Hi my friends! I’m joining a talented group of bloggers today sharing our Summer home tour. If you’re new to my blog, welcome, so happy you dropped by. I have to confess, I don’t do a lot of things differently for summer, so I’m not sharing a whole lot inside my house for this post. But I am sharing my explosion of hydrangeas this year since they are putting on quite the show and that is way more interesting and exciting than anything going on inside my house right now. We’ll peek inside the house, but the show is out here, let me tell ya!
A big thanks to our hostess Marty, with A Stroll Through Life for putting together this wonderful Summer home tour and inviting me to be part of it. Be sure and go over to her blog to see the rest of the week’s bloggers.
And if you’re coming by from Cristina’s place at Remodelando la Casa, welcome! Cristina does beautiful designs.
My landscaping has just exploded in 3 years with lots of new growth. I guess it’s true that the 3rd year of the growing cycle is huge. It has been at my house.
My beautiful Endless Summer hydrangeas were gorgeous last year and even more so this year. I took these pics with my big camera and my iPhone, so the color is a little different, but equally gorgeous.
This shot with my phone looks more purple, but they are somewhere in between and a beautiful shade of blue.
Each week they got bigger and better with the blooms bursting.
And it’s been so fun to see it this year.
I have been bringing plenty of them inside to enjoy too!
Couldn’t resist some closeups of those gorgeous flower heads.
They really are the most perfect shade of blue.
Another plant putting on a big show this year is the dwarf gardenias around the front of my house. They have exploded with blooms and the scent was just incredible this year.
So nice to walk out the front door and have this in your face with that smell! Oh the smell of gardenias in the summer, what a Southern experience. I wish I could pass it through the computer screen to you!
Gardenias flanking the front porch.
I wish they lasted longer, but after a couple of weeks, they turn yellow and then brown, but if I remember right, I’ll get a light blooming again later this year.
In the backyard, those white planters are full of blooms too and looking so good. We’ve gotten so much rain that they are happy, happy plants.
Having blooms around on the patio is a nice addition and it wouldn’t be summer without them.
So, let’s go inside! I really don’t do a lot of summer decorating inside the house. I guess I’m just too lazy to change things out that much, but I do love the blue and white on my foyer table and bringing in some hydrangea blooms to join this grouping was a perfect addition. I don’t have a ton of blue and white, but they sure do look pretty all grouped together. I got most of mine from the old Bombay stores, Ross, or yardsales. I am always on the lookout for more!
The dining room is a perfect spot to add more to the table as well.
These beautiful blue blooms are so lively and fresh for summer and add a beautiful touch to my centerpiece.
When these fade, there’s always more to bring inside!
And that my friends is a tour of my summer home! I hope you enjoyed the explosion of color and blooms that I’m experiencing right now. I tend to slow down in the summer and really relish this time of year. With our heat and humidity it just slows me down naturally and I am looking forward to a fun and full summer that’s still ahead. I hope you all have a great summer as well!
Thank you so much for stopping by. You can find the other bloggers participating in this tour below! Please stop by and show them some summer love!
Monday – June 12
Tuesday – June 13
Wednesday – June 14
Thursday – June 15
Fri – June 16
Beautiful gardens, Rhoda! Your plantings appear quite happy, and your patio looks so inviting. I love your traditional decor inside too. Why change something that looks so classic and continues making you happy? Besides, your time has been better spent recently with traveling and with family!
Thank you, Rita, I couldn’t agree more! I love lazy summers and don’t want to stress over redecorating so much inside. I love to enjoy the outdoors this time of year.
Hi Rhoda! Your hydrangeas look absolutely amazing! Your entire front yard has come such a long way since you bought the property!! Nice now to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor!! Kudos to you:)
Celia
Thank you, Celia, it sure has changed, that is for sure. Very rewarding to watch it mature.
Rhoda, your hydrangeas are stunning. I agree with Rita, why change your decor when it is perfect!! Happy Thursday!
