Hydrangeas in four colours
Posted: November 2, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: flowers, hydrangeas, watercolour flowers 22 CommentsBesides watching baseball, this was the weekend to finish up the garden cleanup. I had a list of things that needed to be done — mainly cutting down perennials and shrubs. The biggest of the tasks on my list was to trim the hydrangeas. As I trimmed and discarded the cuttings, I noticed the beautiful, fading colours of each of the different varieties. I set aside one branch from each plant, and when I was done, my reward was to paint them.
You don’t need many colours to paint faded blooms. For these hydrangeas, I chose Carmine and Raw Sienna for the flowers, and Sap Green and Payne’s Grey for the leaves. I love the brownish hues you get when you mix green and red together, so that was my mix for the darks.
This was a great warm-up exercise for my one-day “Plants and Flowers in your Sketchbook” workshop in Hudson, Quebec, coming up this week. This session is full, but I’m holding another one on November 20th and I have a few spots left. If you are interested, drop me a line.
I love this one! I think I’ll try those 4 colors (not “colours”, USA, ya’know…..) Too bad about the Blue Jays – since they beat Seattle we’ve been rooting for them.
These flowers look real- better than real! We have some hydrangeas like these just outside our kitchen window. I’ve been meaning to paint them all summer.
Gardening question: How far back do you cut the plants?
Those look like Lime Light Hydrangeas. I cut mine back to about 3 feet and they always come back with a bang! In the Spring they start out lime colored and then as the year proceeds they turn to cream, a pinkish , and then finally a rusty color. Mine grow about 7 feet tall.
I think that is probably what they are. I’m never sure if cutting them in autumn is the right thing to do but I do it anyway.
What a splendid painting!
Just simply lovely …
Many thanks Irma.
Absolutely gorgeous. I’m going to see how close I can get to those mixes with colors I have on hand.
Thanks so much Trina.
Beautiful- I love dried hydrangeas
Thanks Beth. I do too.
These are beautiful. So much beauty out of just 4 colors.
Rewards for hard work make all the beauty last a bit longer! I need to prune the fig tree . . .
Thanks Naomi!
So beautiful
Thank you!
You’re always welcome
gorgeous hydrangea
Thanks so much.
;0)
This is really beautiful! Your color in the blossoms is absolutely perfect. I love this one, Shari!
Thanks Joan!