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jiljillyb

Gardenias and Hydrangeas- New to gardening

JilJillyB
18 years ago

I am so confused. I asked a gardener where to plant my Gardenias and Hydrangeas. He told me that Gardenias need all shade, and Hydrangeas need partial sun/shade.

I have researced quite a bit on the web, and the info I was given was Gardenias need sun, and Hydrangeas need all shade.

Which is correct?

Does it depend on what kind of Gardenia it is? If so, which is the easiest and healthiest type to grow?...And where?

Comments (5)

  • lisa455
    18 years ago

    I have both. They both do well with morning sun or filtered afternoon sun or part shade. I don't know if gardenias can do well in full shade with no sun (they could be fine for example with winter sun under deciduous trees with shade in the summer). My gardenias are on the northeast side of my house and do well (with fertilizing and babying) with sun until 1:00 p.m. and the hydrangeas are on a northwestern exposure and get shade from larger shrubs in the afternoon. The hydrangeas are deciduous for me (don't know how they would be in zone 10 without the frost) and the gardenias are evergreen. Beware the gardenias are very difficult to grow and are cranky. The different advice you are getting online depends more on the part of the country it was written for than the plant type. Full sun up north is like part shade or filtered shade in the south. Many plants that can grow in full sun up north fry in the south.

  • vetivert8
    18 years ago

    What sort of Hydrangeas are you wanting to grow? The 'lace caps' are pretty sun tolerant once they're established. They can be used in a mixed hedge or for boudary plantings. The oak-leaf Hydrangea is more a 50:50 type in my experience - and can collapse after prolongued drought. The old ones that tend to go wild in abandoned sites will put up with all sorts of horrid conditions. The new varieties such as 'Saturn' - I'm not yet sure of.

    If you can get them in when you're expecting reliable rain they'll be able to break out of the pot shape with their roots and be foraging for water/food before you face your next summer. Even so, expect it to take a couple of years for them to fully settle in.

  • eden72
    18 years ago

    I bought a baby hydrangea this summer, planted it in the ground in a morning sun, afternoon shade location. It never bloomed after that, and absolutely withered like crazy with the first really cold weather. I had no idea what to do and just hacked it back to about 4 inches!! Is it normal for a hydrangea to wither like that in winter?? Did I completely destroy it????? I absolutely love them and plan on having the side of my house packed with them, but I don't know how to care for them or what to expect. I also plan to mix them with gardenias. NEED HELP!!
    Jennifer

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    18 years ago

    Jennifer, you will get all sorts of detailed help on the hydrangea forum, but let me address your major concerns first. Hydrangeas lose their leaves in winter so it is not unexpected or a reason for concern that yours looked "whithered" at the first sign of a good cold spell. And young hydrangeas often need some and age and establishment to bloom, so no blooms this season is also not a reason for concern.

    However, hacking it back to 4" was not necessary and depending on how large it was before such treatment, might be a little on the severe side. And if it was a largeleaf mophead type hydrangea (arguably the most common), cutting it back will have removed any possibility of flowering next season.

    Visit the Hydrangea forum and read through the FAQ's and a variety of the posts, specially those that deal with pruning questions, and you will get a good understanding of how best to take care of your baby.

  • eden72
    18 years ago

    Man!!:( Well, that's a bummer! I appreciate the response and advice. I just found the hydrangea forum and will spend some time in there. Thanks
    Jennifer//>

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