Those hydrangeas are stunning! What is your secret? Mine never bloom like that. I agree with everyone your house is stunning, so why change it. Most of my blue and white came from Bombay; oh how I miss that store! The little painting peeking behind the hydrangeas is one of my favorites in your home. Your all white collection on the dining room sideboard feels very fresh and summery too. Love it all!
HI, Roxanne, I really have no secret on how those hydrangeas are doing. I lightly pruned them in January and this year I did sprinkle a little flowering shrub fertilizer on them all, but that’s it. They apparently like where they are growing.
I think you need to retire the front door wreath..you need something larger, more spectacular to really compliment your exterior and interior decorating style….maybe you already have an idea in mind…
I’ll bet your neighbors are so very pleased you live close by. What a treat to see those flowers everyday. Southern Living did a magnificent job designing your front landscape. Love it!
Hey, Barb, no kidding,they sure did a wonderful job. I can hardly believe how it’s grown in the last 3 years.
Heavenly!
The gardenias must smell devine.
Oh Rhoda, your garden is heavenly!!!!! Soooo beautiful! Your indeed lucky to have those gorgeous hydrangea thru out your beautiful home for summer!!! Now I want me some too! As always, so honored to share this summer home tour with you dear, cheers!
Your hydrangeas are gorgeous….I love the way your yard has transformed since you bought your home. I too wish that the gardenias bloom longer…but just happy that the hydrangeas last well past the summer months! Happy Summer Rhoda!
I love that all the rain we’ve had has the hydrangeas blooming like mad this year. Gorgeous color too! You have created a lovely home Rhoda.
Hydrangeas and gardenias…divine!
Hope I haven’t missed the screen porch ‘reveal’ !?
My gardenia bush was overloaded with blooms this year – but for some reason they had an odd smell this year – really a bit unpleasant. Weird. Thankfully the blooming has backed off a bit – and yes there will be another round in the fall.
Lovely hydrangeas.
Hey, Becky, no you haven’t missed the porch. I’m waiting patiently to share it. We had to abide by the sponsor’s request, so June 27th it is! 🙁
Cannot wait! 🙂
Oh my word, your yard is totally amazing. I can’t believe how it has grown and filled out and those blooms, wow they are awesome. Love the back patio too. Such a great place to relax outside. I think I would fill every room in the house with blossoms, they definitely are stunning. Thanks so much for joining the tour, your home is always a delight.
Beautiful gardens! You know what they say the first year is a sleeper, the second year a creeper and the third year a leaper! I find it to be so true when it comes to perennials! Love the color of your hydrangeas! Wow your home has really morphed into a gorgeous place since when you first bought it! I love your dining space too! Thanks so much for the tour! Oh, and where did you get the rug on your patio?
Hey, Sandy, I think that was from Overstock. I found several places online that had that same rug and it’s been about 2 years ago, so not sure if it’s still around.
I have serious hydrangea envy. I’m all proud that after 17 years of living in our house I’m finally getting one to bloom this year. I never had luck with them. Love the inside of your home too and always enjoy your tours Rhoda.
Thank you, Julia, I wish I could take credit for those hydrangeas but they just do their thing & I’m so happy they like my yard!
Rhoda I am green with envy over your beautiful blue hydrangeas. You truly have a magical green thumb. I’ll be featuring your lovely shades of blue on my Monday wrap up post.
Thank you, Laura! I really don’t have a huge green thumb, but I do OK with most of my plants. These hydrangeas seem to really like where they are planted!
I just love your blog – I was wondering if you could tell me what the exterior color on your house is? I love the color and all the beautiful landscaping – there is an old saying here in the south about most plants- first year they sleep, second year they creep and the third year they leap! Looks like yours are definitely leaping!
HI, Melissa, thank you so much! Of course, I’ll share the paint with you, it’s Sherwin Williams Dovetail. I’ve really liked the color.