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Boston area (Zone 6B) - NE facing hydrangea?

Sarah TB
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago

Hello, everyone. First, I want to acknowledge my complete ignorance of all things having to do with gardening, so I apologize that my questions/ thoughts will likely range from ridiculous to stupid. I live in a Victorian house just outside Boston (Zone 6B) with a very tiny front yard that faces NorthEast. The front of my house is a "blank slate" because everything there is scraggly and there is nothing I want to keep. I have always hoped to hire a landscape professional to re-do the whole thing, but that hasn't been in budget for the years we have lived here, and I've decided that this is the year I am going to take matters into my own hands, and start this spring with clearing and preparing, and then move into planting through the summer and fall, as applicable depending on what I choose.

With that long introduction (sorry!) out of the way, I would love to make some kind of hydrangea the focal point of my design, but I am overwhelmed with the possibilities! Color is not super important to me. The biggest factor for me would be getting reliable blooms despite having a little morning sun followed by shade. The next biggest factor for me would be general "hardiness" because while I would be happy to spend some time maintaining my plants, I am a complete novice and I don't expect that I will grow a green thumb overnight, and I know I will never have a ton of time to spend on gardening. I also do not have a place to bring plants indoors in the winter, and I won't be wrapping them since they are in front of my house.

A few varieties I have come across in my research are Snowball, Limelight, Invincibelle, or Twist N Shout? I would love to hear whether you have thoughts on these or others. (I do not want a vine). OR, I am willing to hear that I should really give up my hydrangea fantasy due to the combination of my zone, NE placement, and inexperience! If I should really choose something less fussy to set myself up for success.

Thank you for reading my novel, and for any thoughts!

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