Why I Oughta...

In a series of posts ( starting in January ) and then via an individual " priority projec t" post and my 2026 to-do list , I've talked myself into the idea of replacing my Oakleaf Hydrangeas in the garden.  It was, in fact, my #1 task on the list.  NUMBER ONE.   But, something changed.  I wrote about the 'surprise blooms' on these shrubs in Late June .   And, now I'm reconsidering.  I might have, well....been.... wrong. Why am I reconsidering?  Aside from those blooms.  I'm also seeing tons of foliage growth.  Even on some of the shrubs that I thought were dead from rabbits.  Here, below, is one of the Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas that I thought was dead.  It is tucked in behind the peonies in the [Kitchen Curved] bed.   But, when I look closer, I see a few shoots coming out of the ground, too.  See below for two of them: This tells me that not only are the shrubs full of energy and growth.  But...also...th...

I had plans to replace my Oakleaf Hydrangeas because the (dang) rabbits have been eating them down to nubs in the Winter.  So, imagine my surprise when I came across these hydrangea flowers emerging on the tips of the shrubs that have appeared over the top of some of our amsonia foliage in the [kitchen curved] bed.  See below for a couple of photos showing these flowers: I looked for some treeform Viburnum (Doublefile) earlier this Spring, but didn't see any, so I never replaced these Oakleaf Hydrangeas. #1 on my 2026 to-do list was to replace those very shrubs, so this is going to be a fail. Unless....I go about dealing with the rabbits in a different way: keeping them OUT of the garden with a fence. I've posted about these blooms coming-and-going over the years.  Here is a post in 2023 when I was surprised (like this year) when they arrived .  And, here is a post from 2021 when they bloomed and I fell in love with them .  They also turn a deep red in the F...

Back in early January, I wrote a post titled " An Early, Early Look at 2026 Projects and To-Do List " that included a look at a bunch of potential projects.   One of the items listed for the backyard was this: Replace Oakleaf Hydrangeas. Dang rabbits.  Maybe add a few Thujas , too.  I think I've arrived at a place where I have to do something about the Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  I have loved them - but the rabbit pressure has just about killed them the past few years.  Here's a post from January, too where I showed how the (dang!) rabbits had gnawed away at these shrubs .  I wrote this then, and still feel it today: I've protected some of them with chicken wire cages, but the small ones (dwarf) are just about eaten back to the trunks. And some of the Alice (larger ones) have been reduced, too. I *REALLY* like Oakleaf Hydrangeas. But, I don't know if our garden is going to work for them. Working AGAINST what works is something I need to stop doing as a gar...

They are back.  The (dang) rabbits.  And, they're eating the tips of our Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  This photo below has all the tells of them being around - and I'm NOT TALKING ABOUT THE GNAWED-OFF TIPS.  I'm talking about the rabbit turds.  EVERYWHERE.   That means that this will be the second year-in-a-row where we won't have Oakleaf Hydrangea blooms. I need to spend some time researching shade shrubs that flower and are rabbit-proof.

All the Oakleaf Hydrangea-related attention that I've focused on over the past year-or-so has been on the cluster of Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas up in the 'kitchen curved' bed that is close to the house.  But, I also have a few other Oakleaf Hydrangeas in other parts of the garden including a small grouping in the 'nook' area behind the Weeping Nootka Cypress tree.   In May 2022, I planted a pair of Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangeas alongside one of the transplanted Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas .   This post shows the location of the three of them.   Last year, I covered these when they were in bloom and when they turned bright red in the Fall .   Last week, I posted a photo of the new (to me) flowers on the Japanese Sun King Aralias .  In the photo below, you can see those same Sun King's on the bottom left and one of the Oakleaf Hydrangeas right behind it (in the middle of the photo).   I think this tall one is an Alice Oakleaf....

In the Summer of 2023, I planted a pair of Snow Queen Oakleaf Hydrangeas in between some of the Green Giant Thujas along the fenceline in the backyard.  Since then...both of them were ravaged by the (dang!) rabbits.  One of them - the one closer to the house - never came back.  But the other one - a little further back - survived the past two Winters.  Despite the rabbit pressure.  Has it flowered since I planted it?  No.  There's been no "Old Wood" left after the rabbits get to it.  But, that isn't stopping it from putting on some new - and much needed - growth this Summer. See below for current state of this shade-tolerant flowering shrub:  From the looks of them in this July 2023 photo , I'd say that this one isn't quite back to the size it was when I first planted it, but getting close.   Also...note the chicken wire attached to the fence behind this shrub.  More on that soon. 

I've talked about how the (dang) rabbits have destroyed a number of our oakleaf hydrangeas in the backyard.  I *really* like Oakleaf Hydrangeas, but I've mused (post here) if I'm just fighting nature too much and should plant things that can do better.   One of the shrubs that we have growing in the yard is a number of viburnums.  They, too, are flowering shrubs.  And they, too can handle some shade.  We have two different varieties:  doublefile and Chicago Lustre Arrowwood.  They've both done well.  The doublefile are treeform - which I really like as we can plant *under* them .  The Chicago Lustre have done well - despite the rabbit pressure.   There are a couple spots in our backyard that still need screening shrubs, so I always stop by the flowering shrub section of the big box stores to see if there's anything interesting.  I found a pair of these "Pink Beauty" Doublefile Viburnum at Menards.  (The trick to s...

