Oh, ouch! what a bummer. This is one of my favorite plants and your's is lovely. It will only suck for a season/two.

I have one that isn't quite as large is pretty close, it grows on an expanse of privacy fence. I've pruned the livin' daylights out of it over the years to get the shape I wanted. This is a plant that readily accepts pruning... in fact, it really likes it.

I'm assuming the leafy green above the flowers is new growth? cut it back. Have no fear. See if you can pry the remaining vine free of the brickwork enough that the workmen can do what they must behind the pried back vine. If they say you must prune more aggressively question them, and only then go back further. Remind them this isn't the first brick home requiring their services, etc., often, the simple reminder lets them know how important something is!But know the more you cut the more agressive you will have to be training the new growth the way you want it to grow!

You're right, this bold vine WILL find its foothold again without much work. I would think a few strategically placed "props" would do the trick nicely... you'll take them down by the midst of the next growing season.

Just realized this is way OT, don't know what I was thinking. Sorry.

It's a beautiful landscape using climbing hydrangea, though!

I'd make sure the sealant isn't toxic to your plant, since something is bound to drip on it.

Just an observation or two which only your person sealing the brick can really address with knowlege. The left hand wing of the house is a later addition. Those interested can study the right hand side of the right shutter by the entrance where the newer construction line is obvious, plus different window lintels. It occurs to me that the newer brick portion may be a harder brick and not need sealing. I don't see any spalling on it although it is obvious that the brick has needed pointing up through the years. Technically the vine should not be there. But, it certainly looks grand! An old established cl. hydrangea will quickly regrow if cut down.

I was just about to make the same observation as Nandina about the brick wall. I wish my Cl.Hydrangea looked half as good as this...it's 4 years old and will not climb beyond the 4' tall mark.

Patience is required. Our's didn't really start rollin' until year 4/5.

When I've had to peel a section of our's back I've used a wide putty knife and a gentle touch. It's worked and there hasn't been undue damage to the shoots/branches. Our's came "unhooked" during a particularly windswept northeaster in early spring. I simply went out and tied it back in position on the arbor. When training it up the fence we used turnbuckles and wire to simply hold it upright and near the section of fence. As the plant grew we simply tightened the turnbuckles to accomodate the increasing weight. Now, the plant is afixed, the turnbuckles and wire are extraneous and should be removed.

The alterations to the house were made by the second owner, who bought it in 1847. The kitchen wing was added, along with the dining room wing containing the door to the right. The seam where the brick was changed on the original two story section is where a chimney was added to the corner for the dining room fireplace.

So all of the brick is old and porous.

I was just wondering if those of you with the antique brick houses have had any further discoveries about the hydrangea vine? I have struggled with the same issue about whether to plant one on my 120 year old brick house. I have read that while it doesn't damage the masonry, it can hold moisture next to the house. Have you had any moisture or mold problems associated with it?

I was able to get the entire vine down on the ground without losing more than a couple of branches, but ended up pruning it back anyway because it was so heavy that I couldn't figure out how I would get it back up there and hold it in place. I cut it back by about two thirds, and used a couple of wires tied to some old fasteners protruding from the joints to hold it up while it reattached itself. It is now two thirds of the way up the wall again, some to the tops of the windows, but not as dense as it was. This is one happy plant.

I did not see any damage, mold, or moisture problems when the vine was removed. The holdfasts came off fairly easily, and it is the combined strength of a large number of them that holds the plants up. Kind of like those kids who duct taped their friend to a wall. Mine is on an east-facing wall. My north facing front porches are mildewed all the time, with nothing on them, because of the shade.

The thing you want to watch is gutter, roof edges, trim, etc. and not let it get under them and damage them. Trumpet vine is really bad in this regard, I had some on my garage when I moved in, and it went up under some trim, followed up under the roof line, and emerged next to the brick chimney. It's gone now.

In the photo that part that is appealing is the older part with the flowers, the newer, flatter sections look like more than is needed to produce an attractive effect. It may be just as well that it was cut back. You might consider keeping it smaller in future.

Saypoint, I thought you were moving from this house.

