| Another Toronto gardener I learned from, a few years back ... used large cardboard boxes that she opens up to cover the stems with. She splays down the pliable stems to the ground ... cover with dry-fallen-leaves ... cardboard over ... held down with bricks ... cover on top with more collected leaves ... works very well!!! If bush is too large, bundle the canes w/ bedsheet strips, loosely fill in some dry fall-leaves/pine needles ... wrap w/ burlap & if you really want more work as I do, create a cage around the bundle & drop more dry leaves/pine needles! In my similar zone, I don't go this length for the ESs. I have others I enslave to ... see my pics. Have a great Fall! |
Here is a link that might be useful: More than you need to!
| I found a pic of the overwinter screen for my roses. I think it's applicable to hydrangeas. I think it's kinda pretty, too. I had to find something attractive. Chicken wire, burlap. I dunno, it just didn't do it for me. So I spent some bucks to buy the blinds. I figured it was worth the cost. Heavens, I care so much about the blooming appearance, why not the winter look? Anything else would probably bug me every time I walked out the door. To the left are all my ES hydrangeas, pretty much cut down from the 5+ feet they reached. I bought them because they didn't need winter protection. It's just a matter of days until those leaves turn to spinach, sigh. Well, if you've got tender hydrangeas in the front of your house and you need to protect them, this might work. Good Luck. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Bamboo Screen