I think this might be my breaking point on Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  Every Winter since we planted them, the (dang!) rabbits have gnawed away the tips on our Oakleaf Hydrangea shrubs.  They 'clip' the tips right off and if you know anything about Oakleaf Hydrangeas....you know that they bloom on 'old wood'.  The (dang!) rabbits are eating just that:  the 'old wood'. Below is a shot of some of the damage: I've protected some of them with chicken wire cages, but the small ones (dwarf) are just about eaten back to the trunks.  And some of the Alice (larger ones) have been reduced, too.   I *REALLY* like Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  But, I don't know if our garden is going to work for them.   My plan is to go out and buy even more rabbit repellent and try to apply it (in the cold) and see if that dissuades these (dang!) rabbits.

The Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas on the southside of our backyard in the 'kitchen curved bed' are holding on to their greenish/purple-ish leaves this late into the year.  Below in the photo you can see a number of them lined up along the back/middle-back of the border that are droop'ing, but...holding their large leaves: Also note...the leaf litter in the photo all across the beds.  I've cleaned these out a handful of times, each time trying to cut up the leaves with my mower and blowing the scraps back onto the beds.  

In the Fall of 2021, I made a big decision (or...what seemed like a BIG decision at the time) in our garden.  I opted to dig up some of our Oakleaf Hydrangeas and move them *out* from the fence .  They were planted to allow for their mature size, but tucked in closer to the fence.  After reading and observing our garden - and others online - I decided to invest in putting evergreen shrubs *behind* deciduous, flowering shrubs.  Here's the post from October 2021 where I talk about 'layering' and how most designs call for evergreens *in front of* shrubs like hydrangeas .  That's how it looks in our front yard.  But....this idea turns that concept on its ear - by putting the evergreens BEHIND the shrubs that lose their leaves in Winter.  To do that, I needed to move out the Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  And plant some evergreens.  I opted for Hicks Yews - since this is a pretty much full-shade area.  I planted a five-dollar, one-gallon Hicks Yew in O...

Recently, I posted a photo of the Butterscotch Amsonia that I described as 'electric' in its Fall colors and talked about how we have some oranges and yellows, but very few reds in our "Fall Show".  Besides the Acer Palmatums, the few red-colored foliage plants we have include some Oakleaf Hydrangea.  See below for a look at a couple of them turning red.  These are Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea that went in the ground in 2022 .    There's also an Alice Oakleaf Hydrangea back there, too.  I lost one of those closer to the house this past Winter that I need to replace, so I might look into transplanting this one back up in the 'kitchen curved' bed.  

I've long proclaimed myself to be a foliage gardener.  That's partially because I'm a shade gardener and partially because flowering plants have always been a little bit outside of my comfort zone.  But, I'm starting to think that I'm also *another* kind of gardener:  a Fall Gardener.  Or at least a late Summer + Fall Gardener.   The September and October Dahlia blooms this year have taught me to love that part of the growing season.  And now....as things are going dormant in our yard and garden, I'm struck by some things that are happening in Fall.   What are those things?  Here's one - below.  The EYE-SEARING gold that is coming from our Butterscotch Amsonias in our backyard that are contrasted by the dark green foliage of some Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  This color is borderline shocking.  It is a little hard to see, but if you look closely, there are a couple of other things worth noting in this photo.  First....th...

The pair of Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangeas that are planted near the Dawn Redwood tree are in bloom.  Late July.  With long, slender bloom heads that are turning from light green to pink.  Below are a couple of photos that show both of them.  There's also an Alice Oakleaf Hydrangea that I relocated here, but that one isn't as advanced as these two.  Planted in May of 2022, these Ruby Slippers are a dwarf variety of Oakleaf Hydrangea that I bought at the Morton Arboretum annual plant sale .   In the photo above, you also can get a peek at some of the recently-planted Sun King Golden Aralia (Japanese Spikard) that also came from the Morton Arboretum sale .    The last time that I peeked at these in the [garden diary] was about a month ago when I revisited this 'garden edit' .   I feel good about the border and the little slice of the garden that fronts this, the part *behind* the Nootka Cypress - sort-of adjacent to this - is anoth...

I really do NOT like the dang rabbits that live in and around our yard and garden.  I've done my best to protect against their damage, but I didn't do enough this Winter.  With the snow melting, I took one VERY small walk through part of the garden to see how things have fared in the past month-or-so.  I don't want to walk on the wet ground and didn't walk in any of the beds to avoid compaction.   But...from the edge of the beds, I was able to see some serious rabbit damage on a number of my Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  Even on one that I wrapped in Chicken wire.  What the heck!?! Here's a few photos showing the rabbit pressure - and gnawing of the tips - on my SnowQueen and Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas.    The problem is that these flowering shrubs bloom on old wood.  That means...2024 will be a year of limited flowers.  Bummer.   Weather-permitting, I'll go out and grab more photos.  Coming up with a real plan on rabbits feels ...