KarinL

That is one big hydrangea...i understand vertical interest now lol!

We were planning to move back to VA, and the house was on the market for 3 months last winter. We had a lot of interest, and one offer that we let fall through after the inspection because we hadn't yet decided on a house in VA and my husband was being stubborn (we ended up replacing the septic system anyway, it was 100 years old). Showing the house 2-3 times a week is fun with 4 dogs.

Anyway, when our listing ran out in Dec. we didn't renew it, and the DH ended up changing jobs. So we're staying, at least for the foreseeable future.

I'm glad not to have to move again, and for the time to get the rest of my plans here completed, but we were eyeballing a 13 acre mini farm in SW VA with an antique house to die for, and I would have been fine with the move.

Hmmm...I wasn't around when this was first posted, but now I am wondering why you were sealing the brick in the first place. (My grad school specialization was historic preservation, tho I haven't been able to much in practice, fwiw). Old brick like you have was designed to be porous, so if you seal the brick, you may be trapping moisture within the brick. Then, when the moisture freezes, it expands and pops off the face of the brick, causing spalling. The better solution is to make sure you have proper drainage within the wall, with proper flashing and the appropriate mortar used when repointing. The mortar should be lime-based, to be more flexible and porous than the brick, so any movement (and drainage) happens within the mortar joints, not the brick.

But, that IS a gorgeous climbing hydrangea! I was considering one for the front of our house, but was concerned with maintenance, since we have painted board and batten siding above a brick wainscot...

You're right about the brick, Irene, but some idiot who owned our home years ago bought it covered with english ivy, and he had it sandblasted, leaving some of it more porous than it should be. It was recommended that the brick be sealed after that. We use a weak mortar mix when repointing or repairing.

In your case, with the board and batten siding, why not install a nice trellis with spacers to keep the vines off the house and grow a vine up that?

Sandblasting - ick. I have to admit, while I was taught never, ever to do it, I'm not sure if I was taught what to do if you had to deal with the aftermath! I hope it works out for you!

Good idea on the trellis - I may consider it.

If I may be so bold...

Climbing Hydrangea is a vine that is imbued with a desire to seek whatever (vertical) support available to it. It's content to climb a tree, ramble along a stonewall and over the ground, or up the side of a building. Point is, it's looking for support, and will grab onto whatever is available.

A trellis is an obvious choice, I agree. BUT, this is not a vine that's going to content itself with a trellis. It's going to afix itself to the trellis and then it's going to move straight back and afix itself to the building that supports the trellis. CH is a vertical "creeper"! And it will vanquish any trellis that seeks to "contain" it. It's only a quesition of time.

If you want to keep this "bad boy" ON a trellis you'd better provide a serious trellis and you'd best be willin' to get out yearly and provide training sticks to span distance between the rails of the trellis and keep the vine from adhering itself to the building that supports the trellis. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I know a lot about this vine and I've learned most of it the hard way.

This is a great plant, but if you think offering a trellis will appease its desire to move onward/upward, guess again. This sucker is more than willing to engulf anything in its way. I have knowledge of one in my town that exceeds 60'... engulfing a pergola outside a loggia. Magnificent!

But this ISN'T a vine for the faint-hearted; if you don't take control of it it will engulf you, too! Remember Audrey II?

;)

FEED ME! C'mon and FEEEEED me, Seymour. Feed me all night long...

I wish i could see the flowers a little better...saypoint can you post a close up of the flowers on your hydrangea? =) I know its off topic but it's just killing me!

Chelone - Thanks for the words of wisdom! Sounds like not giving in to impulse shopping was a good idea... (Bluestone had it on special earlier this year)

I guess it was fate that I put on the Little Shop of Horrors soundtrack over the weekend... ;)

Below is a shot of the flower:

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Here is a shot of the cluster of flowers:

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And here is how my plant is coming along in the training process (taken in early May '07):

{{gwi:46120}}

I am training it to cover a barrel vault arbor. This plant has been in place for 11-13 yrs. (I've forgotten when I transplanted it from the site next to the house).

Does anyone know how to remove a hydrangea from the wall without damaging the wall and also leaving residue on the wall?