Everything I read makes it sound better and better:
Quote:The Oakleaf hydrangea is a dramatic, white-blooming shrub with four seasons of interest. It blooms best in areas where summers are somewhat hot, but it is winter hardy further north than the macrophylla (mophead). A tremendous advantage of the Oakleaf is that it can thrive in much dryer locations than its cousins. Mopheads struggle in my sandy soil, but the Oakleaf hydrangeas thrive with very little attention.
Quote:The Oakleaf gets its name from the shape of its beautiful large leaves. These leaves often turn colors of brilliant red, orange, yellow and burgundy in the fall if planted in a sunny location with a little afternoon shade. The Oakleaf hydrangea can tolerate and even thrive in much sunnier areas than the mophead and lacecaps (macrophyllas).
The pink color that they eventually attain (they start white):
Fall colors:
"Pee wee" sounds good if I don't want it to get too huge -- stays more around 3-4 feet.
Otherwise "snowflake" sounds like the one to get.
Sounds like they might be OK in the back, too! I can think of a lot of places where the giant kind would be perfect.
(Thank you thank you osso!!)
This is interesting:
Quote:Hydrangeas planted under a tree often fail to thrive. This is because trees roots are very aggressive and are drawn to the rich, moist soil you use for the hydrangeas. No matter how many of the tree roots you are able to remove to make room for the hydrangeas (and be careful not to remove too many), the roots will all be back in a year (unless you remove too many and kill the tree).
Also, as mentioned above, under large hardwood trees the light is often insufficient for growing hydrangeas. If grass won't grow in the area, hydrangeas probably won't either.
The ones that do best are furthest from the elm trunk. The hole (where whatever I would plant would go) is closer to the elm trunk.
Hmmm.
Yes, that is a problem, we talked about it back when we were figuring what the tree is, I think, hard to remember now... and it might have been a problem for the "pine" that was in the hole before. It could certainly be a problem for a big cornus there. I might still try the oakleaf and if it pooped, think about what, fern? a rock?
a rock like you already have, but buried in the hole somewhat, as the japanese do, to make it look like it didn't just land there but is sticking out from the soil...
That small cornus might work other places in the yard too.
Back to the oakleaf, what I liked in that picture in the recent link I gave is that while its leaves are not tiny, the whole plant looked sort of lace textured if you squint - that it might look fine next to the conifers and behind the hydrangeas.
I thought of that too, prompted by your previous comments.
The link you gave me for the oakleaf was only ~$18 -- I'd be willing to risk that and see how it goes.
And if it pooped, maybe just one of the original ideas of some sort of birdbath with smaller plantings around the base.
Or plain let the vinca take over.
soz, sounds like you have a plan
osso re: the grove idea...it wasn't exactly what I had in my mind's eye, when you first mentioned the concept of repeating, but it (the grove idea) took over completely- I can really *see* it now.
Rhodendrons are wonderful for avoiding mother-child fights.
The leaves start curling at 60 degrees and when the rhodendron leaves start curling, the child has to wear a coat.
Scientific. No argument possible.
I loooove oakleaf hydrangeas!
Noddy, I think you have to match the right rhodie to your climate to make that work. I seem to remember the rhodies we have in this yard curling when it got down around freezing. They're super-hardy (and ugly).
LittleK--
I've been fortunate then in the temporary rhododendrons I've consulted in my Moves With Children.
Such luck is not granted to everyone.
Are you guys talking about flowers?
I have some begonias.
Not for themselves... we're really talking about a plant-structure that would fit in a particular spot, given what is already there - what form it has, what it's color and texture are, whether it can thrive in that spot, which is a hole remaining after another plant died.
So, a small pine might work, and a flowering shrub might work, or... a birdbath or rock. Trick being to have the area work as a whole (whole with the hole with glee...)
I would suggest a bird bath, with an assortment of yellow hostas, maidenhair ferns, and something with purple foliage at the base.
Lots of overlapping is essential. And texture is perhaps the key ingredient.
I saw Sozobe's photos. Much too regimented.
But she's trying.
That's pretty. See your point on regimentation, like the cornus k. wolf(ie) and the oakleaf hydrangea for that reason - have been thinking of something bigger than fern et al to close a fair portion of the space between the conifers and tree. A problem with that is if the conifers stay on the small side, whatever they are, a big shrub can look funny next to them, like a giant footstool. Agree on textures. Would do overlapping (if any) at the edges, sort of bleeding from the curve of the backbone that is conifer-conifer-(hole area)-(low plant?)-elm tree, in front of the conifers, around the elm. Perhaps ferns in front of conifers, maybe another type of fern in front of tree.
I have a little problem figuring out what to call front (or back).. let's say I mean front as the midyard side of the conifers.
Am usually fine with overlapping if you mean one mass of stuff cutting into another, like a finger or two in the palm of a hand; personally don't like a polkadotted look (not that the world has to obey me).
In Soz's defense, she didn't make the garden, she bought it with the house.
Overall, I like it, but I'm sure I'll be making a lot of changes. There are things I love (the elm, the vinca), things I dislike (the rhododendrons, the azaleas), things I'm not sure about (the Japanese maple), and generally a whole lot of learning to do. I think I'll probably go very gently at the beginning, then as I get more comfortable with this stuff (and get more money, hopefully!) slowly get it to a place that's more me.
I've said a few times that I'd like to rough it up a bit, get more color and idiosyncratic elements in.
Yellow hostas, eh? Flowers or leaves? I like the ferns part. Will be buying a few soon to plant in the back. (The White Flower Farm assortment I coveted has sold out... sob. But probably better to buy local, anyway.)
As of now, still really liking oakleaf hydrangea for the hole.
suggested backyard idea:
click image to enlarge
This is the end of September look out back. It's all in there -
ferns; native woodland flowers; more ferns; hostas; toadstools. On the other side of the bordering shrub ( Scots pine, Nanking bush cherry, pasture rose, maroon colored lilac, and a small late apple tree ) is the yew hedge. A sugar maple off to the right, and not shown, gives a final glorious show of color for the year. Yellow early tall bearded irises will eventually encircle the grass turf. It's at its maximum green stage now and I thoroughly enjoy my early morning coffee with Nekochan here. Once all of the lilacs by the fence grow up, It'll be a totally enclosed courtyard.
