I'm going to plant a Hydrangea Serrata in the best position I can offer it,
with morning sun and aternoon shade, but the soil is not going to be moist if
I just plant it there and do nothing else. I can water it of course... But I
wonder what else I could do. I can put pieces of stone (I've got some big
fragments of broken marble and other stuff like that) around it to reduce
evaporation from the soil itself. But I recall watching someone on Gardener's
World planting something that liked a lot of moisture with some plastic
sheeting in the planting hole to provide a sort of subterranean reservoir,
not reaching surface level but it was down there as a water resource that the
plant could reach with its roots if it wanted.

But I have read that hydrangeas like well-drained soil, so this might be a
Very Bad Idea. But maybe I could put something similar in the planting hole,
just smaller and lower down- like a couple of plastic containers each just a
few inches across, something like that, right in the bottom of the hole.

I can also plant smaller plants (geraniums?) around to shade the soil in that
general area.

And I can put together some trickle-type irrigation, although I know from
having that elsewhere that in practice I don't tend to use it all that
regularly but rather when I realise it is urgently needed.

Any ideas of how to make this hydrangea feel at home, that don't depend on me
having to water it every few days, would be helpful.

--
Vacutone

On 30/7/08 14:33, in article
, "Vacutone"
wrote:

I'm going to plant a Hydrangea Serrata in the best position I can offer it,
with morning sun and aternoon shade, but the soil is not going to be moist if
I just plant it there and do nothing else. I can water it of course... But I
wonder what else I could do. I can put pieces of stone (I've got some big
fragments of broken marble and other stuff like that) around it to reduce
evaporation from the soil itself. But I recall watching someone on Gardener's
World planting something that liked a lot of moisture with some plastic
sheeting in the planting hole to provide a sort of subterranean reservoir,
not reaching surface level but it was down there as a water resource that the
plant could reach with its roots if it wanted.

But I have read that hydrangeas like well-drained soil, so this might be a
Very Bad Idea. But maybe I could put something similar in the planting hole,
just smaller and lower down- like a couple of plastic containers each just a
few inches across, something like that, right in the bottom of the hole.

I can also plant smaller plants (geraniums?) around to shade the soil in that
general area.

And I can put together some trickle-type irrigation, although I know from
having that elsewhere that in practice I don't tend to use it all that
regularly but rather when I realise it is urgently needed.

Any ideas of how to make this hydrangea feel at home, that don't depend on me
having to water it every few days, would be helpful.

I think that in the end you will find it a lot easier to chuck a bucket of
water over it once or twice a day than to go through the rest of the faff,
to be honest. We have a hydrangea walk here beside the church and it's
probably about 50 or 60 yards long. One of us just drags the hose down
there either morning or evening or Ray puts a spray line on it. It's quite
soothing and peaceful to water the garden with an (evening) g &t in hand or
a (morning) cup of tea. ;-) I don't mean this at all rudely but if you're
worried about watering one hydrangea every few days, I think you might be
better not planting one at all because they do wilt very quickly in dry
weather.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:38:31 +0100, Sacha wrote
(in message ):

I think that in the end you will find it a lot easier to chuck a bucket of
water over it once or twice a day than to go through the rest of the faff,
to be honest. We have a hydrangea walk here beside the church and it's
probably about 50 or 60 yards long. One of us just drags the hose down
there either morning or evening or Ray puts a spray line on it. It's quite
soothing and peaceful to water the garden with an (evening) g &t in hand or
a (morning) cup of tea. ;-) I don't mean this at all rudely but if you're
worried about watering one hydrangea every few days, I think you might be
better not planting one at all because they do wilt very quickly in dry
weather.


That's a thought- but I really want this hydrangea. I've fallen in love with
the lacecaps now. I'll do whatever I have to do to keep it alive and happy,
but I'm really looking for ways- IF there are any- of making it less work.

I found a better location for it- it just means somethng else has to be dug
up and moved, but it will definitely require less watering there. I think it
will be ok.

But as I said, any ideas on reducing watering by retaining water around/under
the plant- I'd be very interested. As it is I'll use normal mulching along
with pebbles or large broken stone pieces, that will gvee me a head start.

--
Vacutone

On 31/7/08 16:38, in article
, "Vacutone"
wrote:

On Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:38:31 +0100, Sacha wrote
(in message ):

I think that in the end you will find it a lot easier to chuck a bucket of
water over it once or twice a day than to go through the rest of the faff,
to be honest. We have a hydrangea walk here beside the church and it's
probably about 50 or 60 yards long. One of us just drags the hose down
there either morning or evening or Ray puts a spray line on it. It's quite
soothing and peaceful to water the garden with an (evening) g &t in hand or
a (morning) cup of tea. ;-) I don't mean this at all rudely but if you're
worried about watering one hydrangea every few days, I think you might be
better not planting one at all because they do wilt very quickly in dry
weather.


That's a thought- but I really want this hydrangea. I've fallen in love with
the lacecaps now. I'll do whatever I have to do to keep it alive and happy,
but I'm really looking for ways- IF there are any- of making it less work.

