Hmmm, just found this link: In the first paragraph it says 'North side' is best. I'm quite new to the whole gardeing thing, but one thing I've learned: There is no black and white. And THAT drives me crazy. :)

http://www.diggingdog.com/pages2/plantpages.php/s-0612

The link below shows the side of the house at 8am this morning.... By the way I'm in zone 5

Here is a link that might be useful:

joannemb, thanks for the link! I love the first photo with the Limelight against the Russian Sage that is a stunning combination!

I grow mine in full sun, and sometimes I wished that it were slightly more shaded because I think that the lime color does last longer without all that sun...

BTW, having seen your house photo now, I really am not sure if you should do Annabelle or Limelight there. I think that they might just blend into the white siding. Maybe less so with the Limelight.... how about that new Invincibelle (sp?) that is supposed to be like Annabelle but is pink?

Also, I have a north facing wall and my Double Knockout Roses do great there! They would look stunning against your white background, and the brick. They also take very, very little maintenance... OK, as far as roses go, that is... LOL

Ostrich, Thanks! BTW, I posted a note to you on the bulb thread about your tulips :)

I guess in the back of my mind when I look at all these pictures I can't imagine that MY limelights will really look like that. I imagine there will be mostly green foliage with a few limey white blooms here and there (and even that would be enough to make me happy.) :)
So when I picture it against the white house, I'm thinking more green against white instead of white against white (but that's just my pessimism I guess--fostered by years of failing at growing anything green.) lol

Roses are a great idea---though! Hmmm... more to think about

On a separate note, Deborah was so kind to email me directly and give me advice---what a lovely person she is--wish I could even come close to affording her I think she's
phenomenal!

From my experience hydrangeas planted in more shade do not grow as large and bloom less and overly less vigorous. I have a white wall also. The white wall faces west. I think it would totally work in that spot. The white wall creates a lot of heat and since your white wall is a house, that means more winter protection.

Here is a link that might be useful: white wall photo

These are really gorgeous pictures! Thanks for sharing them! After spending all of last week planting an 80 foot hedge of 20 Limelights, this was great inspiration to counter my fatigue. Did Deborah ever tell you how closely those limelights were planted in these hedge pictures? Also, I'm confused about the "shag haircut" pruning she mentioned in this article. Could someone who gets it please explain? Thanks!

Wow! 80 ft. hedge---post pictures please this summer! As far as spacing, she said 3-4 feet---not staggered, but in a row. 4 ft. would take more time to fill in, 3 ft. would fill in sooner. Not sure about the pruning....Maybe someone else could elaborate. What direction are yours facing btw?

I actually called Deborah and she was kind enough to talk to me about the spacing (before I saw your post). You're right, she said to space them 30 inches to 42 inches. This is WAY closer than most advice offered on this forum for planting--some even suggested planting 6 feet apart! Luckily, I planted mine 4 feet apart. She said that at my spacing, it'll take an extra year to fill in--3 instead of 2 years--but it'll still connect. My hedge runs east to west--not a perfect east to west, but close enough, along an open fence (wrought iron type), so no issues with sunlight. I will take plenty to pictures--they're beginning to leaf out now--and document this adventure.

She also explained the pruning. At the end of pruning, the pruned shrub should look like an egg laying on its side--squat and oval--so sunlight permeates everywhere. She said that where there is sunlight, there are flowers, so you want the sunlight to hit all the way to the base of the plant.

Wow--thank you for that info! Please do post pictures--- Have you pruned yours yet using her advise? If so, I'd love to see how they are supposed to look. I'm still waiting for the nurseries around here to get their stock in.... I can't wait to plant mine!

Not yet pruned--the nursery here pruned them to 2 feet tall and about 1.5 feet wide. They should have been pruned to 1.5 feet tall and 2 feet wide, but oh well. Since they'll need all their foliage to put out growth, I'm not going to prune anymore, besides removing dead twigs, but that's about it. Next year, after they've put on some growth, I'll begin shaping the way Deborah suggested--into a sideways egg.

I will ask hubby to take some pictures, but how to post? How come the nurseries in your area haven't stocked yet? Mine were planted before they started leafing out and they're easier to handle that way.

I know! I'm so ready to plant and I'm told ("A couple of weeks") by every nursery in the area here. Grrr...

By the way, tropical thought: That Annabelle is gorgeous! Mine faces west too and in 3 years it's only about 2 ft tall! I hope my 'white wall' works just as much magic for my limelights :)