I agree with tsmith, as to amount of direct sunlight an Oakleaf Hydrangea can tolerate. The best blooming / growing cultivars in my garden and throughout the neighborhood, receive full afternoon or all-day sun exposure. Haven't experienced or observed any leaf scorch at all throughout the many years they have been growing. Be sure they receive good drainage, as they absolutely will not tolerate wet feet! Mulch and keep watered for the first couple of years, after the roots become established, you can pretty much ignore them.

Honestly I don't think PeeWee will work if such forgiving shrub as Fothergilla didn't make it there. In a very similar situation I have a semi-dwarf viburnum 'Shoshoni' and weeping cornus kousa 'Elizabeth Lustgaarten'. Both were strugling at the beginning, but starting from year #3 become self-sufficient. Obviously, both of them are much larger than PeeWee, but still could be kept at 5x5. Another possible candidate for the place could be any of H.paniculata since they have more stronger (wider and deeper) root system than any other hydrangeas and tolerates a lot of sun. Though, all being well, they'll be larger than 5x5, but with some creative pruning could be kept at a little bit smaller size if desired. Also, butterfly bush could tolerate dry conditions and maple roots competition once established.

I'd just like to add my two cents to George's endorsement of 'Little Honey'. I grew a lot of hydrangeas in my old garden (only a couple dozen compared to G's 100!) but the only one I brought with me to my new place was LH. It is still a tricky one to find easily and mine was a gift from the breeder (actually one of the sales reps) so I didn't want to risk not having one in my in new garden. Hydrangeas - and even oakleaf hydrangeas - aside, this is probably my favorite plant of any I've grown. And that's coming from a plant collector that has grown 1000's of different plants! There is just something about the glowing color and the form/texture of the plant that I find very appealing and the fall color can be outstanding and very long lasting. I will say that in the 6 years or so I've had mine, I can recall only a couple of blossoms and those nothing to write home about. This is not an ideal oakleaf to grow for flowers but it will still add a great deal of visual interest to a garden. Now as to the winter appearance of oakleaf hydrangeas, I'm going to disagree with George :-) IMO, they have a much more appealing look in winter than does any other type of hydrangea. Part of it has to do with their more sprawling growth habit and the tendency to hold foliage, and nicely colored foliage at that, but most rests with stems and bark - the bark on mature stems is cinnamon colored and rough, shaggy and exfoliating. I think this adds a lot of interest to a winter landscape and I like including them in garden designs for just this purpose. YMMV As to which cultivar is "best", that is completely a matter of personal choice. With the limitations of LH aside, they all perform about equally, so mature size and flowering attributes may be the determining factor. I looked long and hard at 'Vaughn's Lily' this season under a variety of conditions and decided the heavy, dense blossoms were just not my cup of tea :-) IMO, you cannot go wrong with 'Snow Queen' for a standard sized plant or 'Pee Wee' for a dwarf.

Defrost - I wrote a long message this morning that seems to have gotten lost in the ether. There are a several roses that I've grown in the past or am growing now. Many of my current plants I started from cuttings, and you'd be welcome to come take cuttings if you would like. I have found them relatively easy to grow from cuttings even though I don't know much about it. Almost all my roses are relatively easy care, but the Japanese beetles bother all but the earliest. I recently read that water that has had cedar soaking in it will discourage the Japanese beetles when sprayed on susceptible plants, so I'll be trying that this summer since I have way too much field area to treat for grubs. - Rugosa Hansa (previous house along with one other Rugosa) - Lovely scent, easy care, but I didn't get good repeat. - Double white rugosa - Lovely scent, not good repeat, looks like wet tissue if it rains but gorgeous if it doesn't get wet. One of two current roses from Uncanoonuc, and it is grafted. I fight the understock to keep it from taking over. - Apothecary rose - striped red and white shrub with strong rose scent. I fight the understock (multiflora I think) which has come up 8' away from the plant. Early bloomer no repeat. Uncanoonuc. - Autumn Sunset - Gold Climber, good repeat, light scent. Another Uncanoonuc rose, also grafted, and after about 3 years didn't come back after one winter, though I don't know if it was due to voles or it was too cold. I would grow again if it were on its own roots. - Fairy rose - previous house - no scent, repeat (almost constant) bloom, easy care. - Dr. Huey - Dark red climber from understock. Not much repeat. - John Davis - light scent, medium pink, one of the Canadian Explorer roses, shorter climber. Long bloom with lighter repeats continuing. - Lady Elsie Banks - medium pink shrub, no scent that I notice. Repeats well. - New Dawn (probably) AKA George's rose since it came as a cutting from my now-gone neighbor George. Vigorous climber, very pale pink very double flowers, little if any scent (can't get close enough to smell) and wicked thorns that require that it be planted away from paths. - An unknown pink shrub rose that was here at the house when we arrived. Lovely scent, no repeat bloom. Cleanest foliage of any rose I grow, and the foliage has a light scent. Although IME own root roses don't take off quite as soon as grafted roses, in the long run, I prefer them as I don't have issues with the root stock and all my own root roses have always come back. I don't do any extra winterizing. I don't know if Uncanoonuc has any roses that are own root. I added Zepherine Drouin (pink climber) and Westerland (orange mix) this past summer and haven't yet any feedback on them. This winter will test them, but they are both own root, so I have faith that they will come through.