Yeah, paniculatas like PW typically do very well. It is a good choice so check: (a) that you are not feeding it too much fertilizer - a single application of a general purpose, slow release fertilizer in the Spring should do well for the whole year (assuming your soil has no mineral deficiencies); (b) paniculatas need more sun but do not go overboard with sun exposure or the leaves may complain; (c) watch out for deer/squirrels/etc, pests that like to eat the flower buds and which would prevent you from getting bloomage; (d) do not prune them once they leaf out (just in case you are pruning when the shrubs are developing the flower buds). They bloom quite early here too so it is best to not prune once they leaf out. Instead, prune when they have lost their foliage or better yet, do not prune at all. If planted where they can attain their estimated size at maturity, hydrangeas should need minimal pruning. Maybe only pruning of any stems that died out during winter. Some shrubs may need 2-3 years to develop a good root system so they shrubs may delay blooming *or may delay good blooming) until then. Also, maintain the soil as evenly moist as you can so the plant does not abort the flower buds during a dry spell in late Spring or Summer... 3-4" of mulch helps with watering issues... Water when soil feels dry to a depth of 4". A 1g to 2g watering is sufficient (depends on how to tall the plants are) per watering when the soil feels dry or almost dry.

Hi everyone--I have returned with a couple photos of my Pinky Winky and Vanilla Strawberry. I just don't know--what do you think? I should warn you that my camera slightly exaggerates the pinkish colors, yet standing right in front of the plants, I can see a slight pinkish hue, at least on Pinky Winky, less so on Vanilla Strawberry. On the other hand, none of my blooms look even remotely like maydena's and lois's photos (those are so lovely), so I still don't know if I actually have a real Pinky Winky plant and a real Vanilla Strawberry plant. What do you think? Notice the burnt edges on the leaves and the brownish sunburn on VS in particular. That is what several months of over 100 temps does to paniculatas--unfortunately. Pinky Winky (maybe) Vanilla Strawberry (maybe) To me, it's possible that my Pinky Winky is the real thing and that like Brian in NE Kansas says, it can't be counted on in our heat to perform that well. But I really question whether the second picture really is Vanilla Strawberry. To me, it looks more like the old paniculata that was growing there when I bought this property nearly 30 years ago. That old paniculata got blooms very much like this one--slightly cone shaped but much fuller and rounded in the wide middle section, then in the fall turning a faintly colored copperish pink. Whatever that old paniculata was, it certainly was not a Vanilla Strawberry--although a gorgeous white--just like my current one was a gorgeous white before it got all sunburned. Here's one of the few flowers in my yard without traces of too much sun: I know--not a hydrangea. Just thought it was pretty and that you might enjoy it. : ) Kate

Drive around and look at different property line plantings to get an idea of what you like. A hedge of all one kind of plant tends to look a bit more formal, expecially if trimmed. My personal preference is for a mix of several kinds so there is a variety of textures and flowering times to increase interest, but it may not be yours. If you want flowers, you'll get some bees, but unless the girls are actually playing in the shrubs while they are blooming, it shouldn't be a problem. I'd guess that they are old enough to remember to stay out of the shrubs while they are blooming. Diggingthedirt has made some nice suggestions. Hydrangeas, especially H. paniculatas like Tardiva, Pinky Winky, Limelight, Pink Diamond, etc, or H. arborescens, like Annabelle, are pretty trouble free and they bloom for long periods. Kousa dogwoods are just starting to bloom here now. I've got 2 that I got cheaply at a big box store three years ago. I wasn't sure if they'd be hardy, so didn't want to spend too much on them, but they have done well and have bloomed for two years now. They are about 10 feet tall, and were maybe 5 or 6 feet when I got them. Forsythia is nice for the early color, but also because the branches if untrimmed grow up and arch down, and can be trimmed from below if needed to make a nice play space underneath for the kids. Blueberries have bright red fall color, white spring flowers, and the kids can compete with the birds to get the berries unless you put nets over the shrubs. I love many of the Viburnums, but until I know whether or not they will go the way of chestnuts and elms, I'm not spending any money on them. I'm hoping that the viburnum beetle gets under control before it gets to NH because the genus provides an nice range of shrubs, many offering nice flowers (some with scent), berries, and fall color. There are native and imported varieties. If you have deer, I'd not suggest yews; they are the one plant that regularly got completely denuded, nibbled down to stubs at my previous house. Needless to say, I haven't planted any where I live now. Some of the hardy deciduous azaleas or rhododendrons, like the Lights series ('Northern Highlights', 'Rosy Lights', 'Golden Lights', etc.) have lovely, scented flowers, colorful fall foliage, and will look nice against your neighbor's trees. Between the wind and the sun, you probably don't want evergreen rhodies, though I love them and have a number along my woods edges. The one exception might be some of the PJM series, which are rock hardy and don't seem to mind winter sun. They have reddish to olive colored winter foliage that greens up again in the spring. There are also some summer blooming deciduous rhodies - if you want info on them, I'll look some up and add them - just let me know. One of my favorite native small trees, also a dogwood, is Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia). It's blooming now, but doesn't have typical dogwood flowers. There are creamy clusters which turn into berries that eventually are almost black on bright red stems which the birds love. Fall color is nice also, mostly pastel shades. Farther south it needs some shade, but it does fine in full sun to full shade in NH. If you have some areas of wetter soil (anywhere from average to soggy) a native deciduous holly, winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) is nice. It's a plain green in the summer with nonprickly leaves that drop in the fall, but has stunning red berries that last until the birds eat them either in the late autumn or early spring. You may have noticed them growing wild in wet areas. You'd need one male plant (unless you have wild ones nearby) for every 6 or so female plants - the females won't fruit without a male, but I've found I have male plants growing in a nearby wetland, so I didn't have to buy a male. Magnolias don't grow fast, but if you choose a variety with later flowers (to escape late frost damage) they can be pretty stunning small to medium trees. They grow slowly, so wouldn't be really tree sized for a number of years. If you check frequently, especially early in the season when the care (or lack of care) won't have influenced plant health, you may find some of these at Home Depot or other big box stores to help stretch your budget, or you can get small starter plants at Bluestone Perennials (http://www.bluestoneperennials.com). (I think they may have some of them on sale now for something like $5 each, but they are tiny!) If you want a whole hedge of something, a nursery that sells liners ( basically rooted cuttings) by the flat is Western Maine Nurseries. They do have a minimum order, I think 2 flats (the two flats don't have to both be the same kind of plant) or $100, but if you are doing a long hedge on a small budget that may work out for you in the long run. They would need good soil prep and mulch along with regular watering for the first year, but I've had good success with their plants. Here is a link that might be useful: Western Maine Nurseries

You can put them in bright shade too but paniculatas will do best in some sunlight. I have a Little Lime that is a compact version of Limelight and, in its current bright shade location, it sometimes stays lime colored thru the whole season and does not turn white. Some years it has turned lime to white to green-pink but usually it stays lime and turns green-pink. Actually, it turns out, I prefer that but, man, it was an unexpected development out of the left field, as they say. Over here with my long growing season, paniculatas may get 2 ft quite easily in their first year as they grow fast and grow all thru the Fall for me. You could put the pots in holes in the ground that you dug up and then cover the sides with mulch. Have fun trying things. That is how we all learn! Ha! Luis