Flower of the week: Hydrangea

This week's flower is a lovely spring blossom, the hydrangea. I love buying a few stems of hydrangeas from the flower market for the dining room table. In a big vase they have a nice old fashioned, yet simple feel. Here are some more facts about this week's flower:

You can change the color of your hydrangea shrub's blossoms by changing the pH and mineral content of the soil. Hydrangeas do well in wet soil and are named after the Greek word for "water vessel." Hydrangea blossoms can easily be preserved to create dried flower arrangements. These shrubs are native to North and South American as well as China and Japan. Hydrangea are semi-toxic if eaten but can be used medicinally as a diuretic. Victorians considered hydrangeas to be a symbol of "Thank you for understanding me."