Well darn, now I see the thread about the St. Augustine grass. I'll follow that one ... no need to have two threads for what's essentially the same question!

Bluesage, I wish I had known about Image when my back yard at MoccasinLanding was solid with wild onions after my six months job in south Texas! I pulled out by root two wheelbarrows full of onions--the kind which make bulblets above and below ground. It was a twoday job. I did not poison them because the yard was on the bank of a bayou and I worried about runoff. Tsmith, yes, I had smilax in the yard too, and trimming it back w/ lawnmower was difficult for me, because it put out some kind of chemical which took my breath away. Maybe it is different from the briar of which I speak, which jumps from the ground 1/2" thick and goes straight up even 10-15' to reach a tree limb before it gets dependent on its host, and it has tremendous thorns on it. It also makes a big root ball which looks exotic if cleaned up and dried. The cotton glove and foam brush technique came in handy when my son applied poison to the poison ivy down by the bayou one year. I got into that stuff when I had busted blisters on my hands, not knowing what it looked like, never having an allergy to it before, and my hands ended up looking like boiled weiners. Since it got into my blood stream, I am now allergic to all sorts of chemicals and must be very careful.

I think you are playing with fire if you try to do it chemically! What zone are you in and how old is the plant and how big? Can you take some photos? Have you mulched or used ground covers under your bushes? I have more than 40 hydrangeas and grass is not a problem because the root balls are solid enough to keep out grass. If it is really a bad problem, then I would dig up the plant, wash off the roots and pull the grass out from the bottom. Make sure to pull any roots under the root ball and then pop the plant back in the spot where you lifted it. Don't be afraid to dig up a hydrangea - especially for a few hours. Be careful not to cut too many roots but most hydrangeas are pretty shallow rooted and easy to dig. After you replant - be sure to water well and you might have to add some new soil, but be sure to mix it well with the old soil. Mulch the plant well. The mulch will not only keep the soil moist but prevent more grass or weeds from under your hydrangea. Do not add fertilizer at this time - you don't want to encourage new growth that will be killed by the first cold weather.

Ah, pretty flower but I wouldn't want it in my Monkey grass either. Depending on how much you have, you might try making a cardboard circle with a slit to go around the weed. Then paint on the Round Up. Use the one that dries in 30 minutes and then move the circle to the next one. If you're careful, you won't get it on the monkey grass. If the weed is where you can pull it out and weight down, that would also work.