Hydrangea (あじさい, Azisai) 紫陽花

Hydrangea has been dominating the landscape of our neighborhood since a month ago. They are definitely showy and daring in posing for their beauty.
A couple of weeks ago when I visited the house of my aunt-in-law, she had a hydrangea standing on her dinning table. I was astonished at the close look at the flowers and was amazed at the vivid traces of veins on its petals and leaves. To me the net of veins manifested the vigor and power of their life.

It was pouring on that day, but, I remembered, all the hydrangeas stood stubbornly and bloomed extravagantly despite the torrential rain. It was as if they had no fear at all of braving the weight of the rain but enjoyed the down-pouring water as, perhaps, their name denoted.
My aunt-in-law must have told me that it is called 'azisai' (あじさい), but my command of Japanese language is too shallow to make it memorable.

Then in my textbook I came to know that Azisai, or hydrangea, is the flower of the rainy season in Japan, usually during May and June.

Ah! no wonder!

I then tried to take snaps of these flowers; however, perhaps the rainy season is now approaching an end, so that most of the blossom that I once saw is gone. What a pity! My knowledge about the pleasant plant came so late!

Fortunately, I did manage to catch up with some blossom, which waited until the last moment.

Sometimes there are azisai of different colors, for instance, pink, purple, baby blue, or white, on the same shrub. It is curious indeed. Roses can have different colors, but they are only found on different roots, as I remember. (Correct me if I am wrong, please.) The research on the internet told me that it is absolutely common for azisai. The degree of acidity of the soil determines the color of azisai flowers. As it is said, flowers turn blue if the soil is acid; they become white if the soil is neutral. Of course, then, it is possible to try to decide the color of the flowers in one's garden by adding fertilizers to the soil.

When I was hanging cloths last weekend, our landlady greeted me in the garden. She was trimming the plants outside our window. Then she pointed to some shrubs skirting along the house telling me that they are Azisai. I was so surprised and so much excited that I asked twice, '本当に？本当に?' (Really?Really!) I have never seen them blooming, and neither has K. The landlady said that they only bloomed once after the year when it was planted, but they have been very quiet ever since the last trimming about 3 years ago.

Upon the news, I sighed and felt the same sorry as the landlady did.

Azisai is so close! But I don't have a chance to see it...

What a romantic picture it would be to have lived in the house surrounded by these colorful ball-like flowers.