The Oakleaf Hydrangea

Well-known for its oak-shaped leaves, this hydrangea ranks high on my favorite plant list! Native to the United States, the oakleaf offers four seasons of beauty, interest and more! Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) varieties ‘Alice’ and ‘Pee Wee’ are most popular in my 5b Zone.

The graceful ‘Alice’ grows to 4-5’ tall and will spread 5-6’ wide. If you have the space, this is an excellent selection as a single specimen or in mass! A hedge of the gorgeous ‘Alice’ is a guaranteed show stopper! The smaller, more petite ‘Pee Wee’ will grow 2-3’ tall and spreads 3-4’ wide. A perfect choice for any size garden, even smaller ones! ‘Alice’ and ‘Pee Wee’ share many similar characteristics. My favorite is watching the deep green foliage as it changes to a brilliant orange, red, burgundy, and yellow in autumn; the colors are amazing and quite unexpected for a hydrangea!

The abundant flowering display of the oakleaf is lovely in summertime and the beautiful blooms attract butterflies. The white cone-shaped blossoms on ‘Alice’ are large and magnificent! ‘Pee Wee’ is considerably smaller, but it is absolutely adorable! Everything about the ‘Pee Wee’ makes my heart sing. ‘Pee Wee’ is the mini-me version of ‘Alice’ and the foliage and blossoms blend perfectly in small settings!

During the winter months, I enjoy the spent flower blooms on all my hydrangea varieties until spring time. The dried flower heads are gorgeous along with another big winter interest bonus for the oakleaf hydrangea - its peeling bark! Admittedly, the cold winter weather rushes me indoors while my gardens are under snow, but the peeling bark of my ‘Pee Wee’ hydrangeas stop me dead in my tracks! 

Once again, I’m reminded to take time to appreciate and enjoy the great gift of life and the bountiful earth that sustains us. Just like the oakleaf hydrangea, we have the privilege to make memories all year round!

There are only two ways of spreading light - to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.

~Edith Wharton, American writer (1862-1937)

The Limelight Hydrangea

I simply adore the time of year when hydrangeas make their stunning debut and steal the show in the garden!  This is exactly what I wait for all season long!  The beauty of all hydrangeas take my breath away...but the exciting and unique 'Limelight' Hydrangea paniculata brings out the giddy gardener in me!

‘Limelight’ hydrangea’s soft lime green blooms held above the dark green foliage resemble a triple scoop of soft-serve ice cream. To me, the luscious tapered blooms just scream “Summer time!” The impressive flower heads can get up to 12 inches long and stand upright on the shrub for an extraordinary and lovely display with no drooping! It’s a strong shrub with flower power! Another thriller with this beauty… as autumn approaches, the blooms gracefully change to a rich deep pink that lasts through late fall and offers wonderful winter interest.

Of all the hydrangeas, the ‘Limelight’ is the most adaptable to different soil types and prefers full sun to light shade. In fact, they are extremely hardy and very tricky to kill…oh yes, my kind of ornamental shrub! The beautiful ‘Limelight’ can be easily maintained as a small shrub or trained into a small tree. I prefer pruning my ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas in early spring by simply cutting off the spent flowers to make way for new ones! Bonus: the spent flowers add great winter interest and are a constant reminder of what’s to come. A hard pruning in spring will produce larger flowers…just cut the shrub back by 1/3 to 1/2. I will prune my ‘Limelights’ back very hard this spring and as a result the foliage will be much denser.

Interested in attracting attention to your landscape and gardens with an outrageously gorgeous effect? I recommend planting the ‘Limelight’ in groupings or masses. Hands down you’ll not be sorry and you, too, will wait for their coming out party each season like I do!

GROW IT

Botanical name: Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’

Common name: ‘Limelight’ hydrangea

Hardiness: USDA Zone 3 -8

Bloom Time: Begins in late July – early August. Blooms last through late fall.

Height: 6′-8′

The Poppy Fields Collection

Because of my obsession with gardening, my antennae are such that when anything that comes within range that is remotely garden-related, they start twitching. It just happened again. Somehow I ended up on Kirkland's e-mail list and though I don't shop there often, they do have something once in awhile that I find attractive and usually the price is right.

I just took a look at their new Poppy Fields Collection and gardener or not, it's got some rather attractive items for the home.

My picks:

At 12" tall, this ceramic vase with a nice matte finish in chocolate brown sells for $21.99.

  This Tabletop Plaque is crafted of metal and measures approximately 21" by 21". It sells for $24.99.


At my back door, I love to use colorful and fun graphic mats. This Outdoor Coir Mat has a chocolate background and measures 17" by 29". It is inexpensive, at $9.99.



We are not affiliated with Kirkland's in any way, nor have we been contacted by the company or received any of the mentioned products from them. From time to time, The Soil Sisters come across something they like as they shop the web and the real world. We are sharing our finds with you and always follow the FCC guidelines regarding full disclosure.

Hibiscus for northern gardens

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Starry Wind' from Costa Farms

Every time I go to Florida, I’m enthralled by the tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) in bloom. So many vibrant colors grab my attention every time I pass by them when walking or driving just about anywhere. Sadly, I know we can’t put them in the ground here in Ohio and expect them to live through the winter.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t have hibiscus in Ohio. I keep them in containers and take them in and out of the house as the weather dictates. But there’s a way to enjoy hibiscus in the north without all that in and out business. There are two hybrid hibiscus that are hardy to our zone 5 winters: Hibiscus syriacus and Hibiscus moscheutos.

I’ve got two Hibiscus moscheutos. They have ginormous blooms measuring 8-10 inches across. This hibiscus dies all the way back to the ground after a hard freeze in the fall, and begins growing again in late spring.

Hibiscus moscheutos 'Plum Crazy'

I’ve also got four Hibiscus syriacus, also known as Althea or Rose of Sharon. The blooms are similar to other hibiscus, but are much smaller, being approximately 3-4 inches across. These do not die down to the ground after frost, but they do lose their leaves. They too are rather slow to break dormancy in the spring, so don’t think they’ve not made it through the winter just because they’re later than most plants to show signs of life.

Hibiscus syriacus 'Aphrodite'

GROW IT

Botanical name: Hibiscus syriacus

Common name: Rose of Sharon

Hardiness: USDA Zones 5 – 9

Bloom Time: July through September

Height: 4′-10′

Grow it: This is easy to grow from seed and from cuttings. Blooms best in full sun, but will grow and bloom (less) in full shade, too.

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Botanical name: Hibiscus moscheutos

Common name: Hardy Hibiscus

Hardiness: USDA Zones 5 – 10

Bloom Time: July through September

Height: 4′- 6′

Grow it: Plant in full sun. Average moisture needs, but does better on the moist side.