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| "Pee Wee" Oakleaf Hydrangea foliage in October |
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| "Pee Wee" Oakleaf Hydrangea bloom in July |
It's worth mentioning that even with a name like "Pee Wee", it's not so wee. I have it in a huge, lightweight composite pot and the shrub is now pretty huge. It's about 5 feet high and has a spread about equal that amount. It comes back bigger and better every year. It loves full morning sun and is extremely low maintenance. So if you have the space and the proper conditions, I highly recommend it.
Bookshelf: Container Gardening Books
11 comments:
Nice fall colors! I like fall!
Ciao.
Orchidea
www.viaggiesapori@yahoo.com
Miriam,
I found you after googling "varigated sage container". Congrats on your contest win! It was beautiful and just what I needed(idea for sage). I plan on spending more(already an hour :)) time viewing your wonderful blog. I see that you do want more ideas. After concluding that we share an addiction to plants I noted that we also share the same zone...I'm zone 7 in NC Idaho. Try some Solenopsis Blue Star as a perennial filler. Don't be fooled by the annual tag. Buy it as a plant the first year...be amazed at the true BLUE blast/abundance(no deadheading)of flowers all summer/fall. The following year you will see "volunteers" that, yes, probably won't flower until July but the lacelike foliage will delight you until the flowers appear just as other plants are starting to wilt from the heat. This beauty loves loves sun. A benny is that you can pot up the babies and give away. Enjoy!
Thanks for writing. I'm glad you found my blog. I will definitely look for Solenopsis Blue Star next Spring. I really like the idea of no deadheading. Thanks for the suggestion! --Miriam
My oak leaf Hy (next door in Alexandria) turned color early - around the end of September. And although trees are not spectacular this year, the red hydrangea was.
Swimray: I know, I think my oakleaf hydrangea is one of the most fabulous things I have in my container garden. I didn't expect it to provide so much interest for so long. Definitely money well spent. Thanks for visiting again and for sending a comment. --Miriam
I'd been toying around with idea of a "Hy" in a pot...especially the oakleaf. I'm now convinced. Just beautiful...
Karen: Trust me, you won't be sorry. Just make sure your pot is huge. Also look for the "Pee Wee" or a similar "dwarf" variety. I use the term "dwarf" loosely because no matter what, this hydrangea is going to be big. --Miriam
Good advice. I'm assuming I should wait until spring???
Karen:
You can certainly wait until Spring to plant the hydrangea but you could consider planting in the Fall before it gets too cold where you are. The Pee Wee Oakleaf is hardy to zone 5 so you have a very good chance of success if you are in zone 7 or higher. I always allow two hardiness zones to account for the fact that a plant is in a container rather than in the ground and its root system is more exposed to the winter elements. But if you're not a risk-taking sort of gardener, wait until Spring so that your oakleaf will have most of the year to get established before winter arrives again. --Miriam
I'm zone 7 and we've been "freezing" at night over the past several days. I think I'll wait until spring. Do you leave your pots containing your perennials out on your deck all winter?
Karen:
Yes, I do leave everything outside on the deck all winter--mainly because I have no space inside for anything. So it's survival of the fittest. I start looking for green sprouts right around April/early May. Whatever doesn't start looking alive by then gets pulled out and replaced. I also make sure I plant some annuals in my containers each year so I can try out new plants and different color combinations. Thanks for all of your great comments! --Miriam
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