Where to plant hydrangeas in Calgary? (in shade vs. full sun)
Roger Smith
2 years ago
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need to replace some 'full sun' perennials with 'partial shade'
Comments (6)Agree with Ken to some point BUT it *is* possible to have plantings under a maple. I've done it. Under multiple maples. The trick is to find plants that handle the root competition and don't mind some dryness, and to plant a bit out from under the tree - I'd say at least 6 foot away from the base of the tree. There are also a few tricks you can pull out of your bag such as lining holes with garbage bags or sink large plastic pots to plant in, use moisture-absorbing crystals, etc. I have even gotten hydrangeas (!!) established under a maple tree, and they are thriving (the moisture crystals were invaluable here). Here's an example photo. You can see the shadow of the maple in the lower left corner. We have turtlehead, hosta, fern, brunnera, and you can see the edge of a hydrangea. The bed extends closer to the tree, you can't see it in the first photo. Anyway, the edge of the bed begins about 6' or so from the base of the tree. Hey, I think the plants are doing pretty darn well. I used the garbage bag trick to get the turtlehead going, but they've been there about 10 years already and are firmly established. Same bed, different angle. There's plants behind/next to the hydrangea you can't see in this photo: Point is - it takes effort to garden under maples, but it is possible if you're willing to do some trial and error and be creative in how you manage the problem....See MoreHydrangea plants, looking at full sun varieties and paniculata +
Comments (8)A few clarifications here. 1. A larger pot size doesn't necessarily indicate a "large enough" plant. And this is known as a rip-off. Some nurseries (and Lowe's right now) try to sell 3-gallon pots with one-foot tall plants with three to four branches for $25+. Not a value. It's best to keep looking at as many nurseries and stores as you can visit until you can find a suitably sized plant. A decent 3-gallon potted panicle hydrangea should be at least 2-3' in height, not including pot, and have at least 10-20 significant branches on it, and it shouldn't cost more than about $35. I found a mis-priced 3-gallon Little Lime a couple years back for $15, and it was already 2' tall and had more than 30 branches on it. 2. Quick Fire is among the earliest to bloom (June). There are some others close to it (like Snow Mountain), but you'd need to do further research. The older Grandiflora blooms a bit later (~August), in contrast. 3. Paniculatas can technically rebloom, but the season isn't long enough to allow this. What you CAN do is delay blooming, if you like. Say you want Limelight to bloom in September instead of July. You'd cut the partially or fully-formed flower buds off just before blooming, and it'll take about 1-2 months to regenerate buds. Some people do this who have multiples of the same plant and want the blooms to differ in appearance depending on time of season. And other times it's a mistake, as I once witnessed a landscape crew knock 2' off a Limelight hedge, which delayed blooming unti September. (Quick Fire's budding is finicky, so don't attempt to delay blooming on that plant. Not all paniculatas were created equal.) This post was edited by Springwood_Gardens on Thu, May 15, 14 at 13:27...See Moreblue danube hydrangea and full sun
Comments (14)Androidmom, your beds under the pines look ideal for them - great choice! Expect they'll thrive there, adding height & grace & color for many years to come. You can plant them out any time in such a location, without waiting for the weather to cool down. Keep them watered well & use your supply of fallen pine needles as mulch & they should settle in well. Juryrig a little temporary shade if they wilt during sun hours at first to help them take the change from pot to ground in stride. Whatever the true identity of your hydrangeas (regardless of the labels), they'll bloom next year with the same flower form. The flowers' color may change to blue tones as the roots expand into garden soil, but consider the blue equally as beautiful as the rose. If they are mislabelled, their mature height & spread may differ from expectatons over time, but as long as you aren't planting them in a line like a hedge, that shouldn't much matter in that location. Lowe's is infamous for mislabelled plants. Don't frequent HD but certainly believe others' reports the same is true there. Since both have generous return policies, often go ahead & buy to research at home if the plants are in short supply rather than checking before purchase when many are available, since appealing well-priced plants can be cleared out quickly. The hydrangeas tend to be among the most typically mistagged, but that can work in your favor if you're up on different varieties & can spot the oddballs. Sometimes rarer plants are marked as more common ones & priced considerably less than they would be if properly identified. Those of us who check the stock frequently often score in the thrill of the hunt. And many highly reputable nurseries send out mismarked plants, too. Please keep us updated on the growth of your lovely hydrangeas!...See MoreShade vs. Full Sun
Comments (25)Thank you Dusty! The poblanos, jalapenos, and Big Jims went into Sunday night's King Ranch casserole. The bell peppers and gypsies were cored and frozen for future stuffed peppers. The pimentos will be made into a Red Pepper Spread once I get a few more ripened. Frozen for now. The serranos will be going into what I call Christmas Salsa if my tomatillos (red and green, get it?) ever get going. I have 15 tomatillos plants, some rare varieties included, that are just loaded with blossoms, but so far have only formed enough fruit for maybe one batch. Not sure what's going on there. The hummingbirds have been working them over steadily, you would thing they would be loaded down by now. Seems they're acting like my meager tomato crop this year. The Garden Salsas have been a big surprise for such an uninspiring name. My first year for growing them. They're the long skinny ones, and they're hot! They're big producers and when I get a few more they will be hickory smoked, dried, and ground for seasoning. Last and not least are the jalapenos. They're my everyday pepper used in nachos, stuffed and grilled, fajitas, whatever. Right now I'm holding back on picking them because a whole bunch are about ripe and after seeing your wonderful pickled pepper jars, the whole game plan changed. :) Thanks for posting the recipe. I will be trying it out soon, though I will probably give the jars 10 minutes in a boiling water bath to vacuum seal them since my storage pantry isn't the coolest one this time of year. Good luck with the rest of your crop. I really like your Mammoth red jalapenos. Will have to try them next year. Dave PS I called the Park bells 'Wonders'. They're actually Park Whoppers....See Morecearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)
2 years agoRoger Smith thanked cearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)Roger Smith
2 years agoRoger Smith
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoostrich
2 years agocearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)
2 years agolovemycorgi z5b SE michigan
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoostrich
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