My first Hydrangea is now in the ground for more than 25 years. At this point, I keep it for sentimental reasons only. It's gotten so THICK with canes that if I wrap it in my usual cage, I have to get everything so tight in there that I think I may actually be suffocating the plant. I've not had good luck overwintering it in recent years. This past winter I didn't even bother with it. If I were you, I'd consider taking a cutting or digging out a portion of your sentimental one and essentially start over. It would indeed be the same plant, so you could keep your sentiment. But I can understand sentiment. I should get rid of my first Hydrangea, but I'm not. For a long time I would cut back the old canes completely to the ground in the Fall. I'd only leave canes that had shot up from low points on the canes or from the crown. They would have grown all summer and would end up giving me great flowering the next year. I'd have very long stemmed flowers, too, that I had cut. The big problem with this technique is that you end up with weaker stems than you would otherwise and next summer they'd be weighted down to the ground with their flowers. I've found that, for my zone, I can usually prune as hard as I want up until about Fourth of July, just to be easy to remember, and not hurt the flowering potential for next year. After that, the buds start setting for next year and you start running into that problem. (But then I've cut some "nikkos" back to the crown in the Fall and on some I'd get great flowering and on some I'd get none. Do I really understand this? NO.) So, here is another method for you to consider to keep it smaller, at least in height. Another thing I've experimented with is to prune all the wimpy growth completely out and just end up with a few stout canes over time. This was interesting, but you end up with an artifical looking Hydrangea and the few stout canes start looking rather strange. But with this technique, more or less, you could develop a plant that wasn't so crowded. I don't know though. I wish I could help you more. I'd like an answer to the question you have, too! Hay

Take photos of other homes in your neighborhood that are not 100% symmetrical. Do the Covenants require homes to be "symmetrical?" Remind them they cannot practice 'selective enforcement' of the Covenants and/or Architectural Standards of the neighborhood. As long as you are not going out of bounds or in the natural buffers (if required) on your lot the only reason they could have would be aesthetics. Too different than other homes, etc. I am Chairman of our ARC, btw. Our Covenants give the ARC the "for any reason" reason. Granted, I've only reviewed one pool addition, one house and one barn. I think any ARC should have to have a good reason to turn something down. Our MBath is over the single/lower storage garage. We have not had any issues with pipes but the stone floor can get colder in the winter than the stone flooring in other main level rooms.

Yup. Had Jets season tix, Sec 131, row 2, 50 yard line since they were at Giant's Stadium. For the new stadium, they wanted one time $100,000 in seat license's, and $2800 a game for 4 tix ($700 each), including pre-season, so $28K a year. Used to cost me $4000 a year, $400 a game ($100 each). The J-E-T-S can kiss my A-$-$ !. I'm done with them, go Pats. Could build another pool or 2 for that money!

Some large or complex projects can be shot over a few days time. There are ways to prep what was shot, so as to accept a shot a later time. Some vanishing edge pools are shot this way. The main pool and then the catch basin. It's absolutely acceptable provided it's prepped properly. We have added benches or steps to old existing concrete pools without a problem. It's all about the prep work. This pool however, is not large or complex. It should have been shot in one day. We built a commercial pool about 8+ years ago that was 40'x75'. 200 yards of gunite used. Done in one day. I too am sorry this has happened. Keep us posted on the progress.