I found a better location for it- it just means somethng else has to be dug
up and moved, but it will definitely require less watering there. I think it
will be ok.

But as I said, any ideas on reducing watering by retaining water around/under
the plant- I'd be very interested. As it is I'll use normal mulching along
with pebbles or large broken stone pieces, that will gvee me a head start.

You could consider running a 'leaky' hose to it that's invisible if placed
correctly. Then all you have to do is turn the tap on. I can never
remember the name of the stuff but someone will. It's specifically designed
for irrigation.
I agree with you that they are things of great beauty and I think that it
won't be long before you're their slave and watering them won't seem any
kind of a chore at all! ;-) We have one unidentified one that is
absolutely snow white and it lifts my heart every time I see it - there's
just something so ethereal about its colour that is a contrast with its
rather sturdy shrub! If you really are in love with them you could consider
a collection all in one area that does perhaps make a focal point to your
garden, either as an avenue or border and then your watering could be
concentrated in one place. You can also make watering more effective by
putting about a foot length of pipe sunk into the ground beside the roots of
the plant and pouring the hose straight down it so it gets directly to the
roots. Keep an inch or four of pipe above the ground so it doesn't get
covered in earth and you 'lose' it.
PS Have you met H. paniculata yet? ;-))
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

"Vacutone" wrote in message
s.com...
I'm going to plant a Hydrangea Serrata in the best position I can offer
it,
with morning sun and aternoon shade, but the soil is not going to be moist
if
I just plant it there and do nothing else. I can water it of course... But
I
wonder what else I could do. I can put pieces of stone (I've got some big
fragments of broken marble and other stuff like that) around it to reduce
evaporation from the soil itself. But I recall watching someone on
Gardener's
World planting something that liked a lot of moisture with some plastic
sheeting in the planting hole to provide a sort of subterranean reservoir,
not reaching surface level but it was down there as a water resource that
the
plant could reach with its roots if it wanted.

But I have read that hydrangeas like well-drained soil, so this might be a
Very Bad Idea. But maybe I could put something similar in the planting
hole,
just smaller and lower down- like a couple of plastic containers each just
a
few inches across, something like that, right in the bottom of the hole.

I can also plant smaller plants (geraniums?) around to shade the soil in
that
general area.

And I can put together some trickle-type irrigation, although I know from
having that elsewhere that in practice I don't tend to use it all that
regularly but rather when I realise it is urgently needed.

Any ideas of how to make this hydrangea feel at home, that don't depend on
me
having to water it every few days, would be helpful.

--
Vacutone


Hi,

I've read the exchange between you and Sacha. Sacha's idea of an avenue or
concentration of hydrangeas is lovely - I've seen it done to great effect.
You will undoubtedly want more! If you go down this route, it makes the
sub-terranean reservoir method of watering more worthwhile. To all intents
and purposes, what you saw on the BBC gardening prog was a simple bog garden
but with more drainage. Please don't mistake me and build a bog garden, as
this would be too wet, but follow the general principles: a) dig out deep
depression b) line with strong plastic or butyl liner c) make holes to
allow *some* drainage d) backfill with soil e) plant your hydrangeas.
Having done this, if you subsequently think the area is too wet, simply use
a garden fork to make more holes.

If you only want the one plant, you could add some water-retaining
gel/crystals to the planting hole and the soil you back-fill with. You
could also bury a length of pipe next to the plant to guide water to the
roots of the plant. This will encourage the roots to grow down, rather than
stay near the soil surface where they may linger if you water normally.

Mulching is, of course, a great help - but not with a marble slab if you
want to encourage blue flowers.

A seep hose (what Sacha was describing) is a good idea, too, but its
efficacy may suffer if the soil compacts, just as with normal watering. One
solution to this may simply be gently forking over the soil periodically.

Spider

On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:35:31 +0100, Sacha wrote
(in message ):

You could consider running a 'leaky' hose to it that's invisible if placed
correctly. Then all you have to do is turn the tap on. I can never
remember the name of the stuff but someone will. It's specifically designed
for irrigation.

I know- I've got some- this is a good use for it. I can't remember the name
either. I think they make it frrom old tyres. I have some in the front garden
but I buried it about 4-5" below soil level and although it still seems to
work, I get the feeling that it is slowed down noticeably now, and I suspect
it is getting a bit clogged. I think I need to try this type of hose at
ground level maybe under a mulch but not much else.

I agree with you that they are things of great beauty and I think that it
won't be long before you're their slave and watering them won't seem any
kind of a chore at all! ;-) We have one unidentified one that is
absolutely snow white and it lifts my heart every time I see it - there's
just something so ethereal about its colour that is a contrast with its
rather sturdy shrub! If you really are in love with them you could consider
a collection all in one area that does perhaps make a focal point to your
garden, either as an avenue or border and then your watering could be
concentrated in one place. You can also make watering more effective by
putting about a foot length of pipe sunk into the ground beside the roots of
the plant and pouring the hose straight down it so it gets directly to the
roots. Keep an inch or four of pipe above the ground so it doesn't get
covered in earth and you 'lose' it.

