Cape Cod’s Hydrangea Festival 2016

From July 8th through 17th the upper Cape Cod towns will be celebrating hydrangeas.

All colors and shapes. A full schedule can be found here.

Cape Cod Hydrangea

Hydrangea

Here is a sampling of the planned activities and events on the upper Cape:

On July 9th at 1:00 pm, author Joan Harrison will be talking about her  book , “Heavenly Hydrangeas”, at Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich.  She will be talking about the tricks and giving tips about growing hydrangeas. Joan will take her guests on a one hour walk through the gardens. The event will include a book signing. For more information Call: 508-833-3300 ext. 130

Cape Cod Hydrangeas on the Porch for Breakfast

The porch before breakfast

On July 9th, 14th and 16th the hydrangea test garden at Heritage Museum and Gardens in Sandwich will be open at 10:00 am. The goal of the garden is to create the most complete hydrangea collection in the United States. For more information call:  508-833-3300 ext. 130

On July 9th, 11th, and 15th Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich will be hosting, “Hydrangea Care Walks” from 10-10:45 am. The basics of caring for and maintaining hydrangeas will be discussed by the Museums horticultural staff. Care, growing situations, watering, fertilizing and mulching will be the subjects of discussion. For more information call: 508-833-3300

On July 10th from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Highfield Hall in Falmouth will be celebrating the Hydrangea Festival. There will be three talks and garden walks.  Mal Condon, who is the collector, propagator, grower, and nurturer at Hydrangea Farms,  will speak at 11:00 am. At noon, Terry Soars who is Highfield’s landscape director, will tell visitors what is new about hydrangeas as she leads participants on a garden walk. At 12:30 Anna Holmes will give a demonstration of flower arrangements using hydrangeas. Admission for all three talks is $10.00 and it includes a free felt dirt bag. Highfield is just a 10 minute walk from the Palmer House Inn.

On July 10th, 13th and 16th Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich, will host a demonstration on hydrangea pruning from 1:00 to 1:45 pm.

Hydrangea in front of the Palmer House Inn.

Hydrangea in front of the Palmer House Inn.

On July 12th and 13th Falmouth Garden Club will hold “Villages in Bloom” from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Four private Falmouth gardens will be open for touring rain or shine. The Palmer House Inn’s gardens will be one of the gardens on this tour. The price is $5.00 per garden. The proceeds will benefit Falmouth Museums on the Green. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling: 508-333-4016.

Also, on July 12th from 2:30 to 5;00 the Falmouth Art Center will present ” What is New in the World of Hydrangeas”. This program will include a slide presentation and a talk about the new dwarf varieties of hydrangea as well as general care. At the conclusion of the presentation there will be an opportunity for questions and answers. Admission is $5.00.

On July 15th and 16th Aptucxet Museum in Bourn will have a paint along demonstration from 3;00 to 4:00 pm. ” The Paint Your Own Hydrangea Event”, will include all of your supplies as well as refreshments. The cost is $25.00. For a reservation, call 508-563-7938. The museum is at 24 Aptucxet Road in Bourn.

Cape Cod Wedding Cake with Hydrangea

A recent Cape Cod cake for a Palmer House wedding.

On July 16th Joan Harrison, the founder of Cape Cod Hydrangea Society and author of “Hydrangeas: Cape Cod & the Islands” and “Heavenly Hydrangeas: A Practical Guide for the Home Gardener” , will share her knowledge of manipulating color, hydrangea breeding and growing in containers. The lecture is free at 10:00 am at Soares Garden Nursery, 1021 Sandwich Road in East Falmouth.

 


Cape Cod's Stowe Room, A

Harriet Beecher Stowe room

Cape Cod's Roosevelt Room, B

Cape Cod’s Roosevelt Room, B

While all of the bedchambers at the Palmer House have their own romantic charm suitable for relaxation after the most wonderful day of adventures exploring Cape Cod’s gardens, we recommend the Harriet Beecher Stowe room, the Theodore Roosevelt room or the Emily Dickinson room. These rooms feature comfortable king beds, fireplaces, jetted tubs for a relaxing stay before and after your day.