I am not familiar with it, adiro, but I am concerned that (a) it sounds like a mophead/macrophylla, (b) you live in Zones 5/6 and (c) most macrophyllas do not do well when planted outside in Zone 5/6 (unless you apply winter protection techniques). The good news though is that people who live in cold zones can grow some of the recent introductions that bloom on new wood such as the Endless Summer Series, the Forever & Ever Series, etc. as these ones can withstand the cold and thrive in Zone 5 Winters. Charm could be yet another but as you noticed, there is little information about it on the Internet. Can you determine from the plant label if this shrub can be grown in your zone and/or if it grows on new wood? To answer some of your questions: part shade means that the shrub gets no more than 4 hours of sun (approx.) per day; this is a requirement in the southern states like Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, etc. But as you move north, you gain flexibility and many hydrangeas can exceed this requirement. When you get to U. S. States that border Canada in the Northeast, many hydrangeas are grown in full sun with little problem; the only concern there then becomes that the plant needs to withstand their cold temperatures and drying winds. As far as clay soil, I also have clay soil. When planting hydrangeas, I mix organic compost with my soil to improve drainage and maintain a better soil pH than my plain alkaline soil has. I ammend every spring with some soil sulphur or aluminum sulphate to prevent iron chlorosis. If your clay soil is acidic, you do not need to worry about all these chores; just add organic compost to improve drainage. If it turns out that the plant cannot survive outside, consider growing it in a pot. Use acidic potting mix and water well in the pot. Then bring the pot inside when the plant goes dormant and store in a garage where you can water it once every week or two weeks. Some people also get a cheap plastic pot for shrubs and, during the warm months, they dig a hole and put the pot in there; then in winter, they pull it out & bring it inside, re-potting into a bigger size if needed.

LOL - Ghetto Greenhouse...I love it! You should make a sign for over the door... :-) Nope, I didn't make it out there to repot this weekend. Hubby thought I should get the taxes done while the weather was cold so I wouldn't have to worry about it if it ever warms up. That wasn't nearly as much fun, but now they're ready to send off, so out of my hair (along with plenty of our money, naturally). But I really need to get that repotting done very soon - I have roots going all over the place, and things are just growing like mad! Maybe they'll slow down a bit with this cooler weather. Someone should have warned me about cucumbers though - good lord those things grow fast! I started the seeds last Sunday, and they're already almost two inches high (and needing repotting, of course)! I think next year it might be a good idea to stagger my starts a bit... ;-)

Kate I am so sorry for your loss. I do not have pets, but I have in the past and I know how they are part of the family. My daughter has a 'zoo' and they have a small party business. When they moved the pink corn snake that belonged to my granddaughter got sick and died. My granddaughter was so sad amd some of her friends made fun of her but you do get attached to your pets regardless of the type. Rosa

Great score! I need a new one. I have an old accordian style gate that I love, but my brother's dog crashed into it and it's now on it's last legs. Of course, you can't find those style anymore, only the rigid, sliding variety. I've only found those cheap wooden ones and the plastic variety that looks like a crate side. I need one that will span at least 48", so I might have to go check our Big Lots to see if they've got them.