up. She grows blue, green, pink, lavender, and white; their individual names have a Chinese sound, and are very hard to spell. They all come up quite naturally, except the blue, which she takes great pleasure in dosing with phosphates of iron, and at times titbits in the way of rusty nails, while old scraps of iron, if placed near the plants, bring forth astonishing results. When clearing tho cupboards in her husband’s surgery, she surreptitiously removes any iron tonics, or pink pills, which she finds lying about. From a scientific point, she has not discovered if these tonics, which she gives the plants, benefit them, but if the effect is the opposite to that produced on humans, sha will be satisfied.

Now and again you may have a group of guests who are not inteiested in garden, ing. Well, there are other topics worth trying, as, for instance, the making of marmalade, but you must chpcxse the right season, and Sevilles, or Poorman’s, must be “in,” and they are only “in” once a year. Oh, the endless variety of those home-made marmalades ! In the good old days, when it wa's proper to be “At home” once a week or twice a month, you could go the rounds of a dozen drawing rooms, an 1 hear a different recipe for marmalade in each. Spring cleaning,, like marmalade, comes but once a year; it interests very few housewives, and is looked upon as the bete-noir of their existence. Still, you do find women, now and again, who thoroughly enjoy telling of tneir dusty experiences, which for the time being cloud the horizon Why should those first exquisite days of spring be so spent? Whether to sningle or not? Here we come to a subject that has been popular with women for a long time, but, having a personal touch, is not quite safe. The woman who has shingled, and realises that her hair is coming in a tinge darker, or a wee bit greyer than she bargained for, is apt to be crisp when, discussing the matter with the pretty matron who still “keeps her hair on,” and whose hubby decrees she shall not shingle, bingle, nor bob. So after all it is best to play for safety, and stick to such topics as the hydrangea. Her habits are inconstant, but she has beauty on her side, and, m consequence, many lovers.