We have a climbing hydrangea growing up the side of our house (eastern exposure). It was already a huge established plant when we moved in ... it does not need a trellis, it grabs onto the brick and climbs by itself. We hack it back by half every Spring, and it will still be at the eaves by the end of the summer. IF you're going to grow it on the house, you have careful. Ianna raised many valid points about the potential downfalls. Ours is too large to move now, and I wouldn't want to kill it ... but eventually I may try to move it just because of all the problems it can cause. I would suspect a CH is too large, vigorous and heavy for a trellis or wooden fence. Growing up a tree might be nice. Certainly no hardiness issues with this one either. When it is in full bloom, it looks quite spectacular ... you just need to find the right spot for it. Here is a link that might be useful: Mad Dogs and Englishmen

Climbing hydrangeas are notoriously slow to get established and slower yet to bloom. Obsevation and experiece has shown me that, like many climbers, climbing hydrangeas begin to bloom when they can climb no higher. To that end, pick a height that you can reach and cut the everlasting out of them...convincing the vine that it can go no higher. Most of the climbning hydrangeas and their relatives (Schizophramas, Decumaria) bloom in the spring....mid May to June in zone 7. Cut them after they bloom, or when they would bloom in your zone. I have seen all these climbers in pots with stakes looking rather like bonsai with blooms.

mine is five years old, and the flowers are large and outstanding. I mean really. They stand out from the plant. So beauitful. But yes, this is the first year to bloom. I just love it. Pondy

Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea Anomala Petiolaris) is slow to establish, a fact that is only sometimes mentioned by plant sellers, and often one is told that it's slow for a year or two. I bought 2 of these from a CT nursery for planting in Zone 6 in Pennsylvania. These 2 never grew and eventually died. I bought a 3rd one and planted it alongside the trunk of a newly planted tree (a thornless honeylocust). It is in mottled shade all summer and lived but did nothing for about 3 or 4 years. There is also plentiful shade for it from other trees in its vicinity including a large Norway Maple, an enormous century old Spruce tree with the environs being generally quite shady with some sun later in the day on the lower portion of the plant. Eventually the plant's rockets lit and it is now (35 years later) embracing the tree's main and higher secondary trunks to a height of at least 35 feet, and the extension of lateral small branches makes this column of climbing hydrangea branches/blooms/leaves have a diameter of about 4 ft. The spring leaves are glossy brilliant green and the column of blooms in late spring is composed of lace-like ivory/white flower panicles ranging from shallow horizontal domes to short cone-like clusters with a very pleasant fragrance. It took a long time but we never miss enjoying it in bloom as well as its somewhat exfoliating ruddy bark in winter. Autumn leaves are yellow. It is a glorious plant and we let the deer nibble the lower branches a few inches back in winter. I think that the earlier failures we experienced with this species of hydrangea may have been due to too much sunlight for the plant where we chose to plant them. The other essential element per our experience is patience. Best regards, Bob in PA May 26, 2018