Morning sun, afternoon shade is typically best.

I'm also tempted to try Merveille. It tends towards fuchsia, is somewhat hard to find, and is the parent plant to what's known as Color Fantasy here in the US. My local Lowe's are carrying very tall 3.5' in 3.5 gallons for $25. Not sure where they get their stuff, but these plants are big and cheap!

Hay, I will have to apologize to my neighbor. She is from Buzzard's Bay, Mass and upon seeing my hydrangeas, was telling me how she used to cut her's back all the way to the ground each winter and they would come up and flower every year. This was maybe 15 years ago that she lived up there so I knew they probably weren't ES but more likely Nikkos. I must admit, I thought her story didn't add up. Surely she must have been mistaken. How could you get flowers when you cut off all of the buds? Well, this year I have had a profusion of blooms that came from buds on the crown of the plants. I had tons of buds on the crowns. I had also cut back (to the ground) some disfigured stems last year. Since this is supposed to stimulate new growth from the crown as I am sure you have heard, is it possible that by cutting back hard, you, I and my neighbor may have just stimulated tons of crown buds? If so, then we wouldn't have to worry about disquising them (or burying them) every winter. I noticed that I did not have the same profusion on the plants that were not cut back...hmmmm....Can't wait to see the results of your in ground experiment. Thanks again for yet another thought provoking thread!!...yg

Hi Stephen, your description sounds very much like the hydrangea I purchased, (Endless Summer, Hydrangea macrophylia Bailmer). The Endless Summer blooms on both old and new growth and can be encouraged to bloom even more by cutting the blooms. It's hardiness is from zones 4 - 9 and planted in partial shade. However the leaves are not a glossy green, they are more like the regular hydrangeas leaves. I can honestly say that it has bloomed for me since I planted it in the spring. Being that the soil where it is planted is more alkaline I am getting beautifull pink blooms. Next year I am planning on making the soil more acid by adding peat because I would like to have the big, bold, beautifull blue blooms. I'm not too sure if this helps.............Wayne