Holy crap, I found a couple more.

Phantom
Angels Blush (Ruby)

I bought a pinky winky and a lime light this year, then I saw a pink diamond that had aged blooms that where just stunning . Quick fire is a interesting plant as well because of the early bloom and color changes but I don,t have one and have only seen a really small one.

If I were you I would have a Quick Fire, a Limelight and a Pink Diamond.

i know limelight isnt on your list but i just love mine! peegee is a great one too! good luck!

Well I have 5 Quickfire's so I think I am set there, lol. Although if its a superior cultivar to the others I would get antoher one.

I don't really like the green/white color so thats why I didn't add Limelight, I hear tons of good things about that cultivar though.

So it looks like I'm hearing Pink Diamond would be the next best choice over all the others?

Well, if I had to choose between Limelight and Pink Diamond, I would go with Pink Diamond, reason being the foliage is lusher and darker, whereas the Limelight foliage is a lighter, brighter green. I also prefer the more elongated heads of Pink Diamond - my Limelight blooms, while pretty, are kind of stubby-looking as opposed to long and graceful.

I do prefer a lighter foilage, but want the fuller look.

Still in the running...
Pinky Winky
Pink Diamond
Quickfire
Unique
Kyushu
The Swan
Phantom
Angels Blush (Ruby)

Out of the running...
Little Lamb --> stems droop with flowers
Dharuma --> too small, but will use in another location
Tarvida --> blooms later than all the rest
Pee Gee --> stems droop with flowers

FWIW - Limelight does not bloom for me until early August (I'm in the metro-Detroit area)

I was looking @ Micheal Dirr's Hydrangea book and he mentions that Limelight's stems aren't very strong in holding the flowers, they cascade.

Anyone else have this problem? I definitely need a cultivar that is going to have sturdy stems, no cascading!

He also said he is not impressed with the Flowering capabilities on Angel's Blush (Ruby).

Have you thought of Angel's Blush ... PD's baby ... more upright ... love my 2nd season baby!!!

Limelight is stunning and is in my opinion far superior to any other cultivar. It has large, but proportional, blooms, that change from a pleasin green to white to pink and then eventually to burgundy. The stems are strong (Dirr is confused) that hold the blooms up nicely even after heavy wind or rain. It's unique in that it reblooms so you are always getting new green flowers even as the older ons are changing color.

Here is a link that might be useful: Limelight Video

The limelight is definitely a flopper. I visited 2 nurseries in my area and they were all floppers. Not as bad as the pee gee by any means.

It was quite obvious that Quickfire and Tardiva had the strongest stems.

Tardiva won out...already planted and it looks great.

Totally personal, but I perfer the loose looking flowers vs. the heavy looking flowers. I hate to say it but I felt like the limelights looked ugly, just not my thing.

"I hate to say it but I felt like the limelights looked ugly, just not my thing" ... this is one of those plants that gets your gut going in one direction or the other, you either love or dislike it. I'm one who leans towards not being so crazy of the greenish yellow coloration ... BUT, with that said, I think it would look totally fantastic planted next to something with purple foliage or backed with a Joe Pye weed. I will be picking up a Limelight in the next few days.

Terry

See Dr. Armatage's video on the best Hydrangea. He is a professior at the Univerity of Georgia.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dr. Armatage's Favorite Hydrangea

"Best" is a subjective term...

He is right as far as paniculata being the best in regards to usage but as I mentioned Limelight is a flopper, if you look beyond the few large stems only tilting, you can see the rest of the stems are flopping...again some people might like that though, not me.

I would not say that the stems of Limelight are weak at all. They are pretty darn strong. It's just that when we have huge and dense blooms, their weight after a rain storm may pull the stems down. Perhaps if we don't prune as much, and allow the shrub to have more but smaller blooms, then it won't be as "floppy" as some describe here?

Limelights seen at nurseries are often cut down every year, so that the panicles are larger, but this also leads to weaker stems with larger/heavier flowers, which is why one might see a Limelight that has flopped. My local nursery does this, and their specimen is quite mature, but does exhibit a little bit of flopping. That said, it gets to 7'+ every year, even though it's cut down come winter. In the home garden, aside from with young plants, I don't believe flopping is something to really worry about.

And, back on topic, I would go with Pinky Winky, Limelight, or if you wait for it (as I am doing), Vanilla Strawberry.

As a young container plant it can be floppy but once it has a year or two in the garden it's stems are very strong and does not flop.

So similar to the original poster "waas" I am in search of a hardy - full sun (west side of my home noon-8 =/- full sun a day, zone 6), strong wind at times (I do however do winter protection for the winter). I bought my home about a year ago and it looks like it will probably be next summer before I get the retaining walls replaced (currently railroad tie looking). I have a very steep yard with 3 terraces below the main backyard and the 4th and larger bottom terrace that leads to the lake. So the main back yard is starting to sink the last 2-3' of lawn that's by the 1st dropoff for the terrace below. I'm thinking I could rip out that 2-3' section (by 80' long probably) of sloped grass that is my constant headache to mow at an angle and add a border of paniculata hydrangeas to keep my 3 year old son and his friends away from the edge and to remove the need to mow that sloped grass strip. I don't want to block the view of the lake from the bottom floor windows so I'm thinking a border of dwarf (2-3 or maybe 3.5' tall)- So it's looking like my choices are bobo, little lime or dart's little dot and I want to throw ruby slippers into the ring even though she's not a pan. thoughts, suggestions, recomendations? Help appreciated :-) amy in Utah

Here is a link that might be useful: link on paniculata hardiness