Can’t make it to the Cape anytime soon? Order a hydrangea-themed tumbler, stemless wine cup, or scrunchie from Rifle Paper Co. to hold you over until your next visit. riflepaperco.com.
Showcase a picture of hydrangeas
The Hong Kong Flower Show 2023 will be held at Victoria Park from tomorrow (March 10) until March 19, running from 9am to 9pm daily. This year’s flower show features “Bliss in Bloom” as the main theme and hydrangea as the theme flower.
Some 400 000 flowers, including about 40 000 hydrangeas, will be displayed at the show. Members of the public will be able to enjoy a colourful wonderland filled with flowers on the town.
This year, 225 organisations including 72 exhibitors from 10 countries, namely China, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, will be taking part in the show.
One of the major attractions of the flower show is an eye-catching three-dimensional hydrangea flower wall and garden. The flower wall and garden comprises eight giant hydrangea models, one of which has a diameter of over two meters embedded with various plants, showcasing the beauty of hydrangeas. The flower garden of hydrangeas allows visitors to appreciate over 1 200 pots of the theme flower, which will surely be popular for photo-taking.
Along the axis of the showground running from the entrance of Hing Fat Street to the entrance of Sugar Street are large-scale flower plots decorated on the theme of four seasons with vibrant hydrangeas and installations in seasonal colours.
The well-received sea of tulips will continue to be a hot spot for photo-taking. A sea of foxgloves will be set up on the central lawn. With its distinctive arrangement as an elongated bell-shaped cluster, the foxglove flower sea will be another popular attraction of the flower show without doubt.
Another interesting attraction is a garden featuring special hydrangeas and edible plants, which will display various special species of hydrangea such as lacecap, mophead, and single-flowered and double-flowered hydrangeas in different colours. Apart from single colour, hydrangea has varieties in double colours and gradient colours. A waterfall made up of riotously coloured hydrangeas and a tunnel of thousands of moth orchids can also be found in the garden, offering an amazing scenery to visitors.
Another special highlight of the flower show is a music and light show to be held at 7.30pm and 8.30pm every night at the flower plots along the central axis of the showground, which will amuse visitors under the stars.
This year’s flower show will continue to promote various environmental-friendly and waste reduction measures such as encouraging participating organisations, contractors, volunteers and the public to implement the 3R principles – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – to achieve the goal of “Green Flower Show for All”.
To support environmental protection, visitors are encouraged to bring their own bottles and green shopping bags. The showground will also display QR codes to provide the public with information on the floor plan, the theme flower and the landscape displays of the flower show to reduce waste.
In addition to the display of hydrangea and other flowering plants, the event will also showcase a rich profusion of exquisite potted plants, beautiful floral arrangements and gorgeous landscape displays by local, Mainland and overseas organisations. Commercial stalls will be set up to sell flowers and horticultural products, and a rich diversity of educational and recreational fringe activities will be organised for visitors of all ages.
For more details of the flower show and its admission fee arrangements, please visit the flower show webpage (www.hkflowershow.hk/en/hkfs/2023/index.html) or call 2601 8260 for enquiries.
The flower show is organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust is supporting the flower show for the 11th consecutive year and has been the major sponsor of the flower show since 2014.
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Nobscusset Road in Dennis. / Photo by Greta Georgieva
Different species of hydrangeas grow in a range of climates across the U.S., but if you associate the flowers with Cape Cod, you’re probably thinking of the “endless summer” variety. It’s the sheer volume of the classic blue flowers that make them so iconic; you’ll spot them everywhere from beach parking lots to stately front yards.
On the Cape, the season starts in mid-June and can last through early August, but culminates with the annual Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, a 10-day celebration during the flowers’ peak blooming period. This year, the festival takes place through July 16, with offering daily private garden tours, guided history walks, an educational talk called “Hydrangea University,” and more. Whether you’re in town for the festival or not, you’re bound to see hydrangea bushes in every direction. But for a little more focused appreciation, here’s the best way to enjoy their bloom.
Where to See the Best Hydrangea Displays
The Hydrangea Walk in Chatham. / Photo by Greta Georgieva
Shore Road in Chatham
Starting at Chatham Lighthouse, drive or cycle your way up Shore Road to see stunning roadside blooms. You’ll want to stop at what’s been dubbed “the Hydrangea Walk” — the private residence of 123 Shore Rd., which flaunts a flower-lined walkway that’s worth admiring from afar. Beyond it, the Chatham Bars Inn puts even more hydrangeas on Instagrammable display. Consider ending your journey with a lobster roll at the Chatham Pier Fish Market.
Photo by Madeline Bilis
Lower County Road between Dennis Port and Harwich Port
The charming cottages lining Lower County Road have yards laced with hydrangea bushes and white picket fences. Consider grabbing a scoop from Sundae School Ice Cream and then cruising east toward Harwich’s Main Street. The drive is short, but packed with explosive color.
Courtesy Heritage Museum & Gardens
Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich
For an educational hydrangea experience, head to the Heritage Museum & Gardens’ Hydrangea Display Garden, which was established in partnership with the Cape Cod Hydrangea Society. Here, you’ll find more than 155 species of the plant, though the garden is dominated by the kind you know and love: hydrangea macrophylla , or the “endless summer” variety.
Photo by Greta Georgieva
The Houses Featured in the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival
As part of the annual Hydrangea Fest, green-thumbed homeowners invite people into their gardens for tours. Hydrangeas are the main attraction, of course, but festivalgoers will see a range of flowers and plant species. Take stock of the addresses on the home tour list and create your own mini-hydrangea road trip.
Where to Stay for the Full Hydrangea Experience
Chatham Bars Inn’s main entrance. / Photo by Greta Georgieva
Chatham Bars Inn
This is Cape Cod’s crown jewel for glimpsing beautiful hydrangeas. Its 25 acres bloom with 14 varieties—though the inn’s flagship garden, visible from Shore Road, takes the cake for the Cape’s most eye-popping display. (On the grounds you’ll also find the Cape’s best spa.)
Brewster Inn by the Sea
Though there are plenty of classic “endless summer” hydrangeas along Main Street in Brewster, a stunning display of blue and white lace cap hydrangeas surround Brewster Inn by the Sea’s pool. Lounge here for a sweet-smelling break from the beach.
Courtesy of Pelham on Earle
Pelham on Earle
Tucked away on a side street off Lower County Road in Harwich, Pelham on Earle is the sister property of Pelham House Resort in nearby Dennis. This cozy spot is steps from the beach, but it’s the hotel’s front yard where you’ll want to spend time — dozens of bright-blue hydrangeas can be seen from every angle.
30 Earle Rd., West Harwich, pelhamonearle.com .
Red Jacket Beach Resort
Make the most of the Hydrangea Festival with a stay at the Red Jacket in Yarmouth. The inn’s “Hydrangea Enhancement” package offers an in-room hydrangea arrangement, a guided art class, a tour of the property lead by the inn’s head gardener, and a flower-themed gift from towel and blanket company ChappyWrap.
1 South Shore Dr., South Yarmouth, redjacketresorts.com .
Courtesy of Wequassett Resort & Golf Club
Wequassett Resort & Golf Club
One of the Cape’s most stunning seaside patios is at Wequassett Resort & Golf Club, which erupts with color every summer. Stop by to dine at the resort’s Outer Bar & Grille to take in the views, or book a room for an extended stay with the blooms.
