Ken, were you a trial attorney in a previous life? Because the only other person I know that requires your level of precision in informal discussions IS a trial attorney ;o). It is used up dirt, soil what ever you call it, it is crap. It had evergreen shrubs in it for 50 years with little or no help, and the shrubs were ripped out, leaving a grading issue since the roots were so massive, and dirt that was basically tapped out of the good stuff plants need to thrive. Thus, the need for more healthy soil, compost, and yep - cr*p. Cow to be specific. I said soil - I meant the nutritionally deficient weedy, stuff in the empty bed. I already have soil amendment for clay areas, high quality manure, and good soil. So, Yes I KNOW how to buy them. Back to my original question- Do I use the round up before or after I make the additions to the bed or should I not add anything for a time after the roundup? dirt /dÃÂrt/ Noun A substance, such as mud or dust, that soils someone or something. Loose soil or earth; the ground. Synonyms filth - muck - soil - mud - grime - earth - dirtiness Botann - Hydrangeas are actually very popular and do really well in this area. The type I'm using also like more sun than many hydrangeas.

The more sun exposure you give to immature blooms, the faster they will turn white. If you want to extend the life of the greens, provide more shade. My LL blooms are still greens in bright shade; they first opened in mid June. LL originated from Limelight so you would expect the bloom colors to be, eh, about the same, adjusted if one bloomed earlier than the other.

You can Google image search for various states of bloom. All hydrangea paniculata begin mostly white and fade to pinks and browns. Both are "dwarf" hydrangea paniculata, as they aren't supposed to exceed 5' in diameter. There would be zero dieback down to zone 3. All paniculata are drought tolerant and require full sun in zone 4. 'Long as the soil stays moist and mostly shaded, little manual watering would be needed. Little Quick Fire just came out this year, so not many people have it. It would be a wise choice for mixed borders as full size QF (like mine) can exceed 7' in diameter. QF (a rare case) should NOT be pruned past early fall (when the leaves turn), and never after the plant begins to leaf out in spring - otherwise you will eliminate blooms before they happen. Little Lime is a top-rated shrub. Each spring, simply prune out tiny outer branches and leave the thickest toward the middle. There are no pruning restrictions on Limelight. QF stems are ruddy in color and have dark, rough, medium sized leaves. Limelights have much lighter stems and leaves (light green across the board).

Tommie - I really like your house & if the plants get too large u can't see the nice brick detail. Agree with emmarene that it looks nice now but I would move the plants when they're small. I would leave a "service alley" next to the house. I removed the overgrown shrubs next to my triple living room window & planted boxwood about 6 ft away & I love it. After I did it one of my neighbors came over - liked it and did the same thing at his home.