 Among the many gardens of the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, there is one garden you must see with blooms in every shade of blue, pink, and purple. During the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, you can visit private gardens – large and small – from Falmouth to Provincetown, Massachusetts.  Through the gate to a private garden. The Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival is an annual celebration of the region’s signature flower. Missed the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival? You can still see thousands of hydrangea blooms at Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich. Mal Condon, The Hydrangea Guy  The Condon home in Yarmouth Port. You can get garden inspiration by visiting gardens of various types and sizes during the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival. But there is one stop you must make. This not-so-secret garden in Yarmouth Port is hydrangea heaven.  Mal Condon in his Yarmouth Port garden. Known as The Hydrangea Guy, Mal Condon was educated as an engineer and has joked, “Typical of engineers, I know a lot about very few things; one of them is hydrangeas.”  Hydrangeas in the Condon garden. In 1966, Mal and Mary Kay Condon moved from western Massachusetts to the island of Nantucket off Cape Cod. The Condons started growing and propagating hydrangeas, eventually starting a business. In 2014, the Condons relocated to Yarmouth Port on Cape Cod. Not surprisingly, their 3-acre property is filled with hydrangeas.  Artist painting in the Condon garden. During the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, you can see artists at their easels in the gardens.  Mal Condon’s hydrangea variety, Froggie™ Mal Condon perfected his own variety of hydrangea after 20 years of experimentation. This unusual green cultivar is named Froggie™ because of its spotted appearance. If you’re lucky, you can buy a Froggie™ hydrangea from Condon’s garden during the festival. Want more garden recommendations? Garden locations for the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival can change each year. Here are more gardens to see and why I recommend them.  Terraced garden at hilltop home. Prince Way Garden, South Dennis: Rock walls, terraces, 80 hydrangeas, roses, cone flowers, alliums, and intriguing garden art, such as miniature houses.  Path to the kettle pond. Collie Lane Garden, Cummaquid: Kettle pond, willow trees, and oversized garden shed with climbing lacecap hydrangeas. You will likely see an artist in this garden.  Hydrangeas in a shaded area. Driftwood Lane Garden, East Orleans: Specimen trees, a shade garden, 100 labeled hydrangea varieties, and 700 different labeled varieties of daylilies (a nationally registered American Daylily Display Garden).  Bay view in Cummaquid. Indian Trail Garden, Cummaquid: Climbing hydrangeas, 150 varieties of daylilies, and a stunning view of the bay.  150 feet of Annabelle hydrangeas. Keveney Lane Garden, Cummaquid: 150-foot border of Annabelle hydrangeas. Annabelle never gets knocked out by winter cold snaps. She keeps going and going... Why are there so many hydrangeas on Cape Cod? Hydrangeas thrive on Cape Cod because of the region’s sea breezes and maritime temperatures (cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter).  The iconic Cape Cod blue mophead (hydrangea macrophylla). The acidic, high aluminum soil of Cape Cod produces the iconic Cape Cod blue hydrangea. The pH level (acidity) in the soil determines the color of the hydrangea. If the soil has varying pH levels – which some gardeners introduce intentionally – hydrangeas can boast a blend of colors. The most common hydrangea shape on Cape Cod is the mophead (hydrangea macrophylla) which has a full, round bloom.  Lacecaps (hydrangea serrata) attract bees. Lacecaps (hydrangea serrata) have a flat bloom that is more delicate like fine lace. Hydrangea serrata can attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators to your garden.  The autumn colors of Cape Cod hydrangeas. One reason that hydrangeas are popular is because the flowers are long-lasting. Typically, hydrangeas bloom from early July to the end of September. In autumn, hydrangeas enter the “antique season” when their colors are muted, yet still beautiful.  Hydrangeas at Heritage Museums and Gardens. If you miss the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, you can still see hydrangeas at Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts, where Mal Condon is Curator of Hydrangeas. Rhododendrons used to rule at Heritage Museums & Gardens. Now hydrangeas have become the fan favorite with more than 170 varieties of hydrangeas.  Gardens on tour display a Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival sign. The number of private gardens on tour, and the number of days that the gardens are open, can vary from year to year. Garden tours are $5 per person per garden. Cash only is accepted at each garden on the day of the tour. Each garden is open only on the days specified from 10am-4pm. Garden tours are rain or shine and nonrefundable. All proceeds benefit local nonprofits. In addition to the $5 entry fee, gardens may sell plants, crafts, or other hydrangea-related items. Most recently, the 10-day event raised more than $100,000 for Cape Cod charities. See more Places to Go: Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Ride Millicent Rogers Museum Authentic Native American Jewelry Jane Austen House Lacock Abbey England Cape Cod Lavender Farm Harwich  Comments are closed.
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