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Quick Fire companions

6 years ago

My QF is setting buds and I'm so excited. This would be the first time its blooming. I moved it to a sunnier spot. Any ideas on companion plants? Thanks.

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NHBabs z4b-5a NH

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

Until the voles ate it, I grew clematis Little Bas into Quickfire. LB started blooming a bit before QF and QF continued to bloom after LB had finished.

I grow it in a mixed shrub/perennial bed, and it has evergreens (rhododendron, blue spruce 'Fat Albert', and arborvitae/Thuja 'Techny' as neighbors which really highlight Quickfire's long season of bloom. In winter I leave the dried flower panicles and they show up well against the dark green of the arborvitae.

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Comments (6)

enchantedrosez5bma
6 years ago
NH Babs- (voles, ugggh!!! They ate about 20 of my roses over the winter plus some Banana Cream daisies and echinacea.)

I have a question on your Little Quickfire- How big does it get and when does it turn red? I'm looking to plant these with some Blush Knockouts which do well in less light than my more finicky roses. I would like a hydrangea that stays relatively small- 4 feet or so and stays white for a while before turning red.

Thanks for any info.

Sharon
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Yes, when I had better been tending that part of the garden, QF had reached a rambunctious 7 ft tall, last summer's intense heat and drought knocked it right back and this year it's down to about 4 ft and looking decent healthy for the neglected specimen it is and one in dire need of pruning! This is a vigorous shrub, though easily manageable with pruning!
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FrozeBudd, you are so funny - I used to be a big fan of the big mopheads, but over time, I like the more subtle look of QF and lacecap better now! LOL! How our taste changes over time, eh? BTW, your Moonrock is so tempting!!! I am kind of kicking myself for not gbetting one recently when it was on a huge sale at Can Tire! But honestly, I kind of ran out of space and time (!) in the current flower beds, and so I had to demonstrate some restraint LOL! But looking at this now, I just feel like kicking myself... LOL! But I do have to say that Little Hottie also has those lovely leaves that are similar to Moonrock too! Very substantial and healthy looking. I can't wait to find out how Little Hottie will do in our climate after the winter! BTW, all these PW hydrangeas get all of the attention but it seems like these other companies are producing something very interesting too! However, they don't seem to get half the attention though, probably due to marketing.... what a shame!
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Have not seen ads or the plant here in Texas but since the shade of pink is what will matter, compare them in bloom in person to see. I remember when the first pink smooth hydrangeas were introduced, I saw three different ones plus an Annabelle at a nursery. The shade of pinks was not my cup of tea and I skipped them. Online pictures can be adjusted, not necessarily to deceive, but the end result is that they sometimes do not match what you see in person. They bloom best in full sun. But just a fyi, your window may end up getting blocked significantly more by the QF Fab than the others. From the Quick Fire Series, Little Quick Fire and Tiny Quick Fire might be better, although I get it that they are not in stock at your nursery right now.
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It started shipping this year. Some people who order these very small cultivars commented of not getting blooms in year 1. unusual for a paniculata as they are typically shipped to be in bloom by the time they are put for sale by local nurseries. Maybe if ordered online via the likes of PW, etc. they skip blooms???
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October_Gardens
6 years ago
I've got hostas, fuzzy-leaved rudbeckia, carpet rose, a little ES Original and daisy as companions. There's also some cranesbill nearby and the annuals are New Guinea Impatiens.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Sharon, I have regular QF, not LQF. It reaches about 6' unpruned, and info I have seen says that LQF gets to 4'-5'. QF starts blooming for me just at the end of June and stays white for several weeks. It slowly shifts color over the month of August and is fully deep pink by sometime around Labor Day. I don't know how similar LQF is.

QF has a bit of a hint of salmon to the color, so if your blush roses have a slight blue tint to the pink I don't know how they will look together.

Your comment about shade . . . My QF grows in full sun in a bed that doesn't get watered since it has been a couple years old and established. In shade the H. paniculatas like QF aren't as dense and don't bloom quite as well. They like at least a half day of good sun, the more the better in zone 5.
enchantedrosez5bma
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Thanks for the info. I might have to rethink this. I have some Annabelle Hydrangeas that could work with heavy pruning to keep them smaller. Thanks for the heads-up on color. That might be an issue too.

Sharon
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
6 years ago
I will modify my height estimate for regular QF. Mine is still gaining height, though much slower, so I wouldn't be surprised if it reaches 9-10'.

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