Mopheads vs. Lacecaps

Nantucket is known for its hydrangeas (hydrangea macrophylla), which are in all of their glory this time of the summer, and they've been the subject of many a watercolor painting and tourist photo. According to the local Surfing Hydrangea Nursery, Nantucket's cool maritime climate provides excellent growing conditions for most of the various varieties. The question becomes, which of the main varieties are best--mopheads or lacecaps?

The mopheads are the traditional pompom-like blooms in blue, pink and white. They can be found all over town and are especially spectacular looking in the downtown historic district and out in Sconset, where we visited this weekend with out-of-town guests from Connecticut and California. The white mopheads are especially lush this summer, with blooms the size of a basketball on a bush in one front yard I pass by frequently on Pleasant Street. My 1913 Craftsman house back in Long Beach has a mature blue mophead hydrangea in our front flowerbed. I miss passing it every day when going out to get the morning paper but have enjoyed getting to appreciate a new variety of hydrangea blooming for the first time this year in our Nantucket front yard (photographed above).

This new-to-me variety is the lacecap or sometimes called the Japanese hydrangea. I like its delicate, lacy appearance and have almost come to like it better than the traditional mopheads. Perhaps the best garden would combine both varieties in a multitude of colors. I'm on the lookout for a garden showcasing the most outstanding hydrangeas on Nantucket this summer so if any islanders have suggestions for my explorations, please feel free to share them with me.