Ok, that's a good idea. I'll try that- thanks.

PS Have you met H. paniculata yet? ;-))

Not in person, but I've seen some pictures. They are very good-looking
plants, and they seem to give a garden an atmosphere. I've come to hydrangeas
a bit late in life- or at least in the life of this garden, which is small
and has little room left in the moister areas for anything bigger than a
geranium. But we shall see.

--
Vacutone

On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:43:03 +0100, Spider wrote
(in message ):

Hi,

I've read the exchange between you and Sacha. Sacha's idea of an avenue or
concentration of hydrangeas is lovely - I've seen it done to great effect.
You will undoubtedly want more! If you go down this route, it makes the
sub-terranean reservoir method of watering more worthwhile. To all intents
and purposes, what you saw on the BBC gardening prog was a simple bog garden
but with more drainage. Please don't mistake me and build a bog garden, as
this would be too wet, but follow the general principles: a) dig out deep
depression b) line with strong plastic or butyl liner c) make holes to
allow *some* drainage d) backfill with soil e) plant your hydrangeas.
Having done this, if you subsequently think the area is too wet, simply use
a garden fork to make more holes.

That makes sense.

I wonder if carving a basin into the clay subsoil would be useful. About a
foot down the soil turns into solid yellow clay, and a depression dug into
that will hold water indefinitely- well until it evaporates. Maybe I could
make a small reservoir there under the plant, something for it to dip its
roots into for a drink when its roots have grown that far, say maybe after a
year, somethng like that.

And meanwhile the plastic sheet "bog garden" technology would help.

If you only want the one plant, you could add some water-retaining
gel/crystals to the planting hole and the soil you back-fill with. You
could also bury a length of pipe next to the plant to guide water to the
roots of the plant. This will encourage the roots to grow down, rather than
stay near the soil surface where they may linger if you water normally.

Mulching is, of course, a great help - but not with a marble slab if you
want to encourage blue flowers.

Yes, I did wonder about that....

A seep hose (what Sacha was describing) is a good idea, too, but its
efficacy may suffer if the soil compacts, just as with normal watering. One
solution to this may simply be gently forking over the soil periodically.

Spider

Ok- thanks!

--
Vacutone

"Vacutone" wrote in message
s.com...
On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:43:03 +0100, Spider wrote
(in message ):

Hi,

I've read the exchange between you and Sacha. Sacha's idea of an avenue
or
concentration of hydrangeas is lovely - I've seen it done to great
effect.
You will undoubtedly want more! If you go down this route, it makes the
sub-terranean reservoir method of watering more worthwhile. To all
intents
and purposes, what you saw on the BBC gardening prog was a simple bog
garden
but with more drainage. Please don't mistake me and build a bog garden,
as
this would be too wet, but follow the general principles: a) dig out deep
depression b) line with strong plastic or butyl liner c) make holes to
allow *some* drainage d) backfill with soil e) plant your hydrangeas.
Having done this, if you subsequently think the area is too wet, simply
use
a garden fork to make more holes.

That makes sense.

I wonder if carving a basin into the clay subsoil would be useful. About a
foot down the soil turns into solid yellow clay, and a depression dug into
that will hold water indefinitely- well until it evaporates. Maybe I could
make a small reservoir there under the plant, something for it to dip its
roots into for a drink when its roots have grown that far, say maybe after
a
year, somethng like that.


I can fully appreciate what you're thinking, and it would be great for a
true bog garden. It may even work for a hydrangea in a very hot summer. My
concern is that, come winter, that yellow clay sump will hold more cold
(even icy) water than the hydrangea can cope with. Worse still, it may be
hard to alleviate once you've compacted that clay (which is how you get it
to hold water). Although it sounds counter-intuitive, you would be better
improving the clay, so that there is some post-"bog garden" drainage.
Without that extra drainage, the solid clay may hold so much water that it
begins to float the plastic sheet. If you want to be sure of sufficient
moisture, make your "bog garden" drainage holes in the sides of the liner,
rather than the base, so there is still *some* water after drainage. You
can, as I said before, increase drainage if you need to. Harder to reverse
that process, though, so take it gently. Once you've made this bed, you
won't be able to see what's going on below ground, so you need to build in
as much control over conditions as possible. Better to have a (reduced)
watering job in summer than a drowning hydrangea in winter.


And meanwhile the plastic sheet "bog garden" technology would help.

If you only want the one plant, you could add some water-retaining
gel/crystals to the planting hole and the soil you back-fill with. You
could also bury a length of pipe next to the plant to guide water to the
roots of the plant. This will encourage the roots to grow down, rather
than
stay near the soil surface where they may linger if you water normally.

Mulching is, of course, a great help - but not with a marble slab if you
want to encourage blue flowers.

Yes, I did wonder about that....

A seep hose (what Sacha was describing) is a good idea, too, but its
efficacy may suffer if the soil compacts, just as with normal watering.
One
solution to this may simply be gently forking over the soil periodically.

Spider

Ok- thanks!

--
Vacutone
Spider