Hello, daisy_head_maisy. Technically, all those are Zone 6 hardy but I hear you. Many folks have reported blooming problems with ES in very cold weather zones. I think I would still try it if I was in your shoes but, if you are concerned, review some of the Forever & Ever Series (mophead) Hydrangeas to see if any of those that grows in your zone gets your sign of approval:

http://foreverandeverplants.com/Index.aspx/GardenFavorites/Hydrangeas

Did you know? Incrediblall and Annabelle are basically the same plant. Incrediball's claim to fame is bloom size and stems sturdier than the "standard Annabelle". I thought I would point that out in case you were trying to get hydrangeas that were "more" different. They should both be very hardy but Annabelle's blooms may flop more if weighed down by rain. I have one in a protected place where this is not too much of a problem.

Paniculatas are probably amongst the best and hardiest of the bunch but some get quite large so one has to keep size in mind or you will beed to prune them often. If you plant them away from any walkways, this may not be an issue. Check some new ones like Bobo and Bombshell too.

From a design and landscaping point of view, I have not tried planting different hydrangea varieties together side by side before, because I felt that the different blooms kind of needed to be separated by different plantings. Ego45 is very good at this sort of question. I hope he chimes in to add his opinion as one thing I would point out is that, in that section where all these shrubs would go, you would end up with no "green-ery" in front of the house during the winter months; I try to plant evergreens so things are not too bare during those months.

This post was edited by luis_pr on Mon, May 6, 13 at 3:16

Yes, if this is the front of your home I would do some dwarf conifers or a small broadleaved evergreen to ensure all season greenery and then a row of hydrangeas in front of those in a stadium effect. Winter can be depressing enough without the front of your home being bare.

Thank you so much for the feedback! I went hydrangea shopping again this morning and I couldn't even find anyone to help me so I really value the feedback you guys provided.

I love the idea of evergreens as a backdrop - I'll have to do some research and find what will be narrow enough to work for that.

For the Hydrangeas - I'm thinking I want just one variety and have them grow together kind of like a hedge.

I have hit every store in the area and the only varieties that are still available locally are:

Endless Summer
Limelight
Pinky Winky
and
Annabelle

I think Endless Summer is the prettiest but I'm really worried about it actually blooming from posts I've read here.

I'll check out the ones you recommended. If none of these will work I may have to resort to mailorder.

*WARNING* - If you want any kind of decent performance from any hydrangea, you want the dead stick look in early Spring, 'til almost mid-May. If hydrangeas leaf out too early, they can be heavily damaged by late frosts.

Otherwise...

ES should do fine in zone 6. However, buy the largest pot size you can afford. A one-gallon size will take years to get decent above-ground growth established...

David Ramsey is a cheaper alternative to ES.

Penny Mac is also a cheaper altnernative. I'm currently growing a PM next to ES to see which gets larger faster.

Nikko Blue should also do well in zone 6; This is because it grows very fast, making lots of large, tall canes with heavy bud production. So, keeping a "trim" one of these in zone 6 shouldn't be that difficult. I just got my first batch on clearance last year and they are sending up new growth with flower buds from the crown!

"For the Hydrangeas - I'm thinking I want just one variety and have them grow together kind of like a hedge. "

Absolutely do just one variety!