Just a few days ago, I posted photos of three (happy) Little Lime Hydranges in our backyard garden.  They are NOT the only dwarf varieties of hydrangeas that we have planted.  We also have three Oakleaf hydrangeas - Little Honey - that are from the Morton Arboretum plant sale.  I put them in the ground in May of 2022 .  These were gobbled up/gnawed-on by the dang rabbits, so I protected them all Winter. All three re-emerged this year with foliage.  But, suddenly...one of them has taken a turn.  See below for the current state of these three.  Clearly a 'good', 'middle' and 'bad', right? They all appear to be dealing with similar conditions:  light and water.  One of them is a TINY bit closer to a large Black Walnut tree, but I don't think that could be the issue.  Could it? I'll keep an eye on the troubled one, but my hunch is that it may NOT make it through this year.

Planted in late October 2021, we have a set of three Exclamation London Planetrees that are planted pretty close to our fence in the backyard.  I tucked them in behind the row of Oakleaf Hydrangeas along the south bed.   When I planted them, I talked about drawing some inspiration from Disneyland and wanted to try to train these into being 'cube-shaped' or pleached in some way .   They were BARELY more than whips when they went in - something on the order of say .5" caliper. They were barely peeking over the hydrangeas and not much taller than the fence that sat behind them. I have not touched them with a pruner since they arrived.  I've watered them - along with the shrubs - when I can.  And...in the photo below, you can see their current state.   All three have survived and are now more than three-feet-above the top of the fence.   My plan - at the time - was to get sturdy trunks established about eight-feet-tall.  And then ...

Before we left town in June, I planted a pair of new (to me) Oakleaf Hydrangeas - Snow Queen - along the fence in an attempt to extend/continue that run of Oakleaf Hydranges along that bed .  These are interplanted with some evergreens - Green Giant Thujas.  When I planted these, I followed Ralph Snodsmith's advice and gave these "Five Dollar Holes" along with a heavy dose of municipal biosolids to get them started.    I set up irrigation for the couple of weeks post-planting for these flowering shrubs and I'm very surprised at how much growth they appear to have put on in such a short time.  See below for a photo showing the pair of shrub as they stand now.  Flip back here .  Very different in a short period of time, right?  I'll plan on protecting these with chicken wire this Fall/Winter and hopefully...we'll see some blooms next year.  

Last year, we had just ONE tiny, white bloom on ALL of our Oakleaf Hydrangeas .  It was a bloom on one of the dwarf Munchkin varieties.  The other ones?  All taken by the dang rabbits the previous Winter.   In Summer 2021, we had our first REAL set of blooms on these things (that were planted in Summer 2020).    That makes this our fourth growing season (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) and the plants ( knock wood ) have rebounded from a tough battle with the dang rabbits.   Over those years, I've been able to 'get to know' these and the kind of care they need - at least when they're young.  As many people know, Oakleaf Hydrangeas bloom on 'old wood' - which means that THIS SEASON - after these blooms decline, the shrub will put up some new stem growth.  It is THOSE STEMS (from this year) that will lead to blooms NEXT YEAR.   How did I help keep those important stems in tact all year?  With Chicken Wire cages starting last Fa...

Yesterday, I posted details of how I had to move a small Tuff Stuff Red Mountain Hydrangea to make room for some new Oakleaf Hydrangeas.   I had been holding a few spots for some shade-tolerant Hydrangeas (per our plan) that extend the row of Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas from our kitchen window bed all the way back to the south Oak tree.   The plan calls for a mix of Oakleaf and Tardiva Hydrangeas - both shade-tolerant flowering shrubs - to fill in the remaining space.   I was on a trip to Menards and came across a pair of Oakleaf Hydrangeas that weren't on my radar:  Snowqueen Oakleaf Hydrangeas.  Here's the tag on the shrub: And, here below is the full tag: That idea of Winter protection for the first year is new (to me).  Maybe I can do leaf mulch with these, too? The Missouri Botanical Garden has this page up with this description that had me at the word 'upright': SNOW QUEEN has an upright broad, rounded habit and typically grows 4-6' tal...

Last Summer, we had just ONE bloom on all of our Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas .  One bloom on like six shrubs.  Why?  Because of the dang rabbits .  They FEASTED on these young shrubs all Winter.  In 2021, the Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas in our backyard put on quite a show - with blooms in July and some quite lovely red colors in the Fall .   Anyone who reads up on various hydrangeas will quickly learn that Oakleaf Hydrangeas bloom on 'old wood' - meaning...they put out their flowers on growth that happens the previous Summer/Fall.  That's the very same growth that the dang rabbits were eating.   As a result, last Fall, bought A LOT of chicken wire.   I learned from experience I had with the small Ruby Slippers Oakleaf Hydrangea that I bought at the Morton Arboretum last Spring:  they grew their entire life inside of a chicken wire ring .  And they bloomed.    So, I created rings of chicken wire and surrounded ev...