Just to answer the question about Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'... I've grown this one and the very similar 'Phantom'... there is also a 3rd called 'Silver Dollar'... all these were raised by the same breeder in Holland circa 1990... and all 3 are almost as good as each other.. so any should be sought... however I would put 'Limelight' 3rd... they are all so easy to grow, tolerating most soils and also shady sites... very hardy, and so simple to prune a child could do it, or anyone a little less able... to keep them compact they can be pruned right down each Spring, like you would a Buddleia as they flower on new wood... they are so much easier than those big mophead hydrangeas...
'Limelight' is less desirable for one reason... if it's hard pruned to keep it compact, the new shoots become so heavy that they flop... this tendency does not arise with the other 2 cultivars... but it's very beautiful nonetheless, and if it's only pruned lightly then it will grow larger but not flop... 'Phantom' and 'Silver Dollar' do not flop...
I only have room in my garden for one, so I kept 'Phantom'... I also had another called 'Kyushu' which is spectacular but can be a little tricky and I don't recommend..
Here are some pictures of Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom'... my plant is pruned each year right down about 1 or 2 foot above the ground... it produces larger panicles but fewer.... if lightly pruned it will produce more panicles but they will be of smaller size..
..mid July.. Hydrangea 'Phantom'.... at this stage very similar to 'Limelight'... ..end July...ghostly white, hence the name... very suitable for shady corners... ..by end of September the flowers mix well with autumn colours...
...for your mother's garden, I recommend this or 'Silver Dollar'... see what you think...
@Marlorena Lovely photos! And thanks for the advice.
Now you have said this about Limelight I am going to stay clear of it just for the size issue really and I don't want it to flop if I do have to prune it hard. Do you know if the same thing happens to Little Lime too? As this was the one I was probably going to go for at first.
Phantom looks so lovely in the photos! How tall does it get if you prune this hard? It says on varies websites that it can get to 2.5 meters!
@CraighB … I've not grown Little Lime but I understand it's a fantastic hydrangea for small gardens, and don't prune it too hard.. if it's hard pruned, when in full bloom and especially after rain, it's liable to flop like the other one so I'm told, but you know I wouldn't worry about this too much on a smaller plant... with both of these if you grow them in shade they will retain their lime colour for longer, if you grow them in full sun, they will turn creamy white.. before turning pinkish green, then pinkish brown in autumn..
...lightly pruned you could still expect 4-5 foot from Little Lime after 3 years... but yes it's more manageable and if it's what you've been planning, then go for it.. don't be persuaded by anything I might say.. but I thought you wanted a sparkling white hydrangea, so I would make sure it was planted with more sun than shade...
..my Phantom has never been much more than 4-5 foot as I prune it down every year, but lightly pruned I know it's capable of double that size.. but I don't want that.. I've had it for years...
..I know you want Little Lime so go for that, but consider 'Silver Dollar' too... it's more compact than Phantom,..
...the only other thing I should mention is that, parts of my garden have very alkaline soil... ph 8.1.. I have other areas slightly acid, strangely.. so I've had to move this hydrangea to a lower ph location, as I did find the foliage becoming chlorotic in those conditions... if your mother gardens on heavily alkaline soil, some treatment with chelated iron feed might be necessary.... but that is likely true for all hydrangeas..
Hi @Marlorena- if you have time, could you take a look at the thread where someone is looking for either a hydrangea or a rose? It's the one in that link I put in an earlier post here. I have no knowledge of roses, and I dont think anyone looked at it to offer any ideas on them.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Marlorena Well to be honest I liked the look of Little Lime because I saw it on gardeners world last year I think and noted it down on a list of plants I like. However from what you have said about the flopping and the fact that Phantom doesn't do this even when pruned hard I'm actually leaning more towards this one. Especially when you said yours gets to around 4-5ft! That is a perfect size I think. My mum does also love pure white flowers
When you prune it hard, how far from the ground do you do this? Like maybe 30cm?
I'm not too sure of the ph of the soil however I will take your advice if I see the leaves becoming chlorotic. The garden is west facing so I think it only gets sun in the afternoon.
@Fairygirl Love the look of those leaves on that oak leaved hydrangea in the post! Maybe I could just make a nice hedge out of hydrangeas in my mum's garden
Posts
Here it is to save me redoing pix
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1033571/hydrangea-advice-please-or-possibly-rose#latest
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
'Limelight' is less desirable for one reason... if it's hard pruned to keep it compact, the new shoots become so heavy that they flop... this tendency does not arise with the other 2 cultivars... but it's very beautiful nonetheless, and if it's only pruned lightly then it will grow larger but not flop... 'Phantom' and 'Silver Dollar' do not flop...
I only have room in my garden for one, so I kept 'Phantom'... I also had another called 'Kyushu' which is spectacular but can be a little tricky and I don't recommend..
Here are some pictures of Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom'... my plant is pruned each year right down about 1 or 2 foot above the ground... it produces larger panicles but fewer.... if lightly pruned it will produce more panicles but they will be of smaller size..
..mid July.. Hydrangea 'Phantom'.... at this stage very similar to 'Limelight'...
..end July...ghostly white, hence the name... very suitable for shady corners...
..by end of September the flowers mix well with autumn colours...
...for your mother's garden, I recommend this or 'Silver Dollar'... see what you think...
Now you have said this about Limelight I am going to stay clear of it just for the size issue really and I don't want it to flop if I do have to prune it hard. Do you know if the same thing happens to Little Lime too? As this was the one I was probably going to go for at first.
Phantom looks so lovely in the photos! How tall does it get if you prune this hard? It says on varies websites that it can get to 2.5 meters!
...lightly pruned you could still expect 4-5 foot from Little Lime after 3 years... but yes it's more manageable and if it's what you've been planning, then go for it.. don't be persuaded by anything I might say.. but I thought you wanted a sparkling white hydrangea, so I would make sure it was planted with more sun than shade...
..my Phantom has never been much more than 4-5 foot as I prune it down every year, but lightly pruned I know it's capable of double that size.. but I don't want that.. I've had it for years...
..I know you want Little Lime so go for that, but consider 'Silver Dollar' too... it's more compact than Phantom,..
...the only other thing I should mention is that, parts of my garden have very alkaline soil... ph 8.1.. I have other areas slightly acid, strangely.. so I've had to move this hydrangea to a lower ph location, as I did find the foliage becoming chlorotic in those conditions... if your mother gardens on heavily alkaline soil, some treatment with chelated iron feed might be necessary.... but that is likely true for all hydrangeas..
It's the one in that link I put in an earlier post here. I have no knowledge of roses, and I dont think anyone looked at it to offer any ideas on them.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
When you prune it hard, how far from the ground do you do this? Like maybe 30cm?
I'm not too sure of the ph of the soil however I will take your advice if I see the leaves becoming chlorotic. The garden is west facing so I think it only gets sun in the afternoon.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...