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Hedge: Hydrangeas? Roses? Hydrangeas and roses?
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Posted by Lombill Chicagoland z5 (My Page) on Sun, Jun 26, 11 at 13:12
| I'm driving myself a bit batty trying to come up with an informal hedge to block a 5-foot chain-link fence that overlooks an ugly parking lot. I have good draining soil, sunny to part-sun, zone 5. I'm trying to cover about 55 feet, and 6 feet high would be nice. I'd like something that blooms in the summer, since we spend more time in that part of the yard then.
I had considered ninebark or viburnum, but Husband isn't a fan. He likes roses and hydrangea, although we have hydrangea elsewhere, so roses would be the first choice.
Do rose hedges get high enough and thick enough? Are they a pain to maintain? Do they get scrubby-looking after a while in a Chicago summer? Maybe I should plant a hydrangea in the middle, with roses on either side? Do you see how I'd driving myself batty? Arrrgh!
Any advice is much appreciated. Thank you. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Hedge: Hydrangeas? Roses? Hydrangeas and roses?
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| Personally, I find roses to be high maintenance plants. Though beautiful when grown well, they are subject to numerous diseases and bugs. And like most perennials/shrubs, yes they will look scruffy if dead flowers and leaves are not removed. (Which then brings you to the "fun" of dealing with the thorns.) This is simply what one accepts with any flowering shrub. Have you considered Hibiscus syriacus, aka Rose of Sharon? If you are unfamiliar with them, it is a specie of winter hardy hibiscus. Without trimming, and depending on the cultivar they can get 6-10feet tall and most of the ones I've seen get about 3 or 4 ft wide. (The one at my folks' place in northern Michigan has never gotten over 7 ft and they have never trimmed it.) They come in whites, pinks, reds, lavenders, "blues" (which really aren't) and bullseyes (white or pink with a red bullseye in the middle). My sis has a beautiful pure white one which also has never gotten over 7ft tall. Neither she nor my folks have found it to be at all bug or disease prone, and hummingbirds like them. (If you'd really like to do this on the cheap, and if you don't mind waiting a few years, you can grow them from seed. The one at my folks' is one I started from seed. It's been a long time, but if memory serves, it reached 4 or 5 ft by its 3rd or 4th year.) Flowers only last a day or two but healthy happy plants produce new flowers most of the summer into fall. |
RE: Hedge: Hydrangeas? Roses? Hydrangeas and roses?
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| I love ninebarks and viburnums personally but would also second the suggestion of rose of sharon. Many paniculata hydrangeas get very tall - limelight, pinky winky, quickfire. Another suggestion - elderberry black lace. Gets about 5 or 6 feet tall. |
RE: Hedge: Hydrangeas? Roses? Hydrangeas and roses?
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| Roses & Hydrangeas usually require different amounts of sunlight and moisture. If you have enough sun for roses to bloom, Hydrangeas might not be as happy in the same spot, and need a lot more water. Rose of sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is a tree which can get 30 ft. tall. The last one I planted in central OH went from 3 ft. tall to about 10 feet in 3 years. Knockout roses bloom over and over all summer, and need nothing done to them unless you want to trim their shape and size occasionally. Mock orange (Philadelphus) would be another shrub to consider although I wouldn't buy one that isn't in bloom - they don't all have great fragrance. Pieris japonica might be another candidate, it's evergreen. Purple smoke bush is another one I always liked in OH. |
RE: Hedge: Hydrangeas? Roses? Hydrangeas and roses?
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| Rose of Sharon 30ft tall?! That I would like to see! I have seen a multitude of them here in MI and I have never seen one over 10ft. |
RE: Hedge: Hydrangeas? Roses? Hydrangeas and roses?
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| If you want flowering bushes with minimal care, knock-outs are a good choice. If you can go without the flowers, the purple smoke bush is a great choice. It is very nice looking and grows quite fast. It does need sun though. The Incrediball hydrangea has performed quite well for me. I planted one last year and this year it is quite large and full of blooms. Mine is in part sun. |
RE: Hedge: Hydrangeas? Roses? Hydrangeas and roses?
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| Cant go wrong with Pinky Winky Hydrangea. Easy to care for, show stopping tri color flowers, grow 6-8 feet tall, 4 feet wide. |
RE: Hedge: Hydrangeas? Roses? Hydrangeas and roses?
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My backyard is surrounded by chainlink. I have roses and hydrangea, as well as ninebark (several diffrent kinds) deutzia, yellow twig dogwood (never again), flowering quince (lovely in spring), bridal wreath spirea and viburnum. I also garden inside the fence and uses clematis to climb and hide my view.
My absolute favorite are two japanses willow, with clematis planted at their base. They are so light colored and airy, I never feel hemmed in by their bulk. The clematis climbs thru and flowers wonderfully, heavily in sping and bit by bit thru fall.
Be aware of the shape of the shrubs you plant. A fountain shape will take more space than you realized. Alot more. Color also, a dark ninebark can make a garden feel dense, while a gold one just seems sunnier.
Flowering quince can be trimmed to hedge , and flowers stunning, but thorns.
Roses are finicky and would require just the right one to avoid blackspot, aphids, bloom time considerations...etc...
Pinky Winky hydrangea are stunning, and of all mine, a favorite.
good luck. |
RE: Hedge: Hydrangeas? Roses? Hydrangeas and roses?
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| Anyone who says that roses are finicky has never tried Knockouts or rosa rugosas. They're very easy and beautiful. I have both growing in my yard, in areas that get 5-6+ hrs of sun for most of the year, and have found them to be extremely low maintenance. I planted them in average loam with some compost, watered them regularly while they were getting established, and now I have to do ALMOST nothing to enjoy beautiful blooms throughout the warmer months, just watering in extreme dry spells, and adding a little compost now and then. My oldest Knockouts have been in the ground 4 years and reached 4 feet tall last year. I have a rosa rugosa planted about the same time as the oldest Knockouts. It's now 4 feet tall and about as wide. It should reach 5 feet next year or the following year. I planted 2 more rosa rugosas this spring, and they will have similar mature sizes (5-6 ft tall and wide). There are other rosa rugosa varieties that have narrower growth habits and are more suitable for growing along fences. Most rugosas are extremely hardy and disease resistant. North Creek Farm in Maine is a great source. They sell good quality plants for reasonable prices, and they're packed extremely well for shipping. From my positive experience, I highly recommend them. |
Here is a link that might be useful: North Creek Farm
RE: Hedge: Hydrangeas? Roses? Hydrangeas and roses?
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i'd go with a mixed bag of shrubs that include lilac, bridal wreath, mock orange, weigelia, hydrangeas, flowering quince, nine bark, viburnums, keria & forsythia. as well as a few smaller evergreens for winter interest
and then plant clematis to grow thru them and roses in front of them for more color in the summer |
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