Snowflake, Harmony and Roanoke are names that I never see locally and not often online. I am not sure why. Have you found Roanoke since you posted? Maybe nursery stocks are depleted by the summer months (and now in winter) and will re-appear by the time that hydrangeas bloom in Spring 2013. You could also try special ordering via a local nursery (there may be minimum $$ requirements though). I know oakleafs are not as easy to propagate as mopheads but I did not think it would be so difficult to buy/find some of these oakleaf varieties!

OK, deep breath, this is supposed to be fun. In any case, it is for my enjoyment. Thank you both for the information. I suspect that the ES's will look better next year with some pruning. I was wondering if I needed to stake those guys. One of the things I liked about hydrangeas is that you didn't have to prune unless they turned into monsters. I inherited a hedge that seems to need pruning every day. (I like natural plant forms--I'm not trying to achieve gardens worthy of the Palace of Versailles.) But from the neighbor's clucking, I can tell that my hedge efforts are a huge disappointment. From lsimms pictures, I have renewed hope that my ES's won't disappoint. I do want to try some different varieties though so I'll try to track down some cityline hybrids. As a nation, Germans are THE BEST gardeners I've encountered. The worst of them have gardens most Americans would be proud to claim. In foreign lands, I've always loved nurseries because it's the one place I could read most things. I assume it's because the Germans are such mad gardeners they don't need labels--they know plants the way a specialist does. I'll eventually find the 'nursery for idiots' that labels things. I haven't spent a winter here yet, but from what I can find, I'm somewhere between 8a-7a. They claim the temperature doesn't drop below 20 degrees, but I like to error on the side of caution. In the meantime, I'll move the lace cap because it's probably sun damage that is making the flowers look particularly unsightly. That spot doesn't get shade until about 1:00. I can only guess that the NC shrubs started under the porch awning, but by the time I got there, these beasts had grown used to the sun and stretched way beyond the original spot. Can you think of anything that is low maintenance, gorgeous, and flashy that can take the sunnier spot the hydrangea is in? It's in front of my kitchen window and I need something bold to distract me from dishes. Thank you for talking me down off the ledge. I'm still not sure why I was there...worse case... I have some pricey annuals.

My oakleaf is on it's third year. No blossoms the first two years and only one this year. The plant is very healthy and this year in particular has gained alot of height. I would think that the crispy parts of the plant would be indicative of lack of water, doesn't mean the plant won't be better next year thiough. I have this problem often, as hard as I try. Think the weather is changing on us also. The past couple of Winters here in New England I have loss more plants expecially azalas which have been around for ever. Good luck

I don't grow any dwarf Oakleafs. Tokyo Delight had done well and is in that size range so far. Lilacina has also done well. You might post this on the hydrangea forum here on GW. Here is a link that might be useful: Hydrangea forum