Attracting visitors from around the world, the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival is about to once again delight and inspire for the 10th year.

Some ideas are very good upon their conception and other moments of inspiration take on a whole other level of brilliance. Such is the case with the annual Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival—conceived in 2015 by local horticulture expert, C.L. Fornari. The Cape and Islands have secured their place in the lexicon of quaint seaside locales, due in no minor part to the bodacious blooms of the thriving Hydrangeas that spill forth with head-heavy blooms, once the temperatures start to climb. The cooling sea breezes of the region are a key component that contributes to the overwhelming success gardeners have with the popular plant. The plant species derives its name from the Greek root word hydra, meaning water, so the temperate climate of the Cape and Islands—warming summer temperatures along with the misty winds off the water make for a heady brew for these New England-loving shrubs. 

Available in a wide variety of colors, petal structures and leaf forms, these beloved plants are at the center of a buzz in the garden world that has had a profound effect on the Cape economy by way of the introduction of this annual festival. The festival is presented Cape-wide from July 5th-14th, with tours of and access to both private and public gardens, as well as a robust schedule of talks, demonstrations and special events celebrating the penultimate blue shrubs.