tea leaves for the hydrangeas . or coffee . or both

Every morning, after my grandmother had drunk her multiple cups of tea with breakfast she’d top up the teapot with water, give it a swirl, and pour the dregs over the hydrangeas by the front gate.

She did this every day - winter and summer. Grandma told me that the tea leaves kept the flowers blue. Her mother had told her the same thing. An old wives tale?

But she was right.

If your soil is naturally alkaline you add tea or coffee to increase the acidity and once the soil is slightly acid, the aluminium already in it (the soil) becomes soluble, and a pink hydrangea that is of the changeable variety will slowly turn blue. Magic.

Not all hydrangeas react like this.

The kind of hydrangea that can change colour is the big-leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), sometimes called mophead or lacecap. Not like the hydrangeas below ⬇️ they will be forever pink.

The ones that we can change to blue are the old fashioned variety - ones with the big, round flower clusters or the flatter, delicate lace-style blooms. They can shift from pink to blue or purple, depending on the soil’s acidity and aluminium content.

The rest will stay the colour they began with because their flower colour is baked into their pigment genes. So, the hydrangea’s genes allow it to make blue or pink pigments, but the soil chemistry often decides which version shows up. Both genetics and environment work together — nature and nurture in bloom.

Funny how these old wives tales and grandmothers apparent whims and habits are later proved with science.

I was struck by the concept of companion eating in the plant kingdom, remember how we talked about our bodies needing vitamin C to help us absorb iron, just as hydrangeas need a little acidity to draw up aluminium. So much is linked.

Each time we choose kindness, tickling it into our decision-making it invites care to take root, love to grow, and abundance to bloom. A step too far? I don’t think so.

Then, just as I was writing about hydrangeas - about care and connection and flowers - my daughter came home with a bunch for the table. Pink ones, gathered from different plants. As if they’d heard me. Soon enough, they’ll be turned into cuttings, and we’ll have more hydrangeas to experiment with. Because you know I look at every stem as a potential plant. That optimistic gardening again!

All my hydrangeas - probably about fifteen in total have only begun to come out of their being yet hibernation. So I hope to have better photos of them in a few months. And we can see the blooms!

So what else would appreciate your coffee grounds and tea leaves?

Tomatoes like a little acidity too. Plus the Peace Lilies from yesterday. Not too much. Sprinkle on top of the soil and water in.

Remember how my Mum would empty the last of her cup of weak black tea into the huge maidenhair beside her bed. Ferns love a little acidity. Lemons. A light sprinkle now and then keeps the worms happy and the lemon roots fed. Roses. Blueberries. Camellias. Azaleas. Parsley.

Carrots like a little - yes I did get the seeds sown and we should be eating baby carrots for Christmas, too! I will sow a succession of carrots - every two weeks during summer so we can eat them right into the winter.

Keep the application of tea leaves and used coffee grinds light and tickle into the top soil around the water line with some compost.

Add the rest to your compost pile and stir it in. Be aware that piles of damp coffee grinds will attract mould so stir them in.

I hope your day goes well or has gone well.

I have had a request from David in New Zealand to talk about how I grow my tomatoes. Pop over here for an old story about tomatoes. And pop in tomorrow with your own tomato growing tips - the more the merrier!

Take care and talk soon.

Celi

While I was looking for that reference for tomatoes I found this old story I wrote about My Italian Housekeeper. From when I lived in Italy for a short-long time. It is easy to get lost in my farm blog drifting from story to story so enter at your own risk 🤣!!

You can always DM me if you have an idea for a post. I am